LUCKY GIRL
Written by Kiara Reyes and Emily Komer at VIM Magazine
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The lucky girl syndrome is a new facade that hit TikTok when 2023 began. Virtually, people began explaining that anything can happen in life with positive thinking and claiming that those ideas are alive. The lucky girl syndrome is the mindset in which an individual believes everything will work out for you and manifests positive opportunities to come your way. Changing the way we think and feel about life is a form of manifesting, but believing that good things are going to happen to us because of luck.
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“Things are always working out in my favor.” “Great things are always happening to me.” “I attract all that is good in the universe.” “I am so lucky for all the opportunities that come my way” or lastly “Things are always working out for me no matter how it looks at any point in time.” These are common affirmations associated with the idea of lucky girl syndrome, but what do they really mean?
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When it comes down to the principle of lucky girl syndrome one must already believe that prosperity and opportunity are coming without any real evidence yet. This belief holds many similar concepts to the law of attraction and manifestation. Creating thoughts that you will always attract positivity and success will result in you actually seeing life-altering results.
The cliche saying, “a positive mind creates a positive life,” is very true in relation to being a ‘lucky girl’. The way you start your day or think about any situation changes the outcome of it. This is true in everyday tasks but will create a positive future and ‘luck’. Believing that everything will work out with no doubts or complaining will lead to our dreams.
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Those who do not believe in this stuff may think you are out of touch with reality and don’t want to put in hard work but it has nothing to do with that. There are many successful manifestation stories from celebrities proving this is not some made-up internet trend. Some celebrities include Jim Carrey, Oprah, and many more. Having a positive mindset about your future leads to what you want. You have to claim that it is yours, pretend that what you want is already in your life, and feel that good things will happen to you at any point in time.
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Overall, the idea of lucky girl syndrome isn’t magic but rather attraction, manifesting, planning, and action. Believing that your dreams will come true along with good behavior and discipline benefits you with change, success, and opportunities. The lucky girl mindset is the first step in attracting what is meant for you and making your dreams and goals a reality.
FANATIC!
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Written by Emily Komer at VIM Magazine
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The entertainment industry allows us to live in a toxic, fantasy world. The toxicity of the industry affects all of those looking in. Movies, music, and television have been shoved down our throats since birth and they shape adulthood. Celebrities keep us entertained but there needs to be healthy boundaries between the celebrity and the audience. Hollywood provides the best forms of entertainment, but the worst mental health outcomes through social media. Parasocial relationships are a huge downside to this industry. These imaginary relationships are formed through mass media and make us think we are connected to these people, but in reality- no one is. It is easy to feel like we know them personally but we only see what they show online. We trust that what celebs post online is what they look like. Why do we act like strangers are our best friends? Why do we trust what strangers post on social media?
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Naturally, it is almost impossible to avoid celebrities unless you live under a rock. Everyone watches movies and listens to music, which makes it hard to avoid Hollywood. Hollywood is not the best industry to be involved in, but from outsiders, we only pay attention to the things that entertain us. The downside of the business is involving the issue of parasocial interaction for one. Imagine someone is watching Mean Girls and they start to believe and act like they are Regina George. Imagine if someone loves Sex and the City so they think they are the real-life Carrie Bradshaw, which is an example of parasocial interaction. These acts are fine to a certain extent but can be toxic for mental health reasons. We can wish to be like someone from a show or movie because maybe we want to be a journalist living in NYC one day. Maybe we wish we could have the easy carefree lifestyle one may have on a show like Friends. We can wish for those things but when reality and fantasy mix, it can be damaging to our future. This is because we expect the same amazing outcomes without putting in any effort. Films can provide us with inspiration but also it can give us a false sense of reality. It can cause people to become unhappy from not having a life like the ones seen on T.V.
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Problems with celebrity culture branched off into social media about a decade or so ago. Celebrities and influencers show their lives outside of films or music by using social media. Many celebrities use social media but Instagram is the most used by celebrities to post highlights of their lives. The issue with some celebrities using Instagram is that the photos they upload represent them inaccurately. Social media was a fun place to post the most random photos but over recent years, it has turned into a place for influencers and celebrities to post photoshopped or heavily edited photos. It is okay to change lighting or use filters, but when celebrities change the way their bodies or faces look- that is the problem. Also, botox and plastic surgery have become very prominent in Hollywood and now are being taught to young people. The Kardashians have been accused of editing their bodies and have been accused of changing their appearances through plastic surgery. When celebrities alter their photos or get plastic surgery, it causes a ripple of body issues. People believe that is what they have to look like and feel insecure for not looking like all of the girls online.
