Student Vending: Providing Money and Experiences

IVAN HOE, JANET YU STAFF WRITERS
High school students are among one of the many populations that are in dire need of money. Not only do they need money for supplies for school, but they may also need to save money for college or any higher education they may wish to pursue later on in life. Some of them must also support their families, especially if they belong to a lower class or larger household. However, not all high school students have the time to have a part time job, as most of their time are spent on their academics and extracurriculars. Therefore, students should be allowed to sell food items on campus, since it can provide valuable experiences and help them reach their goals, just like how they are allowed to do so when they are selling for clubs.
Currently, students are not allowed to sell food items and the reasons range from not having a license or school permission to sell and the school not knowing what could be in the food that they sell. While the latter reason is valid, as students’ health is important, the requirement of having a license is an obstacle in selling, as the students would need to be older than 18 or have their parents’ consent to do so. This may cause the students not be able to reach their financial goals and cause a lack of experience in entrepreneurship, which can be an essential skill to have later on in life.
Some may argue that students could take advantage of being able to sell food and lie about needing the money, but since there are rules to such sales, many restrictions would be placed and eliminate such factors. If students are allowed to sell food, they are required to have a document or any other form of sign to show that what they are selling is for a legitimate cause and nothing dangerous. Since students would need a license to sell, but since they cannot get such license until 18 years old, there should be a new kind of license where it is specifically for them to sell items for money because of their financial status. Schools would also check the products before letting them sell them. They could also have a list banning certain products that they know for sure would be harmful to students to ensure their safety. With these safety precautions, schools would not have to worry as much about students selling illegal contrabands or anything harmful. Other students would also be reassured that the item they are buying is safe and legal.
Many students from low income families struggle to find a means of earning money but if they were able to sell food on campus, they would be able to keep up with their studies as well as earning money. They would also have experiences of selling products that may prove useful later on in their lives. Overall, if controlled, allowing students to sell products on school can prove beneficial to the students.