Editor’s Note: This article was updated on Feb. 23 as editors received more information from Ferris about the products from Dave Murray.
Across most of the campus, the women’s bathrooms include machines for menstrual products, however, for the last few years, most have been empty.
Traditionally, the machines are filled with sanitary napkins and tampons that can be purchased for a quarter, but most of the machines on campus haven’t been filled in several years.
not have supplies stocked. Small baskets are instead filled with supplies for students to use. Photo by: Jordan Wilson|Multimedia Editor
While in some bathrooms, there is occasionally a small basket filled with these products, they are not in every bathroom and are not provided by Ferris, but by faculty and students on campus.
Manager of Custodial Services and Facilities Jeff Warner explained why the machines were empty.
“Facilities does not provide feminine hygiene products within the restrooms on campus as they are not required as part of project managements standards of use,” Warner said.
The machines are located in various bathrooms across campus including the Arts and Science Commons, the David Eisler Center, Starr and the Rock Cafe.
Survey engineering sophomore Vivian Cash shared her thoughts on the empty machines.
“I think it’s incredibly disappointing, especially because tampons and pads, to me, are a necessity. Having those not be accessible, even for pay, kind of sucks,” Cash said. “I’ve noticed that even girls in the bathroom have made their own little areas to get your free tampons and pads. And I feel like we should have more resources like that on campus that isn’t just student-run.”
These products are occasionally available at the food pantry when they are donated, however, they are not everyday products there, which means that students can purchase the products at the Market or Ferris Outfitters, which could leave them stranded without one when the machines are empty.
Cash had one of these experiences where the machine was empty, but she needed one.
“I asked the woman in the stall next to me, ‘Do you have any tampons or a pad?'” Cash said. “And she said, ‘No,’ so I had to use one-ply toilet paper.”
According to a statement from Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications Dave Murray there is a group on campus working to support students needs.
“Ferris State strives to be a campus where all students feel cared for and that they belong,” Murray said. “An important part of that is understanding and recognizing their needs.The campus has a Gender Inclusive Restroom Project Team that is studying ways to better serve all of our students. One aspect of this team’s work is considering how to provide menstrual hygiene products to any student needing them.”
According to a study by the National Library of Health in 2021, those with menstrual cycles were found to have more irregular menstrual cycles under the age of 23, meaning that the need for one of these products is more frequent.
The Torch was unable to get in contact with anyone else in facilities at the time of this article.