By J1 Reporters Isabelle Swanson and Vienna Tang

Supply and demand.

The vending machines in Marian’s cafeteria are a miniature economics lesson. A steady stream of customers pass the machines each day. The location is perfect. The customers are always in demand of tasty snacks to get them through the rigorous school day, or an equally rigorous extracurricular activity. The only thing left is to supply those snacks!

These machines have been staples to Marian life for at least 30 years. Recent changes have the student body buzzing! Whether the buzzing is from excitement, or the newly available frappuccinos is still up for debate. Students have demonstrated desire for variety. A variety of  snacks and drinks are available in the vending machines.

Tim Eoriatti, Marian’s lunch coordinator, explained that the items that sell well continue to get stocked while items that don’t sell well get replaced. “It’s what people like,” Eoriatti said. Mini M&Ms and Sparkling Ice drinks are just two of the most recent additions to the already diverse range of products available.

The newest vending machine has brought an even wider variety to after-school snacking. This new “Healthier 4U” vending machine has changed the way students snack. Although the prices seem to be slightly higher than the older machines, the overall quality may be worth the extra dollar or so. Junior Brigid Elbert considers the healthy vending machine to be beneficial. “It kind of shakes things up a little bit. Shaking stuff up is good,” Elbert said.

This was the exact reasoning that brought the machine to Marian. “It’s just something new,” Eoriatti said. It offers refrigerated drinks and healthier options, such as trail mix. The machine accepts cash, cards, and even Apple Pay, which is a mobile payment system some Apple devices have. Students can now hold their phones up to a reader on the machine and select a snack.

The school owns all the vending machines in the school, but Eoriatti is an independent contractor. He stocks the machines with products from various suppliers. A lot of work goes into making sure the machines are fully stocked with the best snacks around!

As any economics student could tell you, demand leads to higher prices. Economics students could also tell you about fun words like “inflation.” The prices of the products have risen, causing the final price for students to rise as well. Eoriatti cited increasing gas prices as one of the reasons for the overall increase.

Prices have stayed the same for many years, but inevitably, gas prices have caught up and made the products themselves more expensive.

Many older students have noticed this change. “That’s the reason I stopped buying so much,” junior Tara Wanser said. Wanser bought snacks and drinks an average of twice per week during her freshman year. This year, Wanser only buys from the machines monthly, if that.

Freshmen on the other hand, have no reference for the change in prices. “Prices kind of don’t matter to me. It just matters that I get food,” freshman Peggy McGowan said.

Some upperclassmen see the change in price, but aren’t affected. “I just bought a frappuccino from the vending machine. It was $2. It was kind of expensive, but I bought it anyway,” senior Makenzie Fuss said. Fuss said she uses the vending machines so rarely that the prices make little difference in her purchasing habits.

These increases might make little difference in purchasing habits overall. Vending machine purchases are generally made on impulse. The largest increase in price was a quarter, so as long as students keep a few extra coins in their pockets, sales will remain about the same.

The vending machines are a staple for Marian girls. Busy girls with busy schedules love a pick-me-up frappuccino or candy bar, and they can count on the machines to dispense their every need.