Thirteen is not an unlucky number for Tyra Banks -- or for some America's Next Top Model-loving Penn State students.
Cycle 13 of the hit CW show premieres at 8 tonight, edging closer to ER's record 15 seasons.
"It's great that there is still a huge following of fans after all this time," Melissa Sirolli (sophomore-nutrition) said. "I think that it's cool that there are so many girls that still try out for the show."
Cycle 13 will also premiere a new feature: All of the contestants are required to be 5 feet 7 inches or under for the first time in the show's history, according to Entertainment Weekly.
"I think it's great that this is a season with shorter girls because it is just another way Tyra is keeping everyone on their toes," Shara Swift (sophomore-public relations) said. "It's refreshing to see that this show is going against the fashion industry's standards."
Swift also said she will continue to host weekly America's Next Top Model parties in her apartment.
"My friends come over and we order a ton of food, and we think of ourselves as the judges and comment on the photo shoots," she said. "It's a lot of fun, especially in the middle of a hectic week."
There are going to be some new additions to the show as well. Reality TV stars Kim Kardashian and Lauren Conrad are set to appear in Cycle 13 as celebrity judges, according to E! Online.
"I love how they are switching things up and bringing in celebrities to judge," Swift said. "I always like to see what new things are brought to the show each cycle."
Kardashian and Conrad will be doing one episode each. According to E! Online, they are replacing Paulina Porizkova because of the cost to keep her on the show.
But some Penn State students think the show has gotten old, even with the new additions.
"You see the same thing every cycle, and it is becoming obnoxious," Marta Jonca (sophomore-public relations) said. "Reality TV stars are not going to make me watch the show. I've just lost interest."
Even with new additions, some old fixtures of the show are what keep people watching, Swift said.
"My favorite part of America's Next Top Model is when the final contestants travel to a different part of the world and get to experience the culture there," she said. "I loved when they went to Spain and how they incorporated the traditional bullfighting into one of the photo shoots."
Sirolli said she is excited to see how the new judges will make the photo shoots different this cycle.
"I love watching every week to see what other creative and outlandish things they are going to do," she said.
