by Michaela Lamb and Diana Timmermans |

That horrible moment when the vending machines eat the money meant to buy some Cheetos. This has been happening more and more to students as they adjust to the new vending machine policy.

Beginning last year, the vending machines have been turned off by administrators at different times during the day, but most noticeably during class. This means, when the bell rings, the machines turn off, even if someone’s money was just dropped into  the shot. No Cheetos, no refunds.

“It’s ridiculous, people get hungry all the time and the vending machines [turn off] half way through the day? No, who does that? Why would you do that?” junior Ehi Oribhabor said, “I have to suffer through second hour, stumble through third, and fall all over fourth hour just to make it though the day and I have to wait until lunch. I barely make it every single day. Somehow I do.”

This attitude is common among  students who have become accustomed to the vending machines being available all day.

However, some students were taking advantage of the open vending machines during class last year; leaving to get food, ignoring teachers’ individual food policies and gathering around the machines during class times.

“Since turning the vending machines off, people aren’t congregating [around the vending machines], they are going to class,” assistant principal Brett Coffman said.  “It was a tardy and class cutting issue.”

Since the machines have been turned off during class times, there has been a decrease in tardies. Students who are normally grouped around the vending machines have moved on, and are making their way to class. However, some students are persistent and are losing their money when the machines turn off.

The office does not refund lost money from the vending machines. There are notices that lost money will not be refunded, on the vending machines themselves, as well as administrators informing the student body of this, but the office is still getting complaints.

“We are standing out there saying ‘guys go to class… don’t put your money in,’ but they do it anyway,” Coffman said. The office is unable to reimburse students because the money made from the vending machines goes directly to a company, according to Coffman. Liberty only sees a small return from the profit which goes into the General Activities Fund, which benefits clubs and school-sponsored activities.

Another reason the vending machines are on a new schedule this year is they posed a legal problem. The Federal government created new guidelines that Liberty has to follow in order to be able to provide lunches to students who need meal assistance.

“We are part of the National School Breakfast and Lunch Program. And the law reads that a certain percentage of nutritional value must be met in the food we provide during meal times.” Principal April Adams said, “And the vending machines are not in compliance with that law. In order to be in compliance with that law we have to turn our vending machines off during times when the cafeteria is open.”

Liberty’s compliance guarantees that the school will be able to provide free or reduced cost lunches to students who qualify for the program.

“We place more value on the fact that we are able to provide those students meals than our vending machines,” Adams said.

Currently the school is bound by a contract that will not allow them to provide healthier food options that would allow the vending machines to be on at all times, however, there may be a plan in place to change this.