Beauty standards have changed with newer generations because celebrities use social media. Social media has had its positive effects on society but the negative effects are related to celebrities. Celebrities post anything they want on social media. The posts can be selfies, award show looks, body posts, and more. We see what they post and assume it is how they look at every second of the day. It is easy to get tricked but we have to remember these photos are edited or they probably have some sort of plastic surgery. Social media has caused many young people to feel the need to look like celebrities such as Kylie Jenner. We think we need to be perfect and have no flaws at all. We feel the need to strip our natural selves to someone new. We believe that “perfection” is achievable through face and body surgeries.
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Beauty standards today are not achievable as they once were. Everyone wants to look like the people who do not have natural characteristics, instead of being who we were born as. There is nothing wrong with plastic surgery, it is wrong when celebrities say they have never gotten anything done because it makes people do unhealthy things to achieve perfection. There are many celebrities who have lied about changing their appearances such as Kim Kardashian or Madison Beer- who clearly have some work done on their faces and bodies. It teaches young adults to have the wrong ideas about beauty. They might have a hard time with confidence and body image due to this.
Social media and parasocial relationships are downsides to the entertainment industry. These relationships are created because of what we know about our celebrity idols and we defend them like they are our friends. We believe that we know who they are because of social media or interviews, but in reality, they do not have any idea who we are. Mass media and parasocial relationships with celebrities cause a sense of delusion.
LET'S DO BRUNCH!
Written by Emily Komer and Jillian Gaddie at VIM Magazine
Having something to look forward to every weekend makes up for the challenging school week. Going out. Spending time with our friends- even meeting new people along the way. Looking forward to those mornings after embracing our college years, is all about going to brunch. Not caring how we look. Not caring what we eat, either. At this point, we are just trying to get anything in our stomachs. McDonald’s, cinnamon rolls, leftover Valentine’s cupcakes from 2 weeks before, mimosas for some, and coffee. Some of us are wearing the same clothes and makeup the night before. Some of us are wearing loungewear we do not fully remember changing into. Throwing on sunglasses to cover the fact we are not wearing full coverage makeup, which we most likely had on the night before. Some of us did not manage to grab makeup wipes. We are just simply trying to process that party last night.
The “Sunday Scaries” are not fun and going out to brunch is a girl’s ultimate right of passage. Us girls just wanna have fun until we have to deal with the fact we are not at full effect like last night anymore. We are hungry for gossip and food to end the weekend. By gossip, we mean talking about what happened the night before. Who embarrassed themselves, who saw the forbidden ex, and all in all, who made the worst decisions… Our time at brunch encourages us to share stories and anecdotes that embody who we truly are. At brunch, there is no front to put on, or a face to paint a smile on! We are ourselves, through and through- authentically present. There are times in the college years when the artificial presentation of yourself feels like the norm- let brunch be the reminder that it is not. Having no care in the world about physical appearance in college is part of the experience. No one cares how they look anymore like they did in high school. Everyone is on the same page and could care less about their brunch looks- especially when hungover.
In East Lansing, there are many hot brunch spots that students attend. For those who live in the area or ever visit, we have recommendations. The first and most obvious brunch spot in East Lansing is Leo’s Coney Island. It is very affordable and has so many different options. You can eat a stack of pancakes but also have the option to order a side of fries. Life can not get much better on a Sunday than pancakes and fries. Another loveable spot is HopCat. HopCat is amazing for all times of the day but they specifically have a brunch menu. Grab avocado toast and finish it off with a mimosa, to cure that headache of yours by indulging in more. Which is the typical college student way. The last favorite in downtown EL is Beggars Banquet, which has all the brunch favorites; omelets, breakfast burritos, and yummy french toast. Brunch immediately sets the tone for the week and resets everyone from the long nights experienced before.
The future of fashion
Written by Emily Komer & Madeline Minnick at VIM Magazine, Lifestyle Team
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The idea of sustainable thrifting begins with being ethical. Ethicalness is having a conscience of actions and its effects on the world, and promoting sustainability. With the heavy fashion and trend influence from social media, microtrends have boosted “fast fashion”- or cheaply and unethically made clothes that are made to be disposed of quickly. The boom of TikTok and Instagram connects viewers to specific trends that contribute to the increase in clothing consumption. In combating fast fashion, many to-the-point ethicalities of sustainable fashion have pushed the trend of thrifting into the light.
According to the New York Times, people are buying 60% more clothing now than they have in previous years. Unfortunately, 85% of those purchases go into the trash each year. That’s half as long of a wear time as previous generations. With the store-to-dumpster cycle accelerating, the planet is suffering. Not only is too much of the planet being overcrowded with waste, but the production acceleration to meet this demand also contributes to the harm fast fashion is contributing to the planet. Since trend cycles are running faster, companies are producing additional seasons of clothing featuring the hottest trends. The problem with this is though, that not every piece of clothing will be sold and unfortunately, most end up in the trash. This is different from previous generations where “out of season” clothes are simply put on sale and sold, but since micro trends are weighing so heavily on current fashion trends, there is too little appeal for pieces that simply aren’t in style anymore. Thrifting, on the other hand, is timeless and sustainability can be, as well. Thrifting is a more sustainable option than participating in micro trends and fast fashion because the clothes thrifted are in wear longer.
