The newest incoming service at State High is the Roar Store’s very own Spirit Box.
State High had always permitted the Roar Store and snack bar to remain open for the full day. However, as of two years ago, these rules have changed. Now, the two student conveniences are only open during lunchtime hours.
Advisor of DECA and the Roar Store Bridget Ciolkosz explained how the idea of the Spirit Box came to the surface. “While we were at DECA Nationals, we saw the Spirit Box as one of the vendors at the convention. We thought it would be a great supplement to the Roar Store since we are no longer open all day,” Ciolkosz said.
The Roar Store worked hard to buy and design the machine, using the profit earned in the store to purchase it. Also, the design was student-generated by one of Mr. Van Allen’s art students.
One advantage of the Spirit Box is it allows students and staff to self-purchase items that they need at any time of day. State High junior Jessie Saraka provided insight on the new machine. “The biggest value is simply to make things easier for students. While the Roar Store isn’t open, students can still buy what they need without worry,” Saraka said. The products inside the Spirit Box consist of school supplies, snack items, personal care items and spirit week items.
The Spirit Box is also unique from other vending machines due to the high level of technology it contains. On the right-hand side, there is a touch screen where people can tap on their item of interest. There are also multiple ways to pay through the machine, including cash, card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. Shoppers are even able to purchase multiple items at a time with the shopping cart feature.
Ciolkosz believes that the Spirit Box is a very helpful tool for students to learn from. “I think the vending machine is beneficial for student learning as they get to see how a different type of business functions. They get to test and see what products sell and whether we should sell the same or different items as our store. It is a great learning experience,” Ciolkosz said.
Saraka has had a wonderful experience while working with the Spirit Box thus far. “It was super fun to learn how to operate it and do things like change the pieces, take out or add money and products, and more,” Saraka said.
In just two weeks of being open, the Spirit Box has already been a successful addition to the school, selling hundreds of dollars of goods. “The long-term goal is to expand to other parts of the building, Delta and maybe even the middle schools,” Ciolkosz said.
The Roar Store plans to start promoting the box this upcoming school year to bring it to the attention of all people in the building.
