Vending machines are an important part of my life. I know that sounds silly but there’s something therapeutic about the whirring of the gears as the item is dispensed and then the thump of a chilled soda falling.

If you were to pass one in the hallway, you couldn’t tell just by a glance if it was one of the more outdated models and you probably don’t care.

But not only are they important to me in a whole different way, if you want a drink or a snack outside of lunch hours, vending machines are often your only option.

Which is why there needs to be a vending machine closer to the fine arts department. You might be thinking, ‘there’ are already six drink machines and two food ones, why could we possibly need more?’

However, the layout of the vending machines is uneven.

Down by the Pool Doors, there’s two drink vending machines and the only two food vending machines in the building.

In the main hallway on the second floor above it, there’s one drink vending machine. So five.

In the middle of the school by Room 137, there’s a drink vending machine that doesn’t accept Apple Pay.

By the Fine Arts Department, on the second floor, there’s a drink vending machine.

This one is great, honestly one of my favorites. It consistently accepts Apple Pay, is always stocked and is newer than the other vending machines.

But there isn’t a single vending machine on that side of the school’s lower level.

My problem is that one side of the school has five machines while the other side has one.

If they added a drink vending machine to this area, it would bring in additional funds from people involved in theater, art and music.

The Coca-Cola Vending Machine company does not mandate machine placement and the Pool Door machines were even moved down to the 109 Doors over the summer because of construction.

I understand not moving machines from the area by the Pool due to the high traffic and proximity to sports events. But, why not add a machine?

Each soda sold has a 45% profit margin, meaning for a $1.50 soda, Rockwood makes around 67 cents. By adding another drink vending machine, it increases profit for the district.

Rockwood approved Heartland Coca-Cola on a five-year contract in 2018. That contract ends July 31, 2024.

This presents the perfect opportunity for Lafayette to request additional vending machines.