As senior Storiole staff member Kamil Mayfield thinks about the number of purchases made using the Spirit Box, he feels a sense of accomplishment.

“(The Spirit Box is) really successful,” Mayfield said. “We sell a lot of products in the Spirit Box (and) we’ve made over $1,000 so far.”

According to Storiole adviser Sophia Ross, Spirit Box statistics display the success of the vending machine at Park.  

“The company, Spirit Box, puts out a top 10 report of all the schools who have spirit boxes, and we’ve always been in the top 10 as far as sales goes,” Ross said. “So, nationally that is really cool.”

Freshman Cole Smith said he feels the Storiole should keep the Spirit Box and invest in more to place around the school.

“This (Spirit Box) is dope. It’s cool because it’s got deodorant, chargers, school supplies, some candy and it’s pretty convenient,” Smith said. “It’s touch screen, and it has Apple Pay, which is super nice.”

Ross said she believes the new initiative provides an opportunity for Storiole members to learn how to make important decisions regarding the products sold in the machine.

“Some products we have to carry in there according to Spirit Box, and then there are two trays that we can choose what products were are going to sell,” Ross said. “It’s been a learning experience trying to choose products that meet the Smart Snacks in Schools guidelines.”

Smith said he encourages students to purchase items from the Spirit Box.

“I’d recommend everyone to use (the box)  if they forgot something, (and) an item is in here,” Smith said. “I like how there’s pencils in case you ever lose your pencils because that happens to me a lot.”

Mayfield said the Spirit Box is accessible to students every day, even after school hours.

“The Spirit Box gives us an opportunity to sell items that you can’t really sell during school. They’re really cheap, with headphones (for) only $10. You save a lot of money,” Mayfield said. “(Also), if you need a charger, you can buy it in the Spirit Box, and it is always open 24/7.”

According to Ross, the Spirit Box contains timers for certain trays that restrict buying of items on that tray during certain times of the day.

“There is a row of junk food in (the Spirit Box), but students cannot purchase that between the hours of 8 a.m. and 3:10 p.m,” Ross said. “They need to do that either before or after school, which is okay for kids who want to grab a little bite for after school activities.”

Ross said the Storiole leaders aim to sell products in addition to food items and have been successful in doing so.

“We have to try to choose products that the students might buy during the school day and one really good seller for us were the ear buds and the charging cords and those have been pretty successful, so we are trying to sell things other than food,” Ross said.

Mayfield said he strives to meet the needs of the students at Park through the vending machine.

“My goal is to sell everything and make sure to sell products a lot of kids love,” Mayfield said. “(It’s) not only about the snacks selling, but the other products, like the water bottles and everything.”