Whereas, access to basic necessities is an essential component of student well-being, and students should have reliable access to everyday personal care and health supplies throughout the academic day and evening;
Whereas, Cornell students currently have extremely limited options for purchasing basic necessities on campus, with Cornell Health serving as the only identified location where students can purchase these items;
Whereas, Cornell Health closes at 6:00 PM each day, leaving students without an accessible on-campus option to purchase basic necessities during evening hours;
Whereas, students may unexpectedly require essential items such as menstrual products, Band-Aids, and toothbrushes, and the inability to access these necessities outside limited operating hours creates unnecessary inconvenience and barriers to student well-being;
Whereas, a survey conducted among Cornell students identified menstrual pads, Band-Aids, and toothbrushes as the most requested essential supplies students would like to see made available on campus;
Whereas, RPCC currently has a vending machine intended to provide students with access to basic necessities, yet the machine remained unstocked during the first two months of the academic year;
Whereas, the RPCC vending machine was only restocked following direct intervention and outreach to the individuals responsible for its operation, demonstrating the need for more consistent oversight and maintenance;
Whereas, despite this intervention, the RPCC vending machine continues to be infrequently stocked and does not currently offer menstrual pads, failing to adequately address the needs identified by students;
Whereas, relying on an intermittently stocked vending machine does not provide students with dependable access to necessities, particularly when those items may be needed urgently;
Whereas, RPCC and Jansen’s are important campus locations that provide opportunities to make basic necessities accessible to students throughout the day;
Whereas, permanently incorporating essential supplies into the regular inventory of RPCC and Jansen’s would provide students with more reliable access to necessities without requiring them to travel to Cornell Health or depend on limited operating hours;
Be it therefore resolved, that the Cornell Student Assembly formally requests that the administrators and individuals responsible for stocking RPCC and Jansen’s permanently incorporate essential student necessities into the regular inventory of both locations;
Be it further resolved, that the regular inventory at both RPCC and Jansen’s include menstrual pads, Band-Aids, and toothbrushes, reflecting the most frequently requested items identified through student feedback;
Be it further resolved, that those responsible for stocking and maintaining these locations establish consistent restocking practices to ensure these necessities remain available to students on an ongoing basis;
Be it finally resolved, that the Cornell Student Assembly requests a meeting with the individuals responsible for inventory and stocking at RPCC and Jansen’s to discuss the permanent implementation of this request.
Respectfully Submitted,
Myshay Causey
Representative At Large, Student Assembly