Additionally, if clothes are being worn longer, this sends a message to producers to create clothing that is meant to be worn longer and create higher quality clothes, which keeps more articles out of the trash. Doing ethical practices daily like reusing clothes, sharing clothes, and thrifting clothes is a way to protect the environment that comes from fast fashion. Ordering new clothes on the internet also creates excessive waste in a different form- packaging. Ordering clothes frequently from fast fashion websites creates more waste since plastic bags and cardboard boxes are used to transport products. Each piece of clothing is cheaply packaged in plastic that does not break down naturally. Plastic pollution is ruining our earth from rainforests to oceans. Plastic represents the suffocation of how our planet is feeling and how climate change is destroying the earth. In other words, plastic symbolizes how we see right through the issues of fast fashion. The world needs to see more clearly that certain shopping methods are bad for the environment and that becoming more sustainable when shopping for clothes, or even food, is necessary.
However, using new clothing shopping techniques like thrifting reduces packaging since there are in-store options that don’t require plastic to be shipped in. It is hard to stop shopping at stores that the general public is normalized to, but thrifting still allows us to find new clothes even if it is not a current trend. New clothes are exciting to buy and reusing clothes worn by other people is totally okay. Reusing clothes at a low cost makes fashion fun. This allows people to be creative and find natural and unique clothing. It allows people to find a personal style. Thrifting is unique since the clothes are different from each other- no matter where the store is. Thrifting really allows people to stand out since the clothes are so different from the general population. Most likely, others will be asking the ones who thrifted, where their clothes are from since no one else has what they are wearing.
A perk of thrifting is there is not one specific aesthetic at second-hand stores. It curates a diverse culture of clothes ranging from loungewear, denim jackets, and dresses. Thrifting allows self-expression while being ethical. Additionally, thrifting does not entirely need to be from a store like Goodwill or Salvation Army. Digital thrifting sites like Depop, Shopify, eBay, Threadup, The Real Real, and Poshmark, all allow people to post the clothes that they aren’t wearing anymore and resell them to consumers. This way, consumers are able to search for specific pieces and negotiate with the seller for a price they can agree on.
"Thrifting not only helps heal the planet, but it also grows your personal sense of style and personal brand."
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How the Coronavirus Impacted Tourism in Michigan
Written by Emily Komer for JRN 200- Writing and Reporting News
The Coronavirus affects many people’s lives in the United States. In Michigan, the Coronavirus is affecting the activities people do and causing them to buy boats and travel to new cities in the state. The state of Michigan sees an increase in outdoor activities. The Coronavirus is affecting tourism in Michigan.
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Most tourism in Michigan in the midst of the pandemic is towards the northern parts of the state due to fewer restrictions. Northern parts of Michigan like the Traverse City and Mackinac area are less restricted during the pandemic and many attractions are open.
“A lot of people just don't like cold weather, don't go anywhere in the wintertime, so they get cabin fever. We call it heads-up demand. They couldn't wait to get out. As soon as they were allowed to travel, the northern part of the state offered more opportunities to do things that people like to do; going to restaurants, bars, attractions, using hotels and things like that.” said Dave Lorenz, Vice President of Pure Michigan.
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Many summer outdoor activities have increased in tourists due to being locked up during the cold months and gyms across the state are closed.
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“The restrictions that the disease brought helped to drive people to recreate outside. And therefore, in that short season a really, really busy season,” said Jacklin Blodgett from the Department of Natural Resources.
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“Outdoor activities are bustling as people have taken to hiking, walking dogs, biking and running because indoor activities remain limited.” According to the Great Lakes Echo.
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“The camping season opened up on June 22. Opening up there in the third week of June shortened our season. We finished the year about 8% in revenue behind what we should have last year. But we felt like we had served just as many or more people.” said Jacklin Blodgett, the Chief Assistant at the Department of Natural Resources.
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The coronavirus has caused a decline in traveling because airports were closed for a while and international flights were banned. Now, hotels are offering deals to attract people because of the low prices.
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“There is a brand new Canopy Hotel by Hilton in Downtown Grand Rapids, it's the 23rd Canopy Hotel in the world and it is beautiful, beautiful. Well, they were telling me that they were offering really great deals to get people to come to the hotel. Not unusual, because in big cities like Grand Rapids, Detroit, and other bigger cities people have primarily stayed away from it because of the perception that you are at a greater possibility of getting the virus and the fact is you can get it anywhere.” said Dave Lorenz.
