Prices of food in Usdan have increased since last year. Although the All Points meal plan increased by $50 in points from $1,250 last year to $1,300 this year, students say they are still displeased with the higher prices."I feel that the prices have almost doubled since last year and it's not right," Susan Chan '05 said. "So, lately I haven't gone back because of the price change."

"I think Aramark could do a better job of regulating prices," Deidre-Ann Nelson '05 said. "We have to depend on the supply and cost (of Aramark), so we have to lower the amount of food we eat ... it's truly limiting our options."

Union Vice President Alex Lo '03 also shares in the discontent with the increasing price situation in Usdan.

"I think that the price change is misleading because Aramark could have publicized it better and justified it with an answer as to why it went up," Lo said.

"I don't recall Aramark publicizing this at all," Lo added. "To me it seems like they're cheating us in some way because they're not providing us with other options."

"Most colleges in the greater Boston area apply a 3 to 4 percent increase per year (on food prices) across the board," Brandeis Food Services Director Amanda McLoughlin said.

McLoughlin said it was not Aramark's decision to increase prices. Prices had to rise to meet the increasing costs of food purveyors, she said.

"We felt we needed to increase prices, so we adjusted (the prices) based on market trends," McLoughlin said.

McLoughlin said that prices depend on what Sysco, Amamark's super distributor, charges. The prices of 18 items have risen since last year, including pizza, french fries, hamburgers -- in the Boulevard only -- milk, bagels, cereal, yogurt, chips, soup, fruit, 16 oz. Tropicana juices and others. The price increases ranged from one cent to 10 cents per item.

McLoughlin added that combo meals are an economical meal choice for the price-conscious student.

"When we set up combo meals we try to keep meal price equivalency in mind," McLoughlin said. "We do that on purpose so we could keep in mind the concerns of the students."

According to McLoughlin, combo meals are offered at 90 percent of food stations in Usdan.

"We're always trying to change things around to appeal to all students who are here," McLoughlin said.

Some students, however, especially those with the All Points plan, are not as cognizant of the increasing price change.

"I've become somewhat oblivious to the change," Nelson said. "Using points, you become blind to the price changing.