By Ari Ebert-Standard
One October Monday, Edgewood College senior Holly Schaal (they/them/theirs) noticed that a sanitary product dispenser in a women’s restroom in Mazzuchelli had an Out of Order sign on it.
In a move that Schaal described as “kind of an art therapy moment,” they took out a marker and wrote on the sign in protest. “Make sanitary napkins free,” they wrote among other things.
Not only did Schaal write on the Out of Order sign, but they also uploaded a photo of it to Facebook. “Things like this, although seemingly small, are a part of the greater societal systems of oppression,” they said. “I like to start discussions.”
The college’s response surprised many—they decided to put free tampons and pads in every bathroom. At first, the tampons and pads were donated. Now they are coming from the Wellness Center.
Dean of Students Heather Harbach had heard about Schaal’s sign through an Edgewood College faculty email thread.
Baskets provided by Edgewood’s Wellness Center – Alyssa Allemand
Harbach said that the immediate thought was to address the problem short-term by putting together baskets of tampons and pads from the Wellness Center and putting them in all bathrooms.
Dean of Students Receptionist Becca Cleveland confirmed that the tampons have “been placed in all types of bathrooms on campus, including gender inclusive.”
Cleveland said she doesn’t know if this solution is permanent “since baskets have been found in the trash in the men’s bathrooms or placed outside of them.”
Harbach said other products will include soap, deodorant, tampons, and pads. “The long-term plan is to have various personal care products … available in the Residence Life and Dean of Students Office and other locations around campus,” she said.
Magnets will be placed in bathroom stalls that direct students to these locations if needed. “This will reduce the burden on the facilities staff to keep bathroom baskets full,” said Harbach.
Cleveland said that it is important for students, faculty, staff, and anyone on Edgewood campus to be respectful of the baskets and products.
“We want this to be an open conversation between students and Student Development,” she said. “It would be great if students could be open with their questions, comments, and concerns.”
Schaal said they were happy with Edgewood’s response, especially because the college made several types of products available.
Edgewood College, up until very recently, charged students for sanitary supplies. If a student wanted a tampon or a pad from the bathroom, they needed to pay 75 cents.
This incident brought attention to the diversity and inclusion conversation at Edgewood. “When there is not representation in the people making decisions, not everyone’s needs are met, and some are ignored or even marginalized,” Schaal said.
Asked if Edgewood has corrected its mistakes, Schaal said, “I would not say ‘corrected mistakes.’ I would say corrected ONE mistake. I could name a thousand and one things they could do to better represent their underrepresented. But it is a small step in the right direction.”
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