Food Services said that the Flex 10 meal proposal from Student Senate would be more expensive and decrease student unity in the dining halls.

Last week, the Student Senate passed a resolution calling for a Flex 10 meal option, a 10-meal plan with a proportional amount of Flex points.

Director of Food Services Dave Prentkowski said, "The more flexibility and the more options, the more expensive."

If Flex 10 were added to students' meal plan options, the expenses of running the dining hall and its services and variety would remain about the same due to fixed costs and the fact that students eat an average of about 10 meals a week in the dining halls, said Prentkowski.

Prentkowski said the main question is determining where the money would come from to contribute to the additional Flex points in a Flex 10 plan. He said, "It's a matter of economics."

Increasing Flex points would possibly result either in higher dining fees for students or their having to give up a significant dining hall service, such as extended hours, Grab `n Go or the expanded menu, which the dining halls have instituted over the last 10 to 13 years in response to student input.

Trip Foley, student body vice president said, "There are ways to eliminate excess cost in order to make this work."

Prentkowski said the retail establishments on campus at lunchtime already are packed and have long lines. Offering more Flex points to students would add to the overcrowding of areas such as LaFortune, whereas the dining halls have the capacity to handle the volume.

Foley said, "I don't think it would have a significant impact on the traffic of the retail outlets in LaFortune."

He said Flex 10 would respond to the current situation, not aggravate it. Foley said the reality is that a lot of students are already eating at Subway, Sbarro and Burger King, which reflects the popularity of the retail outlets and testifies that students want more options in their meal plans. Students can currently purchase Domer Dollars if they run out of Flex points.

The proposed Flex 10 plan also brings into question "the University's overall philosophy of encouraging students to eat in the dining halls," said Prentkowski.

Sarah Bates, Pasquerilla West Hall senator, said, "The Senate has said all along that Notre Dame's social atmosphere transcends the dining hall system."

Students can maintain their camaraderie by eating with each other in LaFortune and engaging in other campus activities together. Bates said, "The Flex 10 plan would be more adaptive to students' needs and more convenient for students who have meetings and activities."

Dave Brenner, Dillon Hall senator, said, "Our main goal as the Student Senate is to represent the interests of students."

Brenner and Bates said students have voiced in their residence halls that they would like more freedom in dining options.

Foley said, "There is a small but valid percentage of students who are not being served by the current meal plan options. That's why we need to offer another plan to meet their needs."

Foley said student government wants to take a fresh perspective and work together with Food Services to do something within the framework of what is possible to meet the needs of students at Notre Dame.

Student Government and Notre Dame Food Services plan to meet next week to discuss the issue of the proposed Flex 10 meal plan.

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