By: Anna Heur ’27 – Published in Fall 2024 Issue 3
Periods. They’re something 1.8 billion people experience on a monthly basis, yet conversation in public surrounding the subject is often laced with euphemisms and confined to whispered requests for a spare pad or or tampon in emergency situations. As a girl, it’s almost a universal experience to find yourself stranded without period products when it unexpectedly starts. This is something that DEI Committee Chair Anna Patel and Student Senate President Emily Atassi decided to tackle this year to help girls across Siena’s campus.
If you’ve seen period products in the bathrooms starting last semester, you have Atassi and Patel to thank. The two began the Period Project in February 2024, stocking bathrooms across campus. Both cite their own and peers’ experiences as inspiration behind the project, with Patel adding that “period poverty is a big disparity and it exists on our campus; we have to ensure that all students have access to essential resources regardless of their financial situation”. To turn this project from an idea to reality, Patel initially discussed the idea with Donna Bradbury from the Women’s Center. Though Women’s Centers’ initial attempt to get a similar project off the ground several years ago unfortunately fell through, Atassi and Patel are picking up where they left off.
Through their combined efforts in accordance with the Senate, they’ve successfully launched the pilot phase of the program, which includes stocking eight bathrooms across campus (SSU, Roger Bacon, Morrell, Siena Hall, Rossetti, and Library) and collecting student feedback. Their first test run back in the Spring ‘24.
This semester, the project has entered its “second wave”. Between running around campus restocking bathrooms, quantifying product stock, and tabling around campus, Atassi and Patel have been busy. They’ve collected over four hundred responses to their survey to assess project reception and knowledge surrounding period poverty, and are constantly refining and expanding the project based on student feedback. Overall, Patel recounts that “there has been a collective desire to have period products in the bathrooms and on our campus”. Based on the data, Atassi has begun working on a proposal for the project to secure additional funding. She explains that based on “some preliminary data that I’ve found through the survey, a large percentage of responses have said they will not use cardboard products. This is helpful, as I will stress in my proposal that if that is the type of product offered, then there is no sense in buying it anyway. We also had a large number of survey responses in general recorded the day that Student Activities emailed it out, and that showed me that students were very interested in this initiative”. Beyond the raw data, both agree that it’s encouraging to hear anecdotal feedback and appreciation from girls while promoting the project.
The pair don’t plan on pumping the brakes anytime soon and have big goals for the future. Atassi’s long term goals include sustainably establishing this project at Siena and “hopefully having products stocked in the bathrooms the same way toilet paper is”. Patel adds that securing a source of funding will ensure the sustainability of the project. The pair has looked to colleges with similar projects for further guidance and inspiration, including Wagner College. Most importantly, the two aim to “normalize menstruation and…reduce the taboo by making the products as common as any other products on campus”.
Beyond the immediate convenience of free period products in the bathroom, this project begins to chip away at the stigma surrounding periods. When people avoid the “touchy” subject of menstruation, it indirectly reinforces the message that periods are something to be hidden or ashamed about—a message that’s extremely damaging to young women. Simply increasing the visibility of period products emphasizes that periods are a normal and accepted part of life. Having access to readily available products in the bathroom represents one less thing girls on campus must worry about. Patel echoes this sentiment, saying that “by providing free period products we can alleviate the stress and stigma that many students face and foster a more inclusive, supportive environment. I hope this initiative will not only fill a gap but also inspire future efforts to create a more compassionate and equitable community at Siena”.
It’s inspiring to see Atassi and Patels’ passion for the wellbeing of others, and their efforts are greatly appreciated by girls across campus. A special thank you to the two for their comments on this article.