Having just attended my first Society for Menstrual Cycle Research biennial conference through support from the SHIP grant, I leave with a deeper appreciation for communities and support networks within academic fields, especially one as messy, trivialized, and delegitimized as menstruation. This conference was the first time I have ever been exposed to such a large group of individuals – over 100 people – who all shared the same “odd” interest as me. For nearly three full days, I was surrounded by academics – many of whom I have read and deeply admire – who were all as equally as passionate about menstruation as I was, and who understood the importance of studying an oftentimes forgotten or stigmatized topic. During my time at the conference, I never had to preface my work with an explanation of how I got introduced to the topic or why I would even want to study periods in the first place. Instead, my work – along with the work of all the other researchers and presenters – was respected and valued for the academic merit it holds. Moreover, as a truly feminist gathering and organization, I never experienced the elitist or exclusionary atmosphere that academia can sometimes exude.

The best example of the sense of community, solidarity, and support present throughout the conference was the final, closing ceremony: a “Red Moon Howl” poetry slam and open mic, where individuals were invited to share either a personal work or the work of another that deeply resonated with them. For two hours, the very same academics I had seen during the conference went on stage to participate, talking freely and profoundly about their vulvas, periods, and experiences with menopause. I even shared a post from my own blog, something I never would have felt comfortable doing in a different setting. After presenting a work, every individual was awarded a “tamposy,” or a flower made from a deconstructed and died tampon. It was campy and ridiculous, and I loved every second.

Yet the communal, fun, and goofy atmosphere didn’t just make for a great night and a perfect end to a conference, it gave me the motivation to continue both my academic and my activist or educational work, and to deepen its extent and reach. In fact, the conference provided an enormous amount of affirmation and reassurance, confirming that I am pursuing and studying exactly what I want to do with the rest of my life. As I approach my impending senior thesis, which, of course, will be about menstruation, this motivation couldn’t come at a better time. Without the SHIP grant funding my conference registration and traveling fees, I could never have been able to experience this.