The Finance Club’s Nascent Vending Machine to Dramatically Improve Student Life

A closer look at The Finance Club’s latest investment.

Illustration by Anika Ata

Snack cravings run rampant on campus with students swarming the Grill during its limited hours, Doordashers flooding the circle, and the town shuttle running daily to service abundant grocery hauls. Evidently, these factors call for the need of another snack outlet to contain the food frenzy at Middlesex—a vending machine. The Finance Club has since set out a provisionary plan to bring a vending machine to campus. With this enthralling prospect in place, questions arise surrounding its management and operation. What will this vending machine look like? Which delicious snacks and drinks will we opt for? Who will run it? The nuances of running and facilitating the vending machine are investigated, featuring insights from The Finance Club’s Chairman Emeritus Luke Power ‘24 and Club member Arjun Rath ‘24. 

The decision to introduce a vending machine to campus was twofold – trying to allow for easier access to snacks throughout the day, while also maintaining profit for the Finance Club. The idea, first proposed by Arjun Rath, stemmed from students skipping out on meals due to a heavy workload and then swarming the Grill on its limited afternoons of service. The Dining Hall is closed during much of the day and the Grill is open only Wednesday through Saturday. The Finance Club wants to address the currently undervalued student market for snacks while also aiming to uphold the club’s core value, which is, in the words of Luke Power, “making more money with money.” Finance Club, in charge of managing $35,000, aspires to teach financial skills while making profitable investments for future club initiatives – two ideas that they believe the vending machine will uphold.

The vending machine itself will house 20 snack slots and 9 drink slots equipped with Apple Pay and credit card tap functions, housing 30-35 different snack choices. In addition, the machine will likely be placed in Ware Hall for easy accessibility between classes and meals. Luke Power reflects on the prospective contents of the vending machine: “We will likely have an array of drinks and chips with a balance of healthy alternatives. Arjun and Luke further predict the range of prices will likely not exceed $5 depending on the bulk deals they receive. With this, the Finance Club will be sourcing their snacks directly from Flik Dining. Mr. Peterson, who runs Flik at Middlesex, will be responsible for finalizing snack choices while Finance Club members will carry out regular restocking. Most importantly, the vending machine will set the Finance Club back $5000, a major investment that also requires long-term maintenance. However, the Finance Club considers the investment as a means of club promotion, initiative on campus, and a way to make real profit. 

The Finance club, with new roles and responsibilities in place, will be led by Davis Hale as incoming chairman and Arjun Rath as the CEO of the vending machine. Luke Power claims great changes will take place but also with the financial burdens the club will have to take on. Following their financial model, the vending machine is projected to make $5 a day. The Finance Club stands firm that this is an easily attainable goal, and the Club’s leaders predict that the success of the vending machine could lead to the founding of more vending machines around campus in the future.

Bryan Dong