Dining cooks up new meal plans
Soda cost rises, new choices added to appease students craving variety
Lindsey Lewandowski
Issue date: 9/9/04 Section: Campus News
"It works out really slick," Kilcrease said of the new online system. "Students would choose a meal plan and automatically (receive) this e-mail (saying) 'this is what you selected' and 'you have until this time to change your meal plan.' "
Prellwitz said most students have been assigned the declining balance meal plan by default. However, students using this plan typically have to deposit money into it during the semester.
"Those who dine frequently run out of dollars by the end of the semester," he said.
Freshman Kristi Trezek said she thinks twice before purchasing expensive meals with her allotted meal plan dollars; she signed up for the 10-meal plan because she knew she wouldn't dine in the cafeterias much.
While Kilcrease said the declining balance is the most popular meal plan "by far," he agreed that if students aren't paying attention to their eating habits, they'll pay more in the long run.
"We tried to develop the plans to give them a series of options," he said.
All options beside the declining balance meal plan provide students with fixed meals as well as meal-plan dollars. Prellwitz said he expects transfer meals to be popular, especially the 10-, 14- and 19-meal plans. Money may be added to a fixed meal plan account at any time.
Pakou, who signed up for the 10-meal plan because she doesn't eat much, said she chose it knowing she could always add money if needed.
The site said some plans offer combinations of fixed meals and a greater amount of meal-plan dollars; it deems the super 7-meal plan and the 7-meal plan as giving the "best of both plans."
All plans were designed to provide the greatest amount of flexibility and value, although Kilcrease recognized this is just a step in the right direction to try to please 3,500 students using meal plans.
"In order to meet everyone's needs," he said, "I'd have to have 3,500 meal plans."
Prellwitz said most students have been assigned the declining balance meal plan by default. However, students using this plan typically have to deposit money into it during the semester.
"Those who dine frequently run out of dollars by the end of the semester," he said.
Freshman Kristi Trezek said she thinks twice before purchasing expensive meals with her allotted meal plan dollars; she signed up for the 10-meal plan because she knew she wouldn't dine in the cafeterias much.
While Kilcrease said the declining balance is the most popular meal plan "by far," he agreed that if students aren't paying attention to their eating habits, they'll pay more in the long run.
"We tried to develop the plans to give them a series of options," he said.
All options beside the declining balance meal plan provide students with fixed meals as well as meal-plan dollars. Prellwitz said he expects transfer meals to be popular, especially the 10-, 14- and 19-meal plans. Money may be added to a fixed meal plan account at any time.
Pakou, who signed up for the 10-meal plan because she doesn't eat much, said she chose it knowing she could always add money if needed.
The site said some plans offer combinations of fixed meals and a greater amount of meal-plan dollars; it deems the super 7-meal plan and the 7-meal plan as giving the "best of both plans."
All plans were designed to provide the greatest amount of flexibility and value, although Kilcrease recognized this is just a step in the right direction to try to please 3,500 students using meal plans.
"In order to meet everyone's needs," he said, "I'd have to have 3,500 meal plans."
