The concept of perfection is everywhere. When you check out of the grocery store you see the images of Hollywood?s ?perfect? faces.
Though they do not outright say, ?this is how you want to look,? their catchy headlines guaranteeing a perfect bikini body seem to portray to teenagers the ideal image of the perfect body.
Seeing the lack of good influence in print for young adults, Molly Sargent?s peer counseling class took matter into their own hands and created BLISS.
?BLISS was the peer counseling girls’ idea,? Sargent said. ?We were talking about the lack of a fashion magazine with value. So we decided because there was not one on the market, we would create one ourselves.?
BLISS, an acronym for Beauty, Love, Intelligence, Servant and Strong, is directed towards high school girls.
?Our main goal for relaying a positive image to teen girls,? senior Kaley Hearnsberger, editor of BLISS, said. ?The acronym basically sums up the main points that we want to covey.?
According to Josh McDowell, author of More Than A Carpenter, the media has a negative effect on 49% of teenagers and 16% of those teens admit that they feel a major pressure to look a certain way.
?Through the magazine we do not focus on ways a girl can change herself, instead, accepting who she is and what she looks like and who she was created to become,? Hearnsberger said. ?We hope to show girls that everyone is unique and has different attributes that are to be praised.?
Though Christian students write the magazine, they are trying to appeal to just those that would be interested in something like Brio.
?We are not trying to be over religious and preachy, we are trying to reach out to girls in relevant ways,? Hearnsberger said. ?We do not want to seem self righteous and we hope to reach more people by focusing on the positive.?
This magazine covers more than Biblical teaching. From getting in shape and eating healthy, creating the perfect out fit for your body, dealing with depression, dating, movie reviews and having fun with your mom, BLISS gives old ideas a new twist.
BLISS is expected to be released by May 22 and is free to all students.
Students who have any questions or are interested in making a contribution to BLISS should contact Sargent at [email protected].
