News: 

 On Oct 9, Provost Roger Dennis met with student leaders to take questions about campus affairs and allow students to voice their concerns.  Student body president Chris Wolk led the student comments with a ten point list of concerns that he has accumulated from student comments throughout the semester:  "Students as well as faculty and staff have expressed deep concern about most of these issues and wish to see immediate action." 
 Parking led the list of concerns as Wolk recommended building a parking garage or having more shuttles available for students who commute by car.  Dennis explained that parking is an auxiliary service subsidized by Rutgers, but budget concerns stifle any present action.  If Rutgers were to build a parking garage, student-parking fees would rise to eight hundred to one thousand dollars per student per year.  Dennis acknowledged that waterfront development would eventually cause the university to lose the 2500 lots adjacent to Campbell's field.  Long term parking solutions may involve construction of a five-story garage behind Armitage Hall.  Rutgers would not have the funds to afford the cost of a garage and would probably invest jointly with the Tweeter Center or another outside business.  Elias Bitar raised the question of student discounts on public transportation, which would lead to an economical and environmentally sound solution; Dennis admitted that while past attempts to arrange discounted fairs have failed, he was willing to pursue the option again.
 Wolk's second point was the dysfunctional mechanism in the red clock in front of the campus center.  While the clock shows the correct time, the scrolling marquis flashes an empty cursor.  Wolk addressed the issue sensitively:  "Either fix the damn thing or throw it out."   Assistant Provost Mark Rozewski explained that the marquis never functioned and never will, and the administration has already received a six thousand dollar refund.  Students demanded the clock, described as a "giant lee press on nail,"  be taken out.  Wolk suggested using the refund for a campus-wide "watch giveaway."
 Campus center cleanliness also proved a heated issue as students complained of flies in the pit, dirty bathrooms, and urinal cleaners being used as air fresheners in women's bathrooms in the law school.  Dennis stated that students always complain about such issues, but when he is brought down to look, the bathrooms proved spotless.  Cal Maradonna and Provost Dennis both suggested reporting sanitation problems directly tothe physical plant.
 Chris Wolk suggested further improvements to the campus center including a twenty-four hour lounge with comfortable couches and chairs that would encourage students to stay and socialize on campus, as well as desks with lights attached so students would have somewhere to study after the library closes.  The ideal location for the lounge, Wolk suggested, would be in the bookstore, which under current plans would be turned into a fitness center within the next five years.  The study lounge would better serve the needs of the students whose main lounge is used for events and is an unreliable place to meet or study.  The gym should be renovated before adding fitness facilities elsewhere on campus, Wolk added.
 Students then raised the issue of non-Rutgers students using Rutgers facilities.  While Dennis stated that "Our general philosophy is that our buildings are open," students have been concerned after finding supposedly homeless people sleeping on bathroom couches and washing their hair in campus center sinks.  Similarly, children have been found running around the computer labs late at night.  Students agreed that guards checking IDs at the campus center doors would be intimidating, and no decisive solution was reached. 
 After the recent inclusion of Starbucks in the campus center, many students questioned the decision-making processes of the university.  Students suggested that business school students develop a product and be given space in the campus center as a test space for their ideas.  Students felt that they had not been given an opportunity to participate in making he decision to allow Starbucks to enter the campus center.  Despite recent student protests, Provost Dennis claimed that when the idea of bringing Starbucks to campus was brought before a panel of students, they responded enthusiastically and asked for big name chains in order to create a mall, food court type atmosphere. Dennis explained that students who disagree with the decision have a choice to buy their coffee elsewhere, such as the small businesses that Starbucks will soon begin to threaten. Bitar responded, "We're all free so far as we understand our choices."  Rutgers-Camden students need to stop fearing the city, argued Jeff Muckensturm, after Dennis suggested that students not walk north of the bridge.  Students should be encouraged to visit Camden businesses, such as City Coffee on Market and the Cyber Caf? on 6th St. 
 Concerned about the lack of student input on the Starbucks decision, Scott Case was also concerned about student input into the new, five-year master plan for Rutgers-Camden.  Provost Dennis stated that the administration now has maps worth discussing and they would be hearing student opinions soon.  Muckensturm then questioned if the voice of Camden residents would be heard as well.  Provost Dennis responded that the administration will present the plan to city council, the mayor, and Cooper Grant Association.  He explained that Rutgers is investing heavily into charter schools as well because the families of Camden are part and parcel of the community, and Rutgers needs to help improve the conditions of Camden in order to improve the campus as a whole.
 In Wolk's introduction he emphasized his concern that the meeting would bring about immediate and effective action:  "We are all here on business, in an attempt to administer our opinions and concerns so that changes will be made on campus."  Yet, students left  without feeling fully satisfied. Chris Maisano later said,  "It seems like the administration purposefully scheduled the meeting to take place during such a constricted time period so that nothing truly substantive could be addressed. The array of problems facing our campus cannot be fully and freely discussed when we're too worried about making it to our next class on time."