All across campus vending machines are being replaced in favor of machines with healthier options. GLC has gained two more machines and one was added in the hallway outside of the gymnastics facilities.

“There is no cost to vending, only revenue,” Sickbert said, when asked about the cost of adding new machines on campus.

Depending on where the machines are located, the machines’ income is designated to different departments.

   “Income wise, [the machines] are assigned to a department and a building, so anything around the gym, the athletic department got. Anything in the residence halls they would get,” Sickbert explained.

Sickbert went on to explain his hopes for the revenue from the new vending machines around campus to go towards incoming students.

“When I added the machines I tried to ask if that new revenue wasn’t assigned, I wanted it to be directed to the financial aid office for additional funds for emergencies,” Sickbert said. “I don’t know if that’ll happen or not, but it’s our intention.”

Sickbert explained how Hamline has contracts with Pepsi for the drink machines and Midwest Vending for the snack machines. The prices in the vending machines match the same prices that each item is sold for in the C-Store. Besides sharing the profit with Pepsi and Midwest Vending company there is no cost to Hamline for providing vending machines.

Along with getting new machines, Sickbert also wanted healthier food and drinks in the machines. After meeting with the vendors, Sickbert found that students wanted that too.

“We realized that students weren’t drinking pop, they wanted water, juices, Red Bull, and stuff, so they put in basically new machines,” Sickbert said, referring to the machines being replaced around campus.

A few students voiced their agreement about wanting healthier drinks.

“There should just be a water vending machine,” sophomore Abby Thompson said.

Others were more indifferent to the changes, but still used the vending machines because of the convenience of grabbing quick snacks and drinks.

“There’s a vending machine close to where I work,” first-year Emma Remillard said. “I don’t go to vending machines for healthy snacks, but generally I don’t drink pop.”

Senior Catherine Jacobson wasn’t as concerned about the food that’s inside the vending machines, but the efficiency, wanting the school to make sure that the machines are never out of the snacks she wants.

“They need to just remember to update them,” Jacobson said.

Each machine is equipped with sensors that tell the companies when their machines are broken, about to become low on a certain product or out. This allows the machines to be constantly stocked. Sickbert is also looking into rotating the snacks, allowing there to be a variation of choices.

“I get a vanilla double shot twice a week [from the Starbucks machine in GLC],” first-year Ryan Saufferer said, “It’s weird because it doesn’t taste like the one I get at Starbucks. It’s better. Not as bitter.”

There are 40 machines on campus throughout 15 different locations. There are one to two snack machines in each location and at least one drink machine. According to Sickbert’s findings the most popular vending machine on campus is the Starbucks machine in GLC.