At Pitzer, five core values distinguish our approach to education: social responsibility, intercultural understanding, interdisciplinary learning, student engagement and environmental sustainability. As agents of change, our students utilize these values to create solutions to our world's challenges. Please answer only ONE of the following prompts.
Incorporating one or more of our core values, how would you contribute to solving a local or global issue of importance to you?
I would really appreciate help on my first rough draft. It's very weak but my main point of this is supposed to be to alleviate the stigma of menstruation and poverty meanwhile provide better alternatives to the public! My intro is weak & no thesis or conclusions. Lots of help would be great <3
The Menstrual Taboo
Although menstruation should represent a woman's miraculous ability to produce life, the taboo has silenced womanhood, teaching females to never speak and feel ashamed for their natural biological processes. This universal issue is even worse when millions of women miss school, work, and other opportunities because they lack access to feminine hygiene products and cannot advocate for their own needs.
My parents were a part of the marginalized group who could not manage menstruation hygienically. When my mother grew up in Vietnam, I learned that she had to use towels as an alternative; whereas my dad gathered banana leaves and newspapers in order help the women in his village. As a daughter of two immigrants that speak no English and work blue collar jobs, I am fortunate to have these basic necessities, but what about the people who cannot afford food, nonetheless pads? Even though my school provides a clinic, the girls feel embarrassed to ask because these supplies are hidden and limited.
Connecting my parents' experience in Vietnam to the low income students at my school, I created the Red Dot Club, a student-led advocacy group to educate and raise efforts to destigmatize menstruation by spreading awareness through communication and better access to menstrual hygiene products. Twice a month, we host a meeting to discuss fundraisers, distribute sanitary products to our community, and volunteer at homeless shelters. With over 100 students involved, we have given 800 pads and 500 panty liners to our community.
Our government has a constitutional responsibility to protect the public health. Except, Congress has taken no action to provide education, facilities for management, free menstrual care products, nor repeal sales tax because they are mainly men who do not see this an issue. However, it affects every woman so we must take responsibility as advocate-doers to assist the underprivileged. Twenty-four states including California allow legislations to be proposed by the people with the required number of signatures. Collaborating with the students who are pursuing political science and econ, we will construct a written petition and a budget for provisions that Congress has failed to create. Meanwhile, at the Agora meetings, flexible minds will clash over the planned initiative so that we can build from the problems, develop persuasive strategies in order to appeal to the majority of voters that are 45 years old and above, meanwhile encourage 18-35 years olds to vote if they feel strongly for this act. At the same time, we will be promoting this on the campus, and fixing this issue to have dispensers in the dorm rooms.
As for the environmental sustainability, I would hope to develop prototypes for Eco-friendly period products due to the lack of innovations from menstrual hygiene companies. Although menstrual cups are better alternatives than pads and tampons, they have proven to cause toxic shock syndrome and not as convenient; meanwhile disposable pads and tampons are harmful to the environment and health because the FDA does not require industries to disclose ingredients and damages our ecosystem and increase global warming and pollutes our water system. However, with the resources available such as the green fund and environmental analysis major, I will learn and research different biodegradable materials in order to design a safe yet easier method. Furthermore, it is important that we teach people to be environmentally conscious about how simple steps can make a difference.Holt Educational Consultant - / 14,835 
4783 Keely , I am confused by the essay discussion. You need to clarify whether you are in Vietnam or in the United States. As per your profile at the forum, you say you are in the United States. Therefore, there is a disconnect at to why you would want to discuss the issue of menstruation as it affects the Vietnamese women. This will only be a logical and relevant discussion if you are in Vietnam and seeing the consequences of these actions first hand. You have to remember that the topic you have chosen is not a universal issue as most developed, second tier, and even third tier countries have women who have ample access to menstruation products of various types. Therefore, to say that this is a universal issue is incorrect. It is a localized issue for the Vietnamese. It is localized because your essay focuses on the problem of women who have menstruation in Vietnam. This is not a global issue. So there is a misrepresentation on your part within the essay. Additionally, the US government offers free menstruation products so you may want to rethink the reference to California law. This is another unclear part of the essay. While the issues you present are true, the problem, is that the essay is confusing the reader. One minute you are discussing Vietnam then all of a sudden, you are discussing US laws. You need to either focus on one country alone for the essay or, at the very least, write clear transition sentences and paragraphs in order to help the reader keep track of what is going on in your essay. So far, this is confusing and, it would seem, is trying to discuss one too many issues covering 2 different countries. You will need to focus your essay discussion if you are to have a chance of writing more appropriate drafts and a final version of this paper.
