South Windsor High School is lucky to have such a wide variety of food and snack options for students and faculty alike. However, lately there has been frustration surrounding the cafeteria vending machine and its lack of reliability.
Students specifically report the most prominent issue being the vending machine taking their money without giving the snack, or even the option to buy a snack. With many students staying after school for sports, clubs, etc., it is frustrating to not have a reliable way to get a quick snack in the hours spent after school.
“I have no other choice but to purchase snacks because I sometimes depend on the machine,” sophomore Rudransh Sinha said. “I recently just lost $4 and it is very sad.”
In terms of how often the vending machine works, students feel as if it has gotten worse over time.
“I feel like the vending machine now works only 80% of the time; I put in a $5 bill and the vending machine just ate my money,” senior Hayden Xhokaxhiu said. “I feel like my own school is scamming me.”
Another common complaint is that the snacks in the vending machine are overpriced, which can quickly become costly if a student uses it regularly. Some students report being more upset over the pricing of snack items rather than the lack of reliability.
“I feel like I am scammed each time I use the vending machine because the items are extremely overpriced,” Sinha said.
Students (rightfully so) feel as if they cannot rely on the vending machine any longer and are only wasting their money on overpriced snacks only to not get anything in return. They are also frustrated with the electronic touch pad on the vending machine, which often does not work or is extremely slow.
South Windsor High School has taken note of such complaints, however, putting an “Out of Order” sign on the vending machine to prevent students from wasting their money. Students hope the school will take action to fix it in a timely manner.
Despite being a step in the right direction and a quick response to the problem, students now must find other ways to reliably get a snack while in school or spending time after school.
This may encourage students to save their money and bring healthier snacks from home to school, but students are still irked by the lack of urgency the school seems to have regarding the issue. All and all, the school is still lucky to have such a convenience in the first place for students to enjoy as they please.
