SGA and Physical Plant will provide free menstrual products for two years

Rebecca Fliegel (left) and Sophie Zinn (right) wearing matching t-shirts after their "Free the Flow" presentation to Elon University Student Government.

Student Government's Student Issues Committee joined with Physical Plant to start providing female students with menstrual products in spot locations on campus for the next two years. Plastic boxes with tampon and pad dispensers can be found in women and gender-neutral bathrooms across campus. SGA unanimously decided to grant $5,500 to this two-year project.

This initiative comes after the Student Issues Committee launched their "Free the Flow" pilot in January as a test. Based off responses from a QR-code survey on the boxes, the senate decided the program was a success.

Sophie Zinn, co-chair of the committee and class of 2019 senator, believes that menstrual cycles are an interruption to a female student's education.

"We as members believe that a woman's natural cycle shouldn't interfere with her access to her education," said Zinn. "And we want to seek to ensure that products are avaliable across campus for female students."

While the entire senate decided to fund the program, not all agree with the program.

SGA Media representative Baylor Rodman, a new member of student government, felt pressure to fund the program. He voted for it, even though he thought it was a large sum to give for a hygiene hand-out.

"Only 328 people responded to the survey which is friends of friends, and now they are spending $5,500 to stock all these bathrooms," Rodman said. "Like how big of a problem really is this?"

"Like if I need Advil will they stock all the bathrooms with that? No," Rodman said.

The $5,500 is taken out of the special projects fund of SGA. This section of the budget is designed to empty out the rollover fund.

Zinn and Rebecca Fliegel, the other co-chair of the Student Issues Committee, are both graduating in the spring. The committee will be dissolved as a part of the new amendments that passed in spring elections.

During the pilot program in January, Zinn and Fliegel themselves stocked the bathrooms with hygiene products. But with the new program, SGA plans to work with Daniel Webb at Physical Plant to stock the bathrooms.

"He said it would be a part of their daily routine," Zinn said.

Kyra Letsinger, class of 2021 secretary, said she fears this program will dissolve after Zinn and Fliegel leave.

"In order for it to work there will have to be people who step up to the plate and remain passionate about it," Letsinger said. "SGA can’t let the initiative die just because it's not new and exciting anymore."

Zinn and Fliegel also made mention in their presentation to the senate that their products would not only be used by women, but also be used by "female-identifying" students.

"Not only women use our products, but also female-identifying students," said Zinn during the senate discussion.

But Rodman believes it is a waste of funds and resources to stock gender neutral bathrooms.

"Why are we putting them into gender inclusive bathrooms? How on earth do people who are not biological females use this product?" said Rodman. "That makes zero sense."

No one in student government has shown interest in taking on this project in the new 2019-2020 legislative year, though the senate is in full support of it.

For the next two years, students can find menstrual products in these bathrooms on campus:

• Moseley Student Center

• Global Commons

• McEwen Dining Hall

• Belk Library

• Koenigsberger Learning Center

• Koury Athletic Center

• Schar Hall

• Lakeside Dining Hall

• Global Commons

• Lindner Hall

• Koury Business Center

• McMichael Science Building

• Alamance

• Duke

• Carlton

• Psychology Human Service Studies Building