SUMM bring change among girls’ bathrooms

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Students United for Modern Movements (SUMM), was formed with a purpose to provide an opportunity to engage young citizens and give individuals a voice in the political scene. This year their big project is installing free feminine hygiene products in the school’s bathroom to create an improved campus. 

“The club and I came to school with thirty-four dimes to test the dispensers for both sanitary napkins and tampons in a majority of the female student bathrooms [and] only four hygiene products [were present] campus-wide,” Senior and Co-president Aubree Reese said.

 She noted that some of the dispensers were void of any products while some bathrooms had none at all, and also included observations that the dispensers were completely filled with trash, causing sanitary issues. 

“Our plan is to provide Aunt Flow’s freely accessible sanitary napkins, tampons, and brand new dispensers in Perry’s female student bathrooms,” Reese continued. SUMM plans to hold a meeting with principal Dan Serrano to stress on the importance of integrating these menstrual products into schools. 

“The availability of feminine products on campus should not be something any young lady at Perry should have to worry about,” club sponsor Paul Kreutz argued. He passionately talked about the focus of the club and places superiority on the concerns that goes around with having a voice in the political scene at a young age. 

“The period project is our first big solo project,” Junior and Co-president Abigail Chandler added. However, SUMM has been a part of many other small projects as well, including going to marches, teaching others how to deal with confrontation during marches, and actively participating in council meetings. Letting students find an outlet to speak up and raise awareness in what they think needs a change. 

“I think that [SUMM] showing young people need and can speak out and having an obligation on speaking out [is the overall goal],”Kreutz said. 

“This club has helped me gain the voice I was always too scared to use [and] it helped me get involved and fight for what I believe in,” Chandler explained. As the overall goal is a hope for a bright future for society in the necessary changes that can be implemented for the people, with emphasis on inclusivity. 

The change is to assist girls and alleviate the problem about the lack of access to hygiene products through a voice that is only willing to speak up.