Café Diem is reverting to its old ways. This food oasis was open 24/7 last semester, and while the prices were a bit high, the food was good and there were choices enough to please all. Now the prices are a bit higher, many of the choices have been tossed, those that remain have been changed drastically and the café is no longer open all day on the weekend.

True, Café Diem is still open 24/5, but that’s not enough.

I live on campus. I do not treat this like a suitcase school.

Unlike most students, I do not go home on the weekends.

And I am constantly disappointed to find that the school not only expects me to, but makes it downright inconvenient to stay on-campus semester-round.

My frustrations are compounded by the fact that I live on the “old side” of campus where Russ and Freeman are the only dorms.

However, I strongly believe that even though there aren’t many students living in these two dorms, our needs shouldn’t be ignored.

Now, I understand that no one is totally happy and that no one feels that all their needs are being completely met at the moment.

Commuters have been complaining a lot lately about the trouble that the new dorms have created regarding parking.

They feel that their needs are being neglected for those of students that don’t even attend MSU yet.

I feel like I am the lowest on that list, below future students for whom dorms are being created, below commuters who make up the majority of the campus, below all the academic departments who are on the docket for expansions and new buildings, below even fellow residents who happen to live on the other side of campus.

I’m content with most things; I have a roof over my head and heat in the winter.

Freeman even had all of its bathrooms renovated this summer, mostly because of stability issues, and in the process we got new closets.

Yet, most of the rooms in Freeman don’t even have ceiling lights.

These rooms haven’t had lights since the dorm was built in 1963.

And somehow the administration has never thought to put lights in the rooms, or even provide lamps for the students.

They also do not warn students they will need to bring their own lights.

The bathrooms were redone to follow American Disability Act standards, I feel like light should also have been included because the lack of light disables all.

The real problem though is when there is no food.

That sounds a bit dramatic, but when there is a foot of snow outside, which has not been shoveled and it’s still snowing to boot, and the poor Freeman/Russ student discovers that Freeman dining hall is closed because it’s after 1 p.m. on a Saturday, it feels like you’ve been abandoned by MSU. Initially I was so excited by Café Diem being open 24/7 because it was the late-night (and sometimes evening) answer to my food prayers.

The reason for the change to 24/5, and the hours of Freeman, is because if these facilities were open more often, they would not be profitable.

However, this is a University, and many of the other establishments on campus aren’t run like businesses, so why should Freeman/Russ suffer for cost-cutting?

Even now the way the diner and cafe are run would cause them to be run out of business in the “real world.”

These establishments take advantage of the fact that they are our only options on-campus. We are captive consumers

The university needs to stop taking advantage of that.

Besides, didn’t Dr. Pennington once say that the extended hours of Cafe Diem were not for business, but “for the students.”

We’re still here, so what changed?

There are measures that could cut costs and provide more to Freeman/Russ.

Those should be explored and we should continue with the attitude for the current students.

Now my late-night options are the diner or off-campus once more, at least on the weekends.

Honestly, I’m really not asking for a lot.

It would be nice to have lights or air-conditioning, but I understand that retro-fitting the building with these “amenities” would get a bit ridiculous.

It’s just frustrating to see all these improvements and still be in the dark. However, darkness isn’t my biggest fear, I have desk lamps.

I also would like the administration to not rip up my whole quad, making a dusty mess which seems totally unnecessary.

I thought my quad was beautiful enough before, and I miss the convenience of the roadway directly in front of Freeman/Russ (also, a very real concern for this dorm, where will the fire trucks go).

With the rate that construction/landscaping is going now, it looks like this “beautification” won’t be done until winter, when the quad has no real chance of being anything close to beautiful.

But, I understand the desire to improve, and I’ll put up with it, just like all the other construction we tolerate on this campus.

What I really want is Freeman and Russ to have food available more often.

I don’t want to constantly have to walk across campus for food.

Neither do I want to deal with poor service at the Red Hawk Diner.

I want to feel like I’m as valued and as cared for as those who commute and those who live in Bohn, Blanton, Webster, Stone, Sinatra, Hawks Crossing and The Village.

Katie Winters, an English major, is in her first year as chief copy editor for The Montclarion

When it comes to parking on MSU’s campus, my expectations are not too high.

