Last year, the Staples’ Women’s Advocacy Club (WAC) unveiled their campaign to stock the nurse’s office with condoms. These efforts were met with an overwhelming positive response from students who, teeming with curiosity, crowded around the cafeteria booth for information.

This interest has persisted, motivating WAC to focus this past year on achieving its goal. As the year comes to a close, the project has finally progressed several new steps.

Club president Natalie Pulvino ’14 explained the reaction, saying that she thinks “most people were sort of surprised and taken aback,” and yet, she also knows “a lot of students who were immediately on board with the idea.”

Throughout the year, Pulvino ’14 and co-president, Amelia Brackett ’14, have led the group through much trial and error and many hoops to jump through. The first barrier was data collection from students and parents to understand the demand for condoms in the community.

Pulvino discussed her passion for this project as a way to ensure equality at Staples. “People who may not have the funds or means to get them on their own should still have easy access to contraception,” Pulvino said.

This purpose of bringing education and equality to students has brought the club to a great deal of contacting teachers and the president of the Board of Education, Elaine Whitney–finally, writing a speech to present to the entire Board of Education.

As the year comes to a close and the senior leaders in the club begin to leave Staples, they are looking for new members to complete an outline of a plan that the club can also bring to the BOE to “win their favor,” hopes Pulvino.

“Having contraceptives available at school would emphasize the need to practice safe sex,” said Brackett, adding, “which a lot of kids don’t currently do. It’s an important message for kids to understand and remember throughout college and adult life.”