Tampons, kickboxing and smoothies came together yesterday afternoon on Wynn Common.
Tampon manufacturer o.b. presented its program, "o.b.U.," to increase the confidence of college-aged women. Representatives pitched a tent, served free smoothies and complimentary tampons and encouraged women to take advantage of "confidence boosting" activities.
A certified instructor offered kickboxing lessons, and o.b. representatives distributed educational material.
Event coordinator Jeanne Landau commented that recent statistics show 72 percent of women believe that men are the more confident gender.
"We're here to boost confidence," Landau said. "Looking for jobs in today's world is very stressful, and we want to give [women] the tools to empower themselves."
"It's been great," Landau commented on the success of o.b.U. "The smoothies are definitely attracting people."
Landau added that o.b.U. has been well received on campuses all along the east coast, including Rutgers University and the University of Miami.
Most attendees appreciated the free smoothies but had little to say about the educational aspect of o.b.U.
"It's kind of silly, but people have fun," said Jennifer Richards of the Penn Women's Center, who helped Landau organize yesterday's event. "It teaches a sense of confidence... guys are here and they are totally comfortable with women's hygiene."
Out of the over 1,000 visitors who stopped by Wynn Common, about a quarter were male.
"o.b.U. addresses a lot of topics that are important on a college campus," said Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania employee Deborah Ridgick.
But not everyone came for the smoothies.
The Student Environmental Action Coalition sent 18-year-old Philadelphia resident Shira EtShalom to protest the environmental and health hazards associated with tampons.
At a table next to the o.b.U. tent, EtShalom discussed the problems with using o.b. tampons.
"What concerns me is that the general idea [of tampons] is that a woman tries to hide her period; it's detrimental to women's health and their confidence," EtShalom said. "The biggest problem is getting dioxin out of tampons."
She also added that since tampons are not biodegradable, they are hazardous to the environment.
Landau was eager to dispel SEAC's accusations, offering FDA reports explaining that dioxin levels in o.b. tampons are negligible.
EtShalom "doesn't have much literature... and studies from the FDA show that o.b. does not have toxins," Landau said. "I am happy to know that [SEAC] is not proactively making a commotion, though."
"Today is about inspiring confidence in women. o.b. has success in mind -- making women proud of themselves," Landau said.
"We want them to accept that there is only one 'you,'" she added. "Every woman is unique."