Although I live 20 minutes away, I leave an hour and a half before my 10 a.m. class to ensure that I will have a parking spot in CarParc Diem.

So far, I haven’t experienced too much difficulty finding a spot as long as I leave home early enough.

As a freshman in 2008, I bought a pass for the surface lots.

When the construction of CarParc Diem began last summer, I obediently bought the pass for the NJ Transit Deck in Little Falls.

Despite the schlep and the sporadically reliable shuttles, it wasn’t too bad. At least CarParc Diem was in our future.

CarParc Diem, the supposed answer to our “parc’ing” prayers, has failed to live up to even my mediocre expectations.

For $205, students or faculty who use the deck are guaranteed to sit in 20-25 minutes of traffic in order to simply leave the parking deck.

I have experienced this wait after morning, afternoon and evening classes.

Aside from it being frustrating, it’s also dangerous.

In the event of an emergency, one can’t help but wonder how difficult it would be to leave in your car if you’re stuck in a line of traffic on the fifth floor, for example.

Like with many things on campus, I question whether parking needs to be this difficult.

I’ve never experienced that kind of wait leaving either the Red Hawk Deck or the Transit Deck.

Perhaps CarParc Diem wasn’t placed in the best possible spot, or perhaps a deck wasn’t the best solution to the ongoing parking problems that students and faculty continue to face everyday.

The constant pedestrian traffic outside the deck and the new traffic light at the intersection down the road might be two possible explanations for the congestion.

I feel bad for the students who will live in the new dorms across the road (which look awfully close together, by the way).

They will have the joy of waking up to the sights and sounds of fed-up commuters trapped in their cars.

It looks like this university is dedicated to being a constant work in progress.

New construction, more dorms and expanded parking facilities will be enjoyed by future students years after we graduate. I believe most students are quite patient and understanding of this.

We don’t expect there to not be any traffic congestion on campus – that’s something we can only imagine.

We know that in order for there to be improvements, construction is inevitable. But at what cost is the administration willing to sacrifice the current quality of life on campus in order to improve facilities for future students?

While the promises of new dorms in 2012 are nice, that doesn’t do too much for us here and now.

We seem to be stuck in Construction State University at least until the administration is satisfied with its progress.

Katherine Milsop, an anthropology major, is in her first year as Managing editor of The Montclarion

Brooklyn, NY based dance punk duo, Matt and Kim, tweeted on Thursday a phrase that sadly might have a little truth in it — besides their mistake of putting the word encyclopedia instead of dictionary.

They posted, “I’m not sure if video killed the radio star, but I do know that internet killed the encyclopedia.”

The Oxford English Dictionary is one of the most respected dictionaries in the world, if not THE most respected. Despite that, there’s a good chance that the Oxford English Dictionary will stop being published in print — a hard punch in the gut to the lexicographers who have spent the last 21 or so years writing the new edition of the dictionary, which is supposed to come out in 2020.

This may occur because of the dramatically declining sales of dictionaries that has occured in the last two decades, according to Oxford University Press Chief Executive, Nigel Portwood.

No hard decisions have been made yet, but the underlying message is very clear to an English major like me. Books seem like they’re steadily marching to their own funeral. It’s a little depressing.

I mean, the most satisfying thing I can imagine as a writer is finishing a work and then finally getting to the day where you can hold your work — the book you’ve put blood, sweat, and tears into — in your hands.

I guess I sound old fashioned, but reading books online or on your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch is just not the same as reading it when you’re actually holding it. Even reading the dictionary is not the same.

Sure, it may be easier to look up dictionary words online, but looking it up yourself, flipping the pages until you find the exact word your fingers have been longing to find simply seems more satisfying.

You might even remember the word better because you had such trouble looking it up.

Reading a novel online is not the same as in print, either. Can’t any of you remember the sweet smell of a brand new book that your favorite teacher gave you, or writing little “___ loves ___” in the footnotes of your books?

That cannot be done quite the same on virtual versions of books as it can on traditional print books.

It is now becoming more common that reading is more intricately woven into technology.

I’m not sure if the world really needs that. I mean, do you REALLY need a device to read books out loud to you?

