Coke is no longer “it” at Clayton Valley. Pepsi has taken over.

Pepsi received a new five-year contract with the school in early May. All Coke machines have been removed from campus and the cafeteria will not be restocking its supplies once they run out.

Pepsi delivered nine new vending machines, which sell mostly juices and sport drinks. Some have soda in them, but only until August.

The contract includes rules against stocking the machines with carbonated beverages because of a new state law, said Principal Gary Swanson. In the next couple years, all carbonated beverages [soda] will be banned from California schools. However, Mt. Diablo Unified School District will get rid of sodas as of Aug. 28, when the 2006-2007 school year starts.

Some students are not welcoming the change from soda to other drinks.

“I have a friend who would like kill himself, because he has a soda every day,” said freshman Carissa Sponburg.

Others said they don’t mind the change – at least not the change of soda companies.

“I don’t really care about the Coke to Pepsi change because I don’t really buy from the machines,” said sophomore Brittany Kirn.

The drinks in the new vending machines are mostly based on results from a survey students in the House of Representatives took. They include Aquafina water, Tropicana lemonades, Lipton flavored ice teas and a rainbow assortment of Gatorades. Pepsi has also stocked some machines with sodas until the new ban in the district takes effect next fall, so students also can buy Mt. Dew, Pepsi and Cherry Pepsi.

Swanson said the machines are going to be monitored to make sure products are selling enough

“The amount of money we make off the contract is unknown,” said Long. “It just depends on how many people buy from the machines.”

Clayton Valley will receive a share of the sales as part of the contract.

“It’s a sliding scale, it just matters how much is bought; it changes the percent hugely,” Swanson said.

Soda is thought to be one cause of childhood obesity, a problem Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has been trying to battle with new laws. In addition to the ban on soda, the governor signed bills to get rid of junk food from school lunches.

“I don’t think no soda will change anything because people will buy their own and bring it,” said junior Jennifer Tong. “Maybe it will make a small change, but it doesn’t mean they won’t go buy it at the Dollar Tree.”