Video Editors Adrian Herres and Henry Pearson interview students and administration about the shutdown and moving of the vending machines. Additionally, Freelance Writer Mia Orde writes about the controversy regarding these shutdowns.

While there have been many new developments at DGS this school year, the vending machines are one of the biggest controversies that the school has experienced.

The new rule that prohibits the use of the vending machines from 8:00a.m. to 3:20p.m. has resulted recently in students seeking out new ways to quickly get food during the school day. Principal Arwen Lyp has voiced her reasoning behind the prohibition.

“We want students to be successful, and we know that when students are in class, they will be more successful. We did have issues last year with students asking their teacher for passes to the vending machines and then coming to the vending machines and not just using them but kind of hanging out… so we made a decision to turn them off during the school day,” Lyp said

Although Lyp is concrete about students being present and engaged in their school work and is certain that students will be more successful from this change, junior Frankie Titone has a differing opinion.

“Personally I don’t really like the new rule because sometimes I don’t get to school on time… so they are closed when I get to school. I can’t really spend time at the vending machines when I leave because sometimes I work after school and I don’t have time to stop… so there’s no time for me to use the vending machine,” Titone said.

An article from Sunny Hills newspaper reports the same new rule that DGS has implemented this year. There are some other concerns that have been brought up with the deactivation of vending machines such as diabetic students; it seems that schools are more focused on how students improve their work and getting the upper hand in schooling rather than hunger during school hours.

88% of high schools have reported having vending machines present in their school, but some might ask whether or not they are fully positive or fully negative. Lyp has spoken up about her thoughts.

“From my lens, one of the positive effects is eliminating the distractions of students leaving class to go and get snacks; that has been the most positive, but I think that the negative is the convenience factor that has been taken away from students,”Lyp said.

With the distractions limited and the increase of students present in classes, Lyp believes that even though the vending machines were made for the convenience of the students, being engaged in educational studies have a better effect on the students’ near future.

It’s not certain whether or not the vending machine rules will stick around, but for the 2025-2026 school year, the rules are here to stay.