I understand that some people may have a legitimate reason for this feature.

But I’m willing to bet that many of the people using this feature are just being lazy.

We’re becoming lazier by the minute, getting devices that ease our terribly “hard” lives.

And truthfully, if you can afford one of these devices that replace books and dictionaries, then honey, I don’t think your life is quite that hard.

Dianne Castillo, an English Major, is in her first year as columnist for The Montclarion.

Whenever anyone ever talks about progress, they are speaking of the future.

This all-consuming concern consists of ten-month plans or even ideas that someone can implement decades from now.

Decision makers conveniently forget the now, and Montclair’s administration is no different.

Without being too repetitive, we feel it is our responsibility, as the voice of the student body, to point out the obvious.

Despite the luxuries that Montclair affords the student there are certain essentials that have been carelessly neglected.

These essentials are universally held as vital to our survival. This includes; food and shelter.

The residence halls Freeman and Russ have recently received the short end of the stick.

Although students eagerly purchase constant swipe meal plans, the unfortunate fact that they won’t be able to use said plan is conveniently left out.

The sole purpose of a meal plan is to ensure we are being fed. Freeman closes their dining hall at 1:30 p.m. on Fridays and 1 p.m. on Saturdays.

Students are encouraged to stay on campus during the weekends, but lack the proper accommodations.

College students don’t even wake up before noon, let alone make their way to a dining hall for a meal.

With each new semester, the student body expects a certain amount of changes.

Montclair, especially, never remains the same for an extended amount of time.

Montclair’s administration seems to be on a grand quest for improvement.

Of course, as is the case with most endeavors, new projects require funding.

Hopefully, most young adults in New Jersey are aware of the severe budget cuts that education has suffered through since the election of Governor Christie.

Some of you may have noticed that the tuition for Fall 2010 has increased in direct correlation.

The tuition will be $282 higher than last semester’s payment.

The increase will lead to a grand total of $7,324.

As to be expected, some students reacted negatively to the increase in tuition. We understand the reasons behind a student’s impulse to speak out against the increase.

When it comes to money, no one is pleased to be paying more.

Yet, we implore the young adults of Montclair State University to consider the facts behind the tuition increase. In a press release, President Cole described the increase as “relatively modest.” And we are inclined to agree.

The state cut 15 percent of the funding assistance from the University.

Comparatively, the four percent increase is rather modest.

Montclair had no other choice in this situation. President Cole is determined to “maintain the high quality of programs and services that are available to students at Montclair State.”

If the programs were not maintained we can guarantee that students would voice their complaints.

A tough economic climate requires a variety of changes.

The tuition is based on what is awarded from the state of New Jersey.

Once the budget is announced, the university engages in proper delineation.

Various departments are considered in the decision to change the budget.

Overall, the process seems to be well thought out and fair.

Since the budget is determined by the state budget, Montclair was not the only university affected by the cut. All of New Jersey’s state schools experienced an increase in tuition.

If the state continues to cut college budgets then should Montclair remain Montclair State University?

Should we change our name as we continue to seek more revenue from other sources?

We believe it’s improper to remain affiliated with the state if they don’t care enough to fund the university.

Keep in mind that the state cut the budget 15 percent and then mandated that universities could not increase tuition more then four percent.

The state is pushing universities to find other ways to receive general funding.

Montclair might be forced to make budget cuts that are detrimental to some students and departments.

We recognize the folly involved in capping percentages and remain frustrated that the state continues to throw higher education under the bus.

Clearly, we can comprehend the tuition increase, but if the university is having economic issues then why does the extensive construction continue?

Sure, the administration can force the students to pay more.

We believe it’s within the students’ rights to expect the University to spend the remaining budget wisely.

Granted, Montclair is still trying to award as many scholarships as possible and to continue assisting students with financial aid.

Paula Maliandi, executive director of university communications, said that comparatively, Montclair is still one of the cheapest state schools in New Jersey.

Money will always remain a touchy subject for students.

We are all old enough to reason logically and understand that the tuition increase was unavoidable.

In the grand scheme of things, $282 is not that steep of a price to pay in order to maintain the entirety of Montclair State university.

-LW