There are always unexpected situations that students run into in the starting weeks of school. One of this year’s unexpected events concerns the girl’s bathrooms: free sanitary products for all. Now, whenever you enter the girl’s bathrooms in North Atlanta you are greeted with complimentary tampons and tissues,  a major upgrade from the typical “25 cents for a pad” ordeal. North Atlanta girls are pleasantly surprised by this latest addition and have high hopes for its usefulness in the future.

The new establishment of sanitary items in the girl’s bathrooms just goes to show that not all unforeseen things have to necessarily be bad or unwanted. The surprising new factor of the girl’s bathrooms seems to be receiving only praise and positive comments. In this case, it’s the thought that seems to count. “I couldn’t believe my eyes at first,” said junior Kennedy Marable. “I thought I might have been dreaming.”

Not all upgrades are necessary, but these products certainly are. Girls have already started to utilize the use of easy access to sanitary items, so much so that some already needed a refill on the third week of school. Their easy accessibility, as well as the fact that they’re free, play a hand in offering girls comfort. Just by knowing that they’re there, girls feel as though they can relax in unpredictable situations. “I can see these coming in handy a lot throughout the year,” said freshman Karli Chan. “Especially for forgetful people like me.”

The lack of sanitary products offered in women’s and girls’ bathrooms is too common of an issue worldwide. The fact that our school cares about the needs of its female student body and is aiming toward establishing comfort within the female majority of our school speaks volumes. The implementation of these sanitary items may not erase the adopted shame surrounding the implications of menstruation, but it will without a doubt make lives easier.