We need Vending Machines

By: Virginia Zimianitis

February 13, 2017

 

“I wish our school had vending machines,” stated Alessia D’Amico, a LaurenHill Academy student. I, for one, strongly agree with her. Many other schools have vending machines and I believe that we should have them too!

Vending machines provide a wide variety of snacks that students don’t normally have access to in school. Want a chocolate bar? Want a bag of chips? Want gum? A vending machine can provide us with all of that and much more. This isn’t only beneficial to the students but is also beneficial for the staff members. Who doesn’t enjoy a bag of chips or a chocolate bar once in a while? Who doesn’t need a pack of gum when they know they forgot to brush their teeth that morning?

Installing these vending machines in school can also help keep students around school grounds. I usually go to Couche-Tard when I don’t like what the cafeteria is serving in order to buy myself a bag of chips, and candy. Although, as of lately, it’s been a little too cold so I prefer staying in school (until spring comes around). What I’m trying to get at is that I end up leaving school just to go get a bag of chips when instead, we could just get vending machines and save me and others students the 15 minute walk there and the 15 minute walk back to school, and the possibility of coming back late. Some people are slow walkers, thankfully that’s not my case.

Many people don’t realize this, but there are vegetarians in our school. The cafeteria does indeed serve meat in their food sometimes, therefore the students who are vegetarians aren’t always able to have lunch depending on the day they serve meat. With vending machines, these students can access some snacks from it.

Vending machine snacks also cost less than the average lunch meal. Therefore, students can save money and enjoy a delicious snack at the same time. It’s a win-win situation. Also, if a student forgets their lunch at home and doesn’t have enough for a school lunch meal, they can take a trip to the vending machine and grab themselves a snack.

If we installed vending machines in our school, just think of all the money that can be used for fundraising. We can use the money towards prom tickets, graduation sweaters, school dances, future activities, etc. This benefits everyone in the school.

Of course, here comes the classic argument, “vending machines are not nutritious!” Who said we couldn’t install NUTRITIOUS vending machines? Now, I’m not saying to completely get rid of the classic junk food vending machines. Why not install five nutritious vending machines and install two vending machines full of junk food? There’s no harm in that.

Most teenagers love junk food and you’d be surprised to find out that there are teenagers who also do in fact enjoy healthy snacks! Installing a few vending machines in our school would be a great idea and I hope that for the future students of LaurenHill Academy, that you all get vending machines.