The Rift Zone, now open in CELS, offers on-the-go snacks and coffee for students and faculty.
Photo Credit: Alex Gamboa
The newest academic building which opened last semester brought not only new classrooms to campus, but also a brand new place to eat. On Tuesday morning, The Rift Zone opened its doors for the first time, providing students with yet another spot to pick up their morning coffee.
Located within the new Center for Environmental and Life Sciences (CELS) just down the hallway from the entrance lounge, The Rift Zone serves quick, grab-and-go items for busy students and faculty.
“Coffee has definitely been the most popular item,” said Jordan Nicholas, an employee at The Rift Zone.
With the amount of studying students do on a daily basis, they need something to keep them going. “I went and got a coffee yesterday,” said Roza Kalabekova, a freshman Biochemistry major who spends a lot of time in the CELS building. “This place is convenient because we used to have to go to the Student Center or Au Bon Pain if we wanted to get something, but now we can go here to get our coffee or snacks.”
Owen Dachisen, an adjunct professor in the theater department, was excited to discover the new coffee and food spot. “This is great. I would much rather come here than stand in line at Au Bon Pain. I work in Life Hall, so this is really close and convenient,” he said.
Along with coffee, The Rift Zone also sells sandwiches, salads, soft drinks, muffins and cookies. Despite offering all of these choices, some students who frequent the CELS building will not benefit from this new convenient location.
“I’m a vegan,” said Jessica Treslar, a junior Geography major. “I don’t eat on campus because I’m strict with it. I think others will definitely use this new place, though.” Treslar commented that, in her experience, Montclair State does not offer many options for students who are vegan.
The Rift Zone is open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
