Since the inception of cola-flavored products, the feud between Coke and Pepsi has been ongoing across the United States and the World. The fight has long been dominated by Coke, with a 19.2% share of the market for Coca-Cola Classic, and only an 8.31% share for Pepsi, according to the Guardian. The fight between these long-time rivals has recently been brought into the halls of LHS, as the school made a major change in its beverage distributor, no longer carrying Coke products and switching to Pepsi. This decision has divided the school between people who are angered and frustrated by the change, and others who see the new selection of beverages as a pro rather than a con.

Some of the frustrations coming from students due to the switch is because of their personal preferences. “I’m a huge Coke fan and their products are far superior to Pepsi,” junior Lizzie Hamilton said.

The anger over the switch extends to other non-cola flavor products as well, with students upset about changes to other products such as iced teas.

“As someone who has been known to drink two Peace Teas a day, I’ve had to switch over to Pure Leaf Tea, which one is a lot less in each bottle and is also a lot worse,” senior Jessica Hedlund said. “The [Pure Leaf] is just as expensive because it is real brewed so I don’t think there was much of a price difference even though it has less liquid.”

Hedlund added her bitterness about the difference in caffeine in the products as well. “I don’t like energy drinks, so I got all my caffeine from Peace Tea and now I can’t get through the school day.”

The transition was marked by other difficulties for students in the cafeteria, as new Pepsi vending machines were put in, that have caused difficulty. “The [vending machines] all have a ‘not working’ sign on them, so I’m not even able to try it,” Hamilton said.

The switch from Coke to Pepsi has also been sprinkled with an extra layer of complexity, as the change is still ongoing.  “We have now received some Pepsi coolers, but not the right sizes,” Mrs. Constantinidis, the head of concessions, said. “Temporarily, until we get the right ones, I’m selling Coke products, because I just have to finish those up before I can switch over to Pepsi. I’ve had to figure out the new representative and new procedures and placing orders…and they don’t have the same sizes as I had before, which means I may have to change my prices.”

While the switch was frustrating to some, the Cafeteria now provides a plethora of options, both similar to other Coke products, and different. For example, BUBBL’Rs are now sold due to the Pepsi switch, and have become a popular product in the school cafeteria.

Considering the change in beverages is still fresh for the school and in the minds of the student body, it is hard to say what the long-term effects of the switch will be for the school’s finances or for the students as a whole. The switch is unlikely to sway the long-rooted individual sentiments of Coke and Pepsi drinkers, so despite the soda shake-up, the Cola War continues.