In front of the forensic science room lies Lola: snack-packed with high schoolers’ dreams of candy and chips. Daily, students flock around the machine, arguably more this year than its previous eight to ten years.

Lola might be just another machine of convenience for students and staff alike, but its uniqueness is undeniable; it has a name and a story. Renee Motter, teacher of our forensics speech and debate team and TAG coordinator, is behind the naming of the vending machine in new lower D building.

“The student coaches decided they named everything in my room,” said Motter, “and they decided the machine needed a name.”

The group came up with the name because of a song: they thought it would be cool if “Lola” by The Kinks came on when someone put a dollar into the machine.

“We’ve never been able to make that work, but the name stuck,” said Motter.

While in past years the assortments of snacks seldom changed, this year Motter is stepping business up with Lola – though unknowingly.

“I don’t know what’s happening differently,” said Motter. “We get our stuff from Sam’s [Club] so really we just go with whatever Sam’s has.”

Students have noticed that the machines take their spare change, but they scarcely change.

“People got used to the other foods,” said senior Grace Ash.

“It needs to be changed,” said junior Kai Henry. “A little variety would be nice.”

This year, there is. Motter spoke of how she buys from Sam’s Club online so she can scope out other varieties of snacks. She also chooses to not shop at CostCo;

“Sam’s has more things that are for individual sale as opposed to CostCo, which is more bulk for families and things like that,” said Motter.

Lola is pretty popular this year. Students claim that the Lola machine is the better of the machines in reliability, price, and variety.

“B building’s [vending machines] were most expensive,” said Ash.

“A building is way overpriced,” said sophomore Tessa Morse, “and the Pop-Tarts ®! There’s only one [in the pack] and they’re whole grain.”

Lola, the dear machine, is ahead in the game this year. Lola is restocked every other day or so by the forensics team captains (seen above).

“The vending machine is basically a fundraiser for our speech and debate team,” said Motter.

Our speech and debate team is pretty big this year, and they spend a lot of time traveling around the state and also going to nationals in the summertime. Last summer, six of the students had gone to Fort Lauderdale, Florida for eight days.

“It costs a lot to have a speech and debate team,” said Motter. “And all of the vending machines fund some type of program.”

As Lola helps fundraise for our speech and debate team, the vending machine by the auditorium helps with music, and the others for science, according to Motter.

“Well, they’re making bank, so,” said freshman Evelyn Daub.

Which brings this to another point: Motter thinks it’s important for people to know the vending machines are here to support what students are actually doing in the school, not just for profit.