When looking for a snack in the vending machine at TJ, one might see a Pop Tart, Hot Cheetos, Yogurt Pretzels and a…Dill Pickle…what?!
Photo by Ed Gloor
A pickle sits high on the top row of the lonely vending machine, bathing in pickle juice. This hidden gem is sold for 85 cents, so one might think it would sell often because of the cheap price, right? However, many who were asked denied ever buying or tasting the pickle, and they would rather stay in the dark about their pickle purchases.
When researching the dill in the vending machine, it was very necessary to do what apparently few others would dare to do… buy a pickle. The packaged beast was very intimidating, but one brave student decided to take a bite. The pickle victim was Senior Sean Gonzalez, who wanted to give it a try before leaving TJ. “The pickle at first had a gross odor coming out of the plastic air-vacuumed bag. I will admit I was scared to take a bite. I took a small bite and I immediately backed away from the pickle. It was warm and hard, and I could not get my teeth all the way through. Needless to say the pickle fell in a trash can. Coincidence? I think not.”
Even though the dill’s appearance and smell may turn many away, one should look at the nutritional facts before giving the green beast the cold shoulder. The DPS schools have been trying to make a step forward for teenagers with their health by putting hearty and wholesome treats in the vending machines. One might not think that this green treat would be so beneficial to his/her health, especially in a hot package, but in reality one burns calories just by eating a pickle. There are no calories, zero grams of fat, 1 gram of carbohydrates, and 2 percent of vitamin C. The lack of calories in the pickle helps the body burn calories because the movement of the jaw is exercising a muscle, which burns calories. By not gaining any calories from the food, excess calories are burned. Compared to other snacks in the vending machine, like Hot Cheetos that have 170 calories and 11 gram of fat, a Dill Pickle is much healthier.
This mysterious snack came from the one and only cucumber, through a process know as pickling. Pickling has been around for quite some time and is used to control the environment with bacteria. That strange liquid spotted in the pickle bag is what actually helps it taste better and repel bacteria. The bath is called a brine, which is created using salt, water, and an acid. The brine provides the pickle with a nice salty but at the same time, sour taste.
When TJ Assistant Principal, Scott Lessard, was asked about the snack in the vending machine, his answer was calculated and thoughtful. “Many think that the pickle is gross because it isn’t kept refrigerated, and is in a bag,” said Lessard. “But when you think of it, you buy pickles from the store and they’re on the shelf, warm and in a jar.” It is unclear what percentage of pickle proceeds go toward paying Lessard’s salary, but these reporters detect a pronounced pro-pickle point of view from Lessard.
Many don’t want to get caught buying or holding a pickle, but an inside source has knowledge of many actually buying them. “I’ve seen a lot of people getting the pickle after they look around and see that nobody is watching,” said Social Studies Teacher Jonathon Poole.
However, at the end of the day, students at TJ would like the pickle to go away. When an undisclosed and random amount of students took a survey on how one feels about the pickle, the answers were very common. Many said that they would never buy the pickle because it was gross, and some didn’t even know about its existence at all and were horrified at the idea of the warm pickle as a treat. “I love pickles; Dill, Kosher, Chips, and Spears,” said Assistant Principal Mike Christoff. “I have actually experienced the packaged pickle, it wasn’t at TJ but at my other school. The whole pickle in a package deal is tricky and sloppy. It’s hard to hold the pickle in the bag and then the pickle juices get on your hands. Overall, the pickle wasn’t terrible, on a scale of pickle goodness, I give it a four [out of an undisclosed number].”
So why is the snack still being put in the vending machines? Thomas Jefferson has found itself in a pickle because it is not in charge of what goes in or is taken out of the vending machines. “The food put in the machines is based on what all the students at all the schools tend to lean towards. Just because TJ students don’t buy them, that doesn’t mean kids at other schools aren’t crazy about them. We have no control over it and there is no way to let the people in charge know that kids don’t get them,” commented Lessard.
Spartans can only hope that the pickle will soon be replaced. The students look forward to seeing more treats like Poptarts or other healthy alternatives. For now, however, Mr. Dill will be perched on the top row, peering out at all the students walking by with confused looks on their faces.
“There is just something unappealing about a pickle in a bag, to me,” said Principal Sandra Just. “I love pickles but not these kinds.”
