Diet Soda and Late Snacks
Why aren't vending machines on when people are here?
By Jonathon C. Fairchild
Posted March 9, 2016
For a period of time the soda machine has provided nothing but diet or zero calorie beverages to the student body, as well as a vending machine with appealing snacks. However, these machines have a specific time when we can purchase scrumptious products. This could be a great inconvenience to those who want to fully enjoy their drinks with plenty of calories for a pleasurable flavor.
The vending machine in general is a flop when it comes to profit potential since it shoos out a majority of customers within a large time frame of inactivity. It's a great enigma as to why our machines have limitations when it would be much better to the student body to have everything available within school hours. Why can't we all enjoy the full potential the vending machines have to offer?
Aitkin Schools Business Manager Tiffany Gustin said, “The school doesn’t make the decisions on the vending machines of what they can or can’t serve. That decision is made by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture),” who says that it's for the purpose of preventing childhood obesity in both children and young adults.
The federal agency’s standards were forced by Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act that was passed in 2010, which limited vending machine snacks to 200 calories per item and sodas/sports drinks sold in high schools to 60 or less in a 12-ounce serving. Due to federal guidelines, our vending machine for snacks are not allowed to be active during a school day because it could affect our calorie intake.
Teachers are not subject to these regulations on childhood obesity since they are of an appropriate age to make proper decisions, so they are allowed to have proper soda and vending machines in teacher lounges.
Our vending machines are the property of Hazelwood, so technically the school doesn’t own them but they do share in the revenue. The products of the vending machines are changed every week or two.
The reason why our scrumptious snacks and delicious soft drinks are restricted so much from the time available to the diet soda is because of childhood obesity and federal guidelines, according to Gustin.
At the end of Gustin’s interview when asked why the our vending machines aren't filled with Dr. Pepper and only Dr. Pepper, she replied with a grin on her face, “That’s what I’d want too... you could hook me up with an IV of Dr. Pepper.”
By Jonathon C. Fairchild
Posted March 9, 2016
For a period of time the soda machine has provided nothing but diet or zero calorie beverages to the student body, as well as a vending machine with appealing snacks. However, these machines have a specific time when we can purchase scrumptious products. This could be a great inconvenience to those who want to fully enjoy their drinks with plenty of calories for a pleasurable flavor.
The vending machine in general is a flop when it comes to profit potential since it shoos out a majority of customers within a large time frame of inactivity. It's a great enigma as to why our machines have limitations when it would be much better to the student body to have everything available within school hours. Why can't we all enjoy the full potential the vending machines have to offer?
Aitkin Schools Business Manager Tiffany Gustin said, “The school doesn’t make the decisions on the vending machines of what they can or can’t serve. That decision is made by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture),” who says that it's for the purpose of preventing childhood obesity in both children and young adults.
The federal agency’s standards were forced by Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act that was passed in 2010, which limited vending machine snacks to 200 calories per item and sodas/sports drinks sold in high schools to 60 or less in a 12-ounce serving. Due to federal guidelines, our vending machine for snacks are not allowed to be active during a school day because it could affect our calorie intake.
Teachers are not subject to these regulations on childhood obesity since they are of an appropriate age to make proper decisions, so they are allowed to have proper soda and vending machines in teacher lounges.
Our vending machines are the property of Hazelwood, so technically the school doesn’t own them but they do share in the revenue. The products of the vending machines are changed every week or two.
The reason why our scrumptious snacks and delicious soft drinks are restricted so much from the time available to the diet soda is because of childhood obesity and federal guidelines, according to Gustin.
At the end of Gustin’s interview when asked why the our vending machines aren't filled with Dr. Pepper and only Dr. Pepper, she replied with a grin on her face, “That’s what I’d want too... you could hook me up with an IV of Dr. Pepper.”