While the campus may be currently covered in snow and the temperature outdoors sit frigidly low, it seems some parts of campus remain unaffected. Specifically, one vending machine in Steinman Hall that is available to students seems to be continuously problematic. As students have reported on the popular “Jays App” the PepsiCo drink machine has routinely been delivering beverages that are warm or even hot to the touch.
One student recently made a frustrated post on Jays App: “Does anyone know who to go to about vending machine problems? I got this out of the one in Steinman and it’s expired and oddly hot (supposed to be cold). $3.25 down the drain…” These drinks are anything but cheap, and it is frustrating to be delivered a drink that is not what you thought you were paying for.
On that same subject, that very machine has also been producing expired products, leading to concern amongst the campus community. This, of course, has led students to not drink the products being served. Some students even go as far as avoiding the machine entirely and now seemingly avoiding and questioning other machines. One student expressed to me, “I will not be spending any more money on the vending machine, I’m beyond irate and disappointed,” Camdyn Buohl, biochemistry ‘27 said. While this overall upsetness isn’t without cause, it does lead one to ponder why this may be taking place.
While they may seem far from each other, the vending machines across campus are handled by the Dining Department. With that in mind, I was able to get in contact with the college’s own Eric Turzai, the Director of Dining.
“The campus vending machines are maintained by Pepsi, and each unit should have contact information located on it in case of product or mechanical issues, so anyone can have concerns addressed immediately,” Turazi said. Moreover, he was very quick to address the issue, commenting on a potential reason for the issues with the specific machine. “I also noticed the energy miser, which allows the machine to cycle on and off according to foot traffic flow thereby reducing energy consumption, was unplugged, possibly affecting the performance of the machine,” Turazi said. Finally, he affirmed that he would soon be in contact with the college’s PepsiCo representative so that any further issues could be rectified.
It seems that, as the year progresses onward, issues of this nature will hopefully become more and more rare. While an unfortunate speed bump has occurred, it is the hope of all that we may move forward into more pleasant weather and more optimally-cooled beverages.
