Most students on the Bonds-Wilson campus are familiar with the vending machines sprinkled around AMHS and SOA. But, these vending machines are infamous for being unreliable, finicky, and overall very confusing. Students are rarely aware of which vending machines take cash, cards, or Apple Pay, what kind of snacks they have, when they will restock next, how far away they are, or if they are even working. We decided to take a deep dive into the vending machines on our campus in order to answer these questions and decide which vending machine is the best altogether.
In order to gather the most informative research we tested each vending machine, both drink and snack, by paying with cash, Apple Pay, and a debit card. This intensive strategy was used to distinguish the finicky vending machines versus the fully operable ones.
Our very first stop on our research journey was the SOA vending machines. Despite the long trek through SOA’s campus, the selection did not disappoint… or so we thought. The SOA snack vending machine was stocked with healthy alternatives including Reduced-Fat Doritos, Pop Chips, and granola bars. Despite the healthy pattern, they did also have Rice Krispie Treats of the chocolate chip and original variety. The selection did come as a surprise to us due to how SOA’s vending machine had been notoriously famous for having better options in the past. Regardless of this, our research continued. Apple Pay, debit cards, and cash were all effective methods for purchasing items from the snack machine. We purchased sour cream and onion Popchips, Baked Hot Cheetos, and an original Rice Krispies Treat. We would rate the Popchips a 5/10 due to their pure lack of flavor and the fact that they seemed like a phony knockoff for PopCorners. The Hot Cheetos were a 7/10 and the Rice Krispies Treat, of course, was a 10/10. In all, we would rate the SOA snack vending machine 8/10 due to its lengthy walk from Magnet’s campus.
Next, we tested SOA’s drink machine. This was a major letdown, seeing as the only drink in stock was water. Additionally, there was no card reader, leading us to only test the cash method. We regretfully purchased our water and to our demise, it was completely warm. This could have been because the refrigeration on the machine was broken, or it may have been due to the fact that this machine is located outside in the breezeway. Regardless of this, we did not drink the water and gave it to one of our classmates. In all, this drink machine was a major letdown. We’d give it 2/10 if you like warm water.
Before crossing back over to the AMHS campus, we needed to make a stop at guidance to find someone to let us into the gym lobby. While the P.E. class is in session, it is a rare occurrence that you will be able to enter this domain. The best time to visit the machines is usually between classes, but we did not have this option as we were conducting research in our 2B Newspaper period. Luckily, we found someone to help us out. Shoutout to Mrs. Krupilis and Mrs. McCall for aiding us in our experimentation.
Once we made it into the gym lobby, our first stop was the AMHS snack machine. At first glance, the machine seemed completely fine. But, we soon realized that it had the exact same snacks as the one on SOA’s campus. So, if you are not satisfied with the selection on the AMHS campus, save yourself the trip and do NOT visit the SOA machines, as you will find the same disappointing, reduced-fat snacks. Nonetheless, we went ahead and bought Reduced-Fat Doritos Flamas and more Rice Krispies Treats. When we attempted to buy these snacks, both Apple Pay and card worked. There is a cash input that appears to be functional, but do not be deceived. It does not work. After putting in dollar bills, which did not work, we tried to use quarters to pay for our snacks, but we ultimately ended up getting robbed of $1.50. In our opinion, the R.F. Doritos Flamas were 7/10. The spicy and limey flavors were present, but something about the Reduced-Fat aspect threw the flavor off. The Rice Krispies Treats were perfect as always. Overall, we rate this vending machine an 8/10. Although it is a shorter walk than the SOA vending machines, it is still particularly inaccessible due to the fact that someone must open the gym lobby door for you. Also, it stole our quarters, does not take cash, and the selection of snacks could definitely use some work.
As for AMHS’s drink machines, we were pleasantly surprised. The drinks available in this machine were the same as those in the SOA machine: Sprite Zero, Cherry Coke Zero, and water. However, all of these were available for sale and were not sold out. This machine flawlessly took all three kinds of payment. Also, the drinks came out completely ice-cold. We got both a Cherry Coke Zero and a Sprite Zero. Both of these drinks were unpleasant, receiving a 4/10 on our end. They were both insults to regular Sprite and Cherry Coke. But, aside from the bad selection of beverages in this machine, we had a great experience purchasing from it. We rate this machine a 9/10, only because it is slightly inaccessible and because the drinks in it could definitely be tastier.
In the end, we came to the conclusion that the AMHS vending machines are better than those on the SOA campus. The AMHS vending machines have colder drinks, more drinks available for sale, and are much closer to classes for AMHS students. However, they still have room for improvement, specifically in their selection of snacks and drinks. Last school year, the vending machines had pretzels, Smartfood popcorn, Cheetos, beef jerky, a variety of Veggie Straw flavors, and more. Although we do not know why the diversity in snacks has changed, we do know that it needs to be brought back.
