The time between May and September, dubbed by many as "summer," is no longer celebrated as a time of freedom from responsibility.

To the common college student, this time off will never again be defined as the infinite hours spent by the pool or lounging around your friend's house finding comfort in those endless summer nights.

During our time off from school, many college students work over 40 hours a week, scrimp and save every penny in hopes of not having to return to State College just to beg for change on the corner of College Avenue and Allen Street.

No matter how hard you devoted yourself to making big time bucks this summer, before you know it your earnings will dry up, and the job hunt will commence.

After weeks of handing in applications without receiving any callbacks, you finally find a job and cannot wait to receive your first paycheck. Two weeks of slaving over a hot grill and putting your job above your schoolwork quickly pass, and your boss hands you a check with your name on it.

It tips the scale at 50 bucks, gone in one trip to McLanahan's.

Although the many jobs offered to students in this town are not considered "high-skill" jobs, students should still be rewarded for their efforts. These efforts include working until 3 a.m. with an exam the next morning or staying to help out over the various school "breaks," when everyone else takes the first bus out of State College.

The fact is many local business owners, including landlords, are well aware that they do not have to accommodate every single student because they know that one individual doesn't affect business that much. There are 40,000 students here -- they can find a replacement in a heartbeat.

Besides awareness of the high turnover rate in this town, business owners need to understand more about the lives of Penn State students.

We come from all over the country to live and learn in this town for four years and make up most of the town's population during the school year. Whatever money we do have contributes greatly to the local economy, and in return we deserve some respect.

If we commit to work for you, show up on time and help your business flourish, then we deserve to be paid more than $5.25 an hour.

If we, the students, make it a point to pay our rent on time and keep our apartments and homes clean and manageable, it shouldn't be too much to ask to replace a broken lock or cracked window that we have been complaining about for the past month.

We do not complain about having to pay almost $2,000 a month, only to share one small, cramped room with two other people and the occasional species of bugs.

If students provide their services to local businesses and consume their products on a regular basis, it only seems fair to have these businesses provide some compensation. The efforts of the student who is balancing a full academic schedule, extra-curricular activities and a part-time job all in hopes of being able to provide for themselves and their families one day deserves some recognition.

The difference between the labels of "student" and "State College resident" should no longer exist; students grow to call this town home over their time spent at Penn State and should be treated like all other residents.