May 20 2018
Original article can be found here at FreshU.io by Melanie Haid
College campuses are platforms for ideas, and Alexa Osner, a freshman at Hofstra University, has a lot of them. Elected Student Government (SGA) Senator both semesters of her freshman year and acting as the Model United Nations (MUN) treasurer under the Secretary General, the public policy and public service major and women's studies minor is ready to advocate for others and improve life for others where she can.
One of the main reasons Osner is so prevalent in her college community at Hofstra because she has major initiative - and stands firmly on her platform. Osner is a strong, independent leader and a feminist, and wants to bring free menstrual products to Hofstra's campus community.
"It's a normal bodily function, we don't get to choose to have it," she says. "It's not a luxury item, it's a necessity."
Osner makes the point that periods are not something that people can control, and it is as natural as any other function of the body. "Toilet paper is free, so why aren't pads and tampons?"
Providing free menstrual products in schools is already a law in public schools in New York and Illinois, where Osner grew up. There are some items in some buildings on Hofstra's campus, but Osner wants to ensure that there will be access to them in every building on campus. Condoms are free at Hofstra's Wellness Center as well, so Osner feels that there is absolutely no reason for menstrual products to not also be provided. After all, people control when they have sex - but don't control when they get their period.
She and other members from SGA tabled in Hofstra's David S. Mack Student Center Atrium on May 7, and were originally supposed to be giving out the kits until 4 p.m. They finished early however, though on a good note: the popularity of Osner's care packages skyrocketed and students liquidated the supply more quickly than expected.
Osner is passionate about helping girls and women, and even plans to make this her career in the future. She wants to intern for the Girls Scouts of Nassau County in the fall of her sophomore year, and hopes to pursue a career as a leader and an influence to young girls through this program post-graduation.
"It's so important that girls have an inclusive environment where they can thrive," she says about the Girl Scout program, and mentions that this greatly impacted her childhood and shaped her into the self-sufficient woman she is today.
She goes on to discuss how the badges that girls can earn help them hone skills that are crucial later in life. "This is where the next generations of leaders come from."
While Osner's menstrual product distribution initiative was for student government, she hopes to implement other programs on campus to make the university a better place for those who inhabit it, and hopes that these initiatives will affect other schools and help create a better climate for women and all students.
Main photo by Melanie Haid
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