For many terms, students have been greeted by the sight of the Takena Hall vending machine, welcoming them into LBCC’s Albany campus with its affordable and routinely stocked snacks and candy. The machine is courtesy of the Student Life and Leadership council, to whom the profits from the machine go in order to fund their efforts to improve campus life and host events.
This vending machine, typically carrying light snacks like chips and peanuts as well as the standard candy bars and sodas, is one of several across LBCC’s campuses that serve as stalwart saviors of hungry students who want a quick treat or something to eat when the other dining options are closed or less convenient. However, this iconic landmark of LBCC isn’t stagnant, receiving a companion on April 4 in the form of a brand-new boba tea vending machine located directly beside the original.
The Student Leadership Council collaborated with local Corvallis vendors Sweet Heart and Bobaface to bring LBCC students the vending machine during the first week of spring term, with the goal of using the funds to support student basic needs.
“Two years ago, the Student Leadership Council took over vending on campus,” said Rob Camp, the Student Leadership Coordinator at LBCC. “The goal was to create a business model that would allow the SLC to have income that could be invested in things like their food insecurity initiatives. The program has been a large success and the team has been able to direct profits from the machines directly into the Linn-Benton Lunch Box gift card program.”
With the machine opening for business on the 5th, I was able to purchase one of the available teas for $4.95, a price that is roughly standard when compared to boba you can get at other locations in Albany and Corvallis.
Currently, three flavors are available: strawberry, passionfruit, and mango (I chose strawberry). Each tea contains a fruit tea base with flavored popping boba, chewy fruit jellies, and fresh fruit pieces. The tea itself has a mild flavor that isn’t too overwhelmingly sweet, and the variation of add-ins makes each sip unique. With the limited number of options when it comes to beverages in the standard vending machine compared to the food choices, the addition of boba tea allows lots of diversity if you need a drink on the go.
The SLC isn’t finished with vending machine ventures, however. The boba machine is the first exploration into outsourcing fresh items for vending, but there are exciting plans for the future as well.
“The SLC is looking into acquiring a smart store vending machine,” said Camp, adding that they hope to have it in place by fall term. “[This] would allow us to actually sell some healthy fresh options in Takena Hall. We are in the process of getting quotes on that type of machine now.”
This article originally appeared in the April 2025 edition of The Commuter.
