Almost any girl has experienced the terrible feeling of getting her period in class, period in class, running to the bathroom only to realize she doesn’t have a pad or tampon.

Most girls get their period at 12 years old. While this age varies, this average means that most Marlborough students menstruate. In every bathroom on campus, or better yet, any public restroom in the United States, toilet paper is free; however, pads and tampons cost at least a quarter. Women all over the world, including most Marlborough students, spend significant amounts of money on feminine supplies.

According to a Huffington Post article by Jessica Kane, the average woman in the U.S. spends about 1,773.33 dollars on tampons and about 443.33 dollars on panty liners in her lifetime. In addition, women must also buy new underwear because of period stains, as well as pain relievers for the cramps that accompany periods.

Why should women have to spend money on a bodily function they cannot control? Why, at an all-girls schools, are pads and tampons-products that all women and girls need-not available for free?

Many schools, such as Brown University, are starting to offer free pads and tampons for women and girls in every campus restroom. Students at other schools, such as University of Arizona, Columbia University, Emory University, Reed College, the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, UCLA and Grinnell College, have started to petition for free feminine supplies on campus.

I find it shocking that an all-girls school has not made this issue a priority. If a co-ed university like Brown can offer their female students pads and tampons, Marlborough should be able to as well.

When you think about it, it really is an easy task. If the students and administration worked together, I believe we can effortlessly solve this problem.