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The coronavirus impacts tourism in many ways such as businesses or hotels.
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“As Michigan hits its peak tourism months, some small business owners in towns that normally fill with summer tourists are expressing concerns about what lies ahead, and many say they have one goal for 2020: survival.” according to CBS News.
State parks and recreation areas or other modified lands are open, but they are following social distancing guidelines and being strict. There can be a $500 fine if one is found in violation of these laws.
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“Specific parks like Tahquamenon State Park said they had one of the busiest seasons that they ever had. People were lined up in cars just trying to get in, even on rainy days because they wanted to go to places like the U.P., they wanted to see these beautiful places and they wanted opportunities to distance and all that,” said Dave Lorenz.
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Hunting and fishing sales have gone up a lot in Michigan and even out-of-state residents have been buying fishing and hunting licenses too. Michigan has 11,000 inland lakes which makes it a huge tourist attraction pre-covid. States like Indiana or Ohio do not have these natural experiences as Michigan residents have. The outdoors are an important part of living.
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“In-state residents are getting back to nature, getting back to doing things as families, couples, friends and doing things like fishing together, going out on a boat together and things like this,” said Dave Lorenz.
Tourism in Michigan creates $27.5 billion dollars and $2.8 billion in local and state taxes. This industry has more than 375,000 jobs in the state of Michigan.
Mercury Pollution in the Great Lakes
Written by Emily Komer for JRN 200- Writing and Reporting News
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Mercury pollution is a major problem in the United States and around the world. In Michigan, the Great Lakes and the 11,000 inland lakes are affected by this type of pollution. The reason there are high amounts of mercury pollution in the world today is because of coal power plants. Coal power plants have been in the United States for many centuries. Mercury pollution has been an issue in the Great Lakes ever since Michigan started large-scale coal-fired power plants to generate electricity which was around the mid-1900s. Coal power plants are a big factor in climate change. These power plants are near bodies of water since they use water to provide energy to the power plants. The coal emissions go into the air and once it rains, the mercury is developed and falls into lakes, rivers, and ponds. The fish receives the toxic pollutants and the animals who drink the water are also affected by mercury. Mercury pollution is toxic and affects people mentally and physically.
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Pregnant women and children are affected the most. Mercury pollution causes a lot of serious side effects. It affects people’s health because it causes brain tremors, emotional instability, memory loss, and even affects the kidneys or lungs. The central nervous system suffers the most damage. Kids and developing embryos are the weaker populations since their nervous system is not developed to their fullest potential. Their brains are still developing and it causes very serious long-term effects. The air that comes from burning coal gets into our ecosystems and leaves leftover ash, this ash has high levels of deadly metals and mercury. The metals may not be stored properly and cause run-off. Those who use well water are most impacted.
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After the EPA changed its air toxicity standards for coal-burning power plants there were 4,200 to 11,000 fewer premature deaths, 2,800 fewer cases of bronchitis, 140,000 fewer cases of respiratory systems, and other cases have decreased, according to the NRDC.
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“A fish will have a higher mercury level due to the food chain. When talking about the fish at the top of the food chain like salmon or walleye, that are eating the fish that eat the plankton, that amount of mercury continues to magnify up the food chain. Those are the fish that have high enough mercury levels in their tissues that we are concerned about people eating those fish. Particularly vulnerable populations like children and pregnant women.” said Nathan Murphy, the State Director of Environment Michigan.
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Mercury pollution is found in soil, water, air, and coal and it is developed through coal power plants. Mercury exposure is a huge concern because it goes through the food chain and it bioaccumulates. Mercury also biomagnifies at every step of the food chain and mercury increases with each step. There is little mercury in the plankton, and it is caused by the amount of mercury that is in the water.
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There are different types of mercury, and they are dangerous at different levels. Bacteria transform mercury into organic molecules. It is developed through certain organisms like plankton and creates another toxin called methylmercury, which is more harmful. Our body takes it up more readily since it is an organic compound, which makes it more harmful.
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The EPA states that coal power plants cause up to 50% of mercury emissions in the United States. Government officials can easily make this change, but many of them are not up for any change because of the lawmakers in the current administration. According to Nathan Murphy, at the federal level in Michigan, Environment Michigan helped lobby to change the amount of mercury that can come from the smokestacks. Coal plants are being shut down because of climate change and renewables are sold cheaper now, which makes it more efficient to use wind or solar power instead.
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“Based on atmospheric deposition modeling conducted in 2005 by the EPA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Lake Erie receives the largest amount of mercury deposition from coal-fired power plants nationally, followed by Lake Ontario, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, and Lake Superior” According to the Natural Resources Defense Council.