By Lexus Yamashiro | Staff Writer

Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) is now providing feminine hygiene products in women’s restrooms around campus for free. The campus’ honor society will implement these products in four major locations: the Lama Library, ʻŌhiʻa cafeteria, Kōpiko, and ʻIliahi.

Since starting this project in Spring 2018, PTK developed this idea after realizing that oftentimes women forget to pack these necessities with them when they are menstruating.

“The students felt that as a campus, as a community, women are more than half of our population, and [menstruation is] not something that we choose to do,” said Julie Rancilio, the faculty advisor of PTK, in regards to students who took part in PTK’s petition asking students on campus what they thought about having these products available for free.

PTK also believed that these products should be made available for free, similar to how toilet paper and toilet seat covers are provided in bathrooms, which gave the honor society another reason to launch this college project.

The feminine hygiene products in each building’s bathrooms will be stocked with tampons and pads from L., an organic feminine hygiene products company, on a weekly basis by the honor society. The cost of these products are being funded by PTK’s chapter, Alpha Kappa Psi.

While these products are being supplied throughout the rest of the fall semester, PTK will be collecting data on how many tampons and pads are being taken in each bathroom. These findings will be presented to the chancellor and vice chancellor at the end of Fall 2018, which will then determine if this project will continue into Spring 2019.

Rancilio said PTK’s intentions are to continue this project into the following semester, if possible, but may need the help of the community to continue providing these products. Fundraisers and donations will be considered by the honor society when further discussions take place.