By MEGAN SMITH

Staff Writer

Starting this fall, students can expect to see some changes in their meal plans. The new meal plan proposal, "Lifestyle Choices," is Food Services' newest plan and is aimed directly at students.

Mike Michelle, director of Food Services, said he was very excited about the new plans and hopes they will reflect students' needs.

"Everything is priced the same so students can now base their decisions on the meal plan that best fits their own lifestyles," Michelle said.

The new plans will all cost $635 and compared with last year's prices, the additional money will go onto students' declining balance dollars. Also, a five-meal plan will also be offered with the traditional unlimited 10- and 15-meal plans.

The revamped meal plans will have additional declining balance money, which Michelle said is what students said they wanted.

To aid Food Services in its search to please the students, surveys and focus groups were given to find out what changes students most wanted to see.

"Day to day I am asking the students down in the cafeteria what changes they want to see, because those are the students that the new meal plans are going to affect," Michelle said.

Melissa Boje, a senior sociology major, said she would not mind paying more if the extra money went onto her declining balance and if the service was improved.

"I use all of my declining balance dollars right away, and then I go to the cafeteria and the line is all the way to the Food Court," Boje said. "I like all of the additions in Tolliver, but it is too expensive compared to the amount of declining balance students get with their meal plans."

Michelle said in the fall, sophomores and upperclassmen will have the new five-meal plan option to help solve this problem.

Students can also expect to see changes in the hours of Tolliver and the Food Court. Beginning in the fall, the Food Court will extend its hours and open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Tolliver Hall, which is now closed between 2 and 4:30 p.m., will have continuous service in the fall.

"The cafeteria is so congested, but with these plans, we can spread that out," Michelle said. "This will remove the congestion so we can offer faster and fresher service."

Dickie Crawford, dean of Student Life and Auxiliary Services, said if the meal plan did not change, then prices would still go up about $30 due of the national Consumer Price Index. CPI determines how much money food prices go up each year based on inflation and other factors.

"Students have voiced what they want, and Aramark can do all of those things, but in order to do this we had to restructure," Crawford said. "In order to keep Tolliver open, we are going to have to have more declining balance, which is what students want anyway."