![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
Campus Compass: Manzanita Hall’s new and improved vending machine
Shayla He (10) and Ella Lan (10) purchase an item from the new vending machine in Manzanita Hall. The new vending machine contains a total of 35 different items, ranging from chips and energy bars to drinks and even hand sanitizer.
With a sleek white design and modern finish, Manzanita Hall’s new vending machine sits proudly adjacent to the lunch tables under the back awning. Fluorescent light illuminates the colorful packaging of chips and granola bars stacked inside. Students gather excitedly around the vending machine, pointing out their favorite snacks and drinks.
Manzanita Hall’s old vending machine was replaced with a new vending machine in late September. The new vending machine is larger and capable of storing more items. In addition, while the previous vending machine only accepted payment in the form of cash, the new machine is also compatible with Apple Pay, providing hungry students with a more convenient alternative to quickly pay for their snacks.
“I really like it — it’s really convenient, much more than just going off campus,” Ishaan Parate (12), who enjoys the machine’s Pop Chips, said. “I’ve found that I had to do that less now if I just need a quick snack.”
The vending machine contains a total of 35 different items for students to snack on, from trail mix and baked potato chips to fig bars. It also has drinks such as Gatorade, chocolate milk and La Croix sparkling water. The snacks and drinks each cost around one to two dollars. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the vending machine also stores hand sanitizer, which students may purchase for $1.
“There’s a lot more variety of snacks,” said Sasha Masson (10), a fan of the machine’s Cheez-its and chocolate milk, who visits the vending machine with her friends around once every other week. “It’s never messed up yet and not given me what I wanted.”
Harker relies on Me Fit Vending, a vending machine supplier, to restock the machine weekly with strategically chosen snacks.
“We want to make sure that the snacks are healthy, but we also track sales,” Sarah Wollbrink, assistant to the executive chef at Harker, said. “Depending on what items are most popular, we stock [the vending machines] with that.”
Me Fit collects and analyzes vending sales data each day in order to identify the snacks often bought and the snacks left untouched. A Me Fit employee then restocks the machine weekly with a selection of snacks that both cater toward student preferences and maintain a supply of nutritious options. Because the new vending machine has been installed only recently, not enough sales data on student preference is available.
During the pandemic, the vending machine remained empty throughout the lockdown. With the reopening of campus this year came the revival of the vending machine, which was restocked with snacks. As student life begins to return to normal, the revitalized vending machine once again becomes a convenient snack option to fuel students through their day.
Michelle Wei (12) is a co-managing editor for Humans of Harker, and this is her fourth year on staff. Through her writing, she hopes to explore topics...