A new academic year is bringing big changes to Montclair State's Dining Services. The department has worked hard to implement exciting and innovative initiatives to improve the dining experience on campus. Below is just a sampling of what you’ll find:

The Student Center Cafeteria is now open Monday through Thursday until 7 p.m. You can still get a wide variety of cafeteria-style food, but now you can choose dishes from five different international stations featuring ethnic cuisines from all over the world. As part of the international fare, the cafeteria is offering a "noodle bowl," a Ramen-noodle type soup of a different flair.

The Rathskellar has undergone a major redesign. It is now serving traditional Italian pizzeria-style items such as calzones, hot and cold sub sandwiches, pasta entrees and more. Everything from the food to the packaging  and uniforms carry the Italian theme. For those who want some quick bites, buffalo wings, chicken fingers and French fries are still available.

With a new improved pizza recipe, the Ratheskellar is ready to take on the competition with its new Delivery Service. Offered Monday through Friday, from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m., "gem cars" (electric, environmentally-friendly cars) will deliver menu items from the Rat anywhere on campus. Prices are comparable to local pizzerias. Delivery is free, but there is a $10 minimum. Cash and credit cards are accepted.

Goccia is the latest addition to the Ratheskellar. A new kiosk, Goccia is a create-your-own salad bar with a server who prepares a made-to-order salad based on your selections. Traditional salad bar menu items like ham and turkey are available but other healthy options like tofu, seaweed and unique salad dressings such as ginger are options too. Goccia is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

At the C-Store, a recent cosmetic change has allowed for more floor space since it can get crowded during busy times. The C-Store features Green Mountain's Fair Trade coffee (an organically grown bean) and for a limited time, when your Green Mountain frequency card is full, you can receive a free travel mug.

Elsewhere on campus, College Hall is now offering hot lunch specials daily; Rocky's Nest, the mobile cash-only food kiosk located across from Science Hall is available for grab-and-go items from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.; the Red Hawk Diner is presenting "Rocky’s Mega Meals" larger-sized portions for those with a big appetite and the Faculty Dining Room is featuring daily command performance cooking, a station where you can have your meal prepared right in front of you.

For more information on these events and any of the eateries around campus, visit the newly redesigned Dining Services Web site.