Kaela Arsenault
Creative Writing Conservatory, Class of 2018
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Amy Huang
Visual Arts Conservatory, Class of 2018
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My name is Amy Xuejing Huang, and I am currently a junior at the Orange County School of the Arts. I love politics, American history, physics, and computer science. I believe that one of the most important aspects of our generation is to be involved in our community-- not only to be informed but also to take action and stand for what is right.
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I have always tried to be very involved in my community and aware of what is happening around me. While doing so, I started questioning why feminine products in public school bathrooms were treated like the Arizona Teas and Twix bars behind the glass of a vending machine . It was obviously not acceptable for us to go without them-- the notion of "freebleeding" being both invasive to individual comfort and hygiene of the school in general. Yet when these fundamental feminine products are regarded as items of profit for the school, while other necessities are not, it sends a message to us students that female hygiene is not as much of a priority as male hygiene. Clearly, the responsibilities of students' hygiene were not held to equal standards on behalf of schools. While all of male sanitary needs were fulfilled, mine were not. Many have told me that it would not be equal if the state had to cover an extra aspect of hygiene that only applies to females. However, we currently see our bathrooms held to male standards with zero opposition.
Males and females both need toilets. Males need urinals, but females don't. Females (uterus owners) need sanitary napkins, regardless if males do or do not.
We see that the state is not hesitant to cover the aspect of sanitary needs that is unique to males. I just hope to see the same for females. Regardless of fiscal struggles of public schools, uterus owners-- particularly those who cannot afford adequate sanitation products-- should not have to deal with this while they are trying to maximize their educational experience, and that is why I decided to start Operation Menstruation. Currently, I am learning more than ever organizing various fundraising projects, as well as putting the artistry I've acquired to use with commissioned stickers to raise money for this cause. I realized that although legislatures may not have acknowledged the pertinence of this issue, we students have the power to instigate change.
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(949) 682-8629
About Us
Operation Menstruation
Operation Menstruation is a student-run nonprofit and was started in January of 2017, and registered officially as a club at OCSA in February. We have biweekly meetings in the Tower building on the OCSA campus in room 108. Our meetings are on Gold Fridays during lunch. Our team is made up of very passionate and hardworking people and we are extremely appreciative of every contribution, whether it be a purchase, donation, or volunteer work. Anyone is free to join our team and help out-- please email us if you are interested.
Ellie Mendevil
Creative Writing Conservatory, Class of 2018
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My name is Ellie Mendevil, I am in a Junior at OCSA. I love animals, history, nature and books. I am an aspiring novelist and my favorite movie is Avatar with the blue people. I am part of the Operation Menstruation team because I believe that feminine products, such as pads/tampons, should not be treated as a luxury item because in term, they are not. And I hope with this club it can, with time, help to change that. And I hope that all who are interested in this campaign, to join it, because together we can all make a change, not just for feminine products, but for other aspects as well.
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Hailey Andrews
Creative Writing Conservatory, Class of 2018
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My name is Hailey Andrews and I am a student at Orange County School of the Arts. I love politics, collaging, collecting scarves/ ascots, garnering factoids on American history, sustaining my baby succulent, Ione, and fulfilling my duties as an editor on Inkblot literary magazine. Above all, I love engaging myself in my community and effecting change, and as a woman and uterus owner, this project is very special to me. As OCSA is a middle and high school, it is vital that we create a space of safety and transparency to promote a healthy culture around menstruation. Too many girls and uterus owners learn to respond to their periods in a climate pervasive in shame, and experience the added stress of not having their basic sanitary needs met at their place of schooling. In order to promote an optimal learning experience, feminine hygiene products should be provided. Beyond simply supplying materials to meet those needs, Operation Menstruation strives to educate uterus owners on their bodies and work towards eroding at the stigma surrounding periods that has facilitated the lack of accessibility we are facing today, and hopefully expand the initiative beyond our school.
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Elizabeth Reichner
Visual Arts Conservatory, Class of 2018
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Visual Arts Conservatory, Class of 2018
My name is Elizabeth Reichner and I am a junior at the Orange County School of the Arts. As an aspiring photographer, I am honored to helped students, teachers, parents, and everyone else visualize the significant impact Operation Menstruation is creating in the OCSA culture. I firmly believe that sanitary napkins are a neccessity for feminine hygiene and should be accessible to every uterus owner.
Natalia Ramirez
Visual Arts Conservatory, Class of 2018
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My name is Natalia Ramirez, and I am a Visual Arts senior at the Orange County School of the Arts. I grew up in a household of four women who never failed to demonstrate to me the power of femininity. I am also a lover of all things math and science, and I’m not blind to the sexism that often runs in STEM fields. Because of all of this, I am always motivated to speak out and make a difference when I see any form of gender inequality in my community. The lack of feminine hygiene products at OCSA always frustrated me, but what began as lighthearted venting between friends turned into the amazing organization that we now refer to as Operation Menstruation. Just as how we never run out of money to replace hand soap or toilet paper in public bathrooms, we should always provide pads in public places. This is especially true at schools like OCSA which are home to hundreds of young middle schoolers who are just now starting to get comfortable with their bodies. Pads are NOT a luxury, regardless of how they may be taxed. They are a necessity, and should be provided as such.
This is our mission-- the ultimate goal of our operation. Not only to provide our own community with feminine hygiene products, but groups in need around the globe. In addition to this, we hope to spread awareness and eliminate the stigma that is so often seen regarding periods. As I pursue my career in STEM, I plan on taking Operation Menstruation with me so I can continue spreading the importance of gender equality at whatever higher learning institution I end up at.
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