It’s time to take a stand. With the help of Loyola Students, the Counseling Center is proud to present the Body Pride Campaign of 2018. Redefining societal standards and common day misconceptions of what ideal beauty standards are, this campaign shows the true cover models that walk our campus every day. Each individual on those covers represents our community and the diverse beauty that can be found on our campus. Launching at the FAC, we hope the posters start a conversation and help combat the distortion society puts on standards of beauty.

But to truly understand the experience and the ultimate goal/hope for the campaign, we asked the cover models a few questions. Aiming to not only represent their own perspective on the experience, these questions show a unique progression in the process the models undertook. They have opened the possibilities to what these covers could mean and given a voice to those not represented in the media.

Question #1: How did being on the cover make you feel?

“It was weird for me. I’m not a very confident person when it comes to my appearance, so when I was approached to do this I was caught off-guard, especially because I do not fit the stereotypical and hyper sexualized image of a Latinas. I grew up with expectations to grow up and look like J-Lo or Sofia Vergara. Those unreal expectations that are coming from all directions, so being on the cover made the fact that I don’t fulfill those expectations an act of resistance. If you know me, that’s what I live for.” ~ Tiffany Nano-Miranda ‘18

“I felt honored because I don’t feel like I’m a ‘cover-worthy’ person, but that’s the point isn’t it? That everybody is beautiful and cover-worthy.” ~ Sam Kolb ‘18

“Being a part of this campaign has helped me understand the importance of pride. As a latino who is also part of the LGBTQ+ community, it is easy to be forced into a mold. I am expected to act a certain way or use particular slang. However, I am much more than these identities, and I am far beyond whatever molds people may come up with.” ~ Christian Lopez-Ashby ’18

Question #2: Why do think it is important for the reinterpretation of magazine covers (your cover specifically)?

“I want more body types to be on covers of magazines. Not only that, I don’t fit the Euro-centric beauty standards of our society forced on my culture. Being brown and at the forefront of something that defines beauty was empowering.” ~ Tiffany Nano-Miranda ‘18

“I think these reinterpretations are so important because magazines and media in general influence the daily lives of our generation. These reinterpretations show that we are taking a stand against the ideal of European beauty that is so often referenced in our society.” ~ Dana Sauro ‘18

“I loved the title “Strength is More Than Just Muscle” for a men’s health cover because I know that body insecurity is an issue for guys too, and that title acknowledges that there are so many different types of strength that anyone can possess beyond physical strength. Just because you aren’t big doesn’t mean you’re not strong.” ~ Sam Kolb ‘18

Question #3: What’s one thing you would say to someone about “body pride”?

“It’s a long journey to get to the point of being proud of your body. Every step along the journey brings about new challenges. Once you get to the point where you can say “I love myself,” there are still going to be moments where that self-doubt comes back. There’s nothing wrong with that! Any progress is progress. That was something I needed to learn and accept, because I expected that once I got to this point of acceptance that everything was going to be great. That wasn’t my reality and just taking it day by day is a great start.” ~ Tiffany Nano-Miranda ‘18

“Regarding body pride, I would tell people that it is a journey to self-love. There are ups and downs, and days where you feel sexy as hell and days where you just throw on a sweatshirt and go on with your day. This is normal and an important part of the journey to loving yourself. But keep it up, because loving yourself is the greatest revolution.” ~ Dana Sauro ‘18

“Being proud of your body is a daily commitment. Some days you’ll feel beautiful and other days you won’t, but you are beautiful every day, even when you don’t see it.” ~ Sam Kolb ‘18

“Body pride is all about owning who you are and being unapologetically yourself; it is an attitude that we all deserve to have.” ~ Gideon Abadilla ‘18

So, take a minute and just look. Anyone could be on that cover, and that gives us the capacity to redefine beauty. That is our hope. That you see yourself as the cover model.

Feature Image: Body Pride Ride Twitter Page