Park offers vending machines in the cafeteria and hallways, allowing students to grab a quick snack or drink when needed. With a new policy change, the vending machines will remain locked during all school hours outside of lunch.
Senior Andrew Deloney said he does not have time to use the vending machines because they’re usually locked by the time he gets to school.
“I do use (the vending machines), probably every day, once per day,” Deloney said. “I don’t have time (to use them) because I’m a PSEO student, so I come at sixth period, and then most of the time they’re closed and I have to wait until the end of the day.”
Sophomore Makenzy Altemose said she often needs a snack throughout the day but can’t access them due to the new policy.
“(I would usually use the vending machines) around second period or sixth period, but now that they’re locked, I can only use it during lunch or at the end of the day,” Altemose said. “Sometimes, I need a snack, and if the vending machines are closed, I can’t get a snack.”
Deloney said the policy change makes it difficult to find time to get a snack, with scheduling conflicts taken into account.
“It affects me negatively because I don’t have any time to get it after school, so I can’t really use the vending machines anymore,” Deloney said.
According to assistant principal Alyssa Gardner, the policy’s main purpose was to limit students from using the machines during class time to meet up with friends.
“It was becoming a somewhat higher traffic area during class time,” Gardner said. “We want it open during lunch so that while students are in the lunchroom, they have access to snacks and extra things for purchase, but we don’t want students getting passes out of class (to go) to the bathroom, but really going to the vending machine and (meeting) friends there.”
Altemose said she is against the policy because it may be harmful to students who may need snacks throughout the day.
“(The new policy is) a bad idea because people who don’t eat lunch sometimes need snacks because they’re hungry or sick, but if the vending machines are closed, they can’t get one,” Altemose said.
Gardner said there are alternative options for students who may need snacks, such as those with medical needs, in places outside of the vending machines.
“We do have other areas of the school where, if somebody absolutely needs a snack, like if blood sugar is low, or any real reason where somebody needs access to some sort of nutrition, we still have that available,” Gardner said.
Deloney said he understands the reasoning behind the policy but thinks it’s harmful in the long run.
“I get why they’re doing it, to reduce food in the hallway and people skipping (class), but I don’t know. I just think it’s a bad idea,” Deloney said.
Gardner said another motivating factor behind this policy is to prevent messes and damage to Park’s new areas and equipment.
“We have all these nice, new, beautiful spaces in the building, and so we’re really big on not wanting food and drink all over the place, spilling, making them dirty or need(ing) to be replaced sooner,” Gardner said. “We just want to keep everything in really good condition, so part of that is limiting access to food and drinks all over the building.”
Deloney said if students want to have vending machine privileges back, they need to show responsibility and prove that they can handle having access to the vending machines at all times.
“People can probably show (responsibility) by being more respectful, you know, stop skipping (classes) and being less dirty,” Deloney said. “(The new policy is to) stop people from skipping and having food in the hallway.”
Gardner said the policy is permanent with no foreseeable plans to reinstate the machines, and that it would require lots of dedication and teamwork to rethink the policy.
“For right now, it’s permanent, and it’s one of those collaborative decisions we would make if we’re really seeing that everybody (is) taking shared responsibility for the spaces, and there’s a really clear pattern of everybody being where they’re supposed to be,” Gardner said. “(When we can) trust that it’s not going to be a big distraction or meeting place, I’m sure we could revisit the conversation then, but we still have some work to do.”
