Molly Mahoney
Genevenvie Fouly
As of the first day of school female students were surprised to find tampon and pad dispensers in all the bathrooms. Given that the usual ritual when caught off guard by their cycle is to walk all the way to the nurses office to pay twenty-five cents for a scratchy cardboard tampon or flimsy pad, many of the students who will benefit from this were excited about this development.
“I think it’s a really cool thing and kind of a big step and I think it's really important to have… people don’t have access and they should always have a right to it,” senior Shelby Tex said.
It is important for women to be able to have the free and easily accessible hygiene products since they don’t always carry the necessary money it takes to buy a product from the nurse, or the time for a trip which would cut into valuable class time. With the dispensers easily available in the restroom, the trek to the nurses office will be a thing of the past.
“I think they’re really helpful to have because women can’t control their periods and should not have to pay for basic necessities in order to function,” senior Casey Johnston commented “... it can be embarrassing for some people to have to ask… for a pad or tampon.”
Arguably the best thing about the new dispensers is that they’re completely free to use. Not every girl on campus carries around spare change in case they need to stop and grab a pad or tampon, and remembering to swing back by the nurses office to drop off a quarter after taking one is a bit of a hassle.
“The best part is that they’re free,” senior Alexis Ho commented. “I love it.”
Even the boys who won’t need feminine hygiene products are still in favor of the boxes being placed in the bathrooms.
“They’re a necessity in school,” senior Coby Ryle said.
The boxes are a welcomed change on campus and the right step towards a bright future. Students look forward to the continued maintenance of the boxes so that they can still make an impact on the school.