(January 21, 2004) -- School administrators have not indicated when the vending machines under the covered area will be restocked with carbonated drinks and sweets that had been replaced with healthier items this month. Principal Doug Dall was not available for comment.

Students returning from winter break may have noticed the new all-juice vending machines that replaced the soda-vending machines under the covered area. In addition to those healthier beverage choices, the snack vending machines were rid of junk food.

Talk arose among students of Clark extracting all junk foods and replacing them with healthier choices. “I wasn’t glad they changed because I don’t eat nutritious food. You can go home and eat junk food anyways, so what’s the point? said sophomore Christina Ahsan. Freshman Nicole D’Netto said, "The vending machines never accept your money anyway and the carts still sold Coke so I wasn’t too mad."

According to senior administrative secretary Barbara Melone, the changes were made because the older vending machines were not functioning properly due to the vandalism that took place in previous years. The only available beverage vending machines had the Minute Maid juice cover fronts. But along with the new machines, the products changed as well. "Now, the machines carry all-juice beverages and the snack machines are stocked with healthier foods. This took place because of a misunderstanding between Cook’s Food and Beverage Service, Clark’s vendor, and Clark.

According to Cook’s owner Gail Cook, the vending company mistakenly replaced our old vending machines with the notion that Clark would be implementing changes made under SB19 (The Pupil Nutrition and Achievement Act 2001) which states that carbonated drinks and highly fat-saturated foods will not be sold on school grounds. The company thought that because other districts said you can’t have any sodas, that we were a part of that, but we are not," said Assistant Principal Joan Shoff.

Those with younger siblings may have been informed that elementary and middle schools have taken upon the changes of extracting sodas and junk food from their school grounds as well.

According to SB19, elementary schools may sell snacks with the following: no more than 35% calories from fat, 10% calories from saturated fat and be no more than 35% sugar by weight. The only beverages they may sell to students are milk, water or juice that is at least 50% fruit juice with no added sweeteners. In middle schools, carbonated beverages may only be sold after the last lunch period. However, SB19 does not list any provisions concerning junk food or carbonated drinks in high schools. According to Cook, activation of SB19 will begin in September 2004, but the Glendale Unified School District wanted to implement it earlier.