Meet the Student Panel:
Jared Menghini, King’s College Business Administration Major (JM)
“My friends and I like to take a walk to Barnes and Nobles and get a coffee from Starbucks. Sometimes we get tickets to see a concert or show that is being held at the Wachovia Arena or Kirby Center. When we are hanging out in a big group we like to go to R/C Wilkes-Barre Movies 14.”

Michael R. B. Calore, Luzerne County Community College Secondary English Education Major (MC)
“My friends will tell you I’m a coffee connoisseur. I know most of the staff in the local Denny’s and Perkins, but also have a special place in my heart for Eddie’s diner. I can oft be found there driving the local gossip on politics, philosophy and psychology. There’s no better way to stir the mind than with the bold aroma of coffee. Black with two sugars, please!”

Tashara Elizabeth Teart, Misericordia University, Elementary/Special/Early Childhood Education Major (TT)
“My friends and I love to try out new restaurants in the area. Two of my favorites have to be the Arena Bar and Grill in Wilkes-Barre and Hops & Barleys in Luzerne. I take ballet, tap, jazz, and hip hop dance classes at the Joan Harris Centre, and I have been involved with the dance department on campus since freshman year. I also try to volunteer with SAFE (Supporting Autism and Families Everywhere), the support group that my family is involved with, as often as possible.”

Xiaoqiao Zhang, Wilkes University Communications Major (XZ)
“For me and my roommate, shopping at the Wyoming Valley Mall or the Mall at Steamtown Mall are places we normally hangout. Since I am from China, we pretty much eat at all the Chinese restaurants around our school, and we like Red Robin as well. RC Wilkes-Barre Movies 14 is one of the favorite places we like to go.”

Jeanne Kopyta, McCann School of Business and Technology Medical Assisting Major (JK)
“We just like to go to TGI Friday’s and eat and talk.”

Samantha Watkins, Keystone College Environmental Biology Major (SW)
“My favorite places are Gin’s Tavern and Beynon’s on Lake Sheridan. There are always great local musicians playing there. In Scranton we often go see our friends perform at The Bog. This area has no shortage of local talent, and there are fantastic bands playing somewhere almost every night of the week. For the under-age crowd there are plenty of all-ages shows as well as Cinemark in Moosic and Dietrich Theater in Tunkhannock for those who like movies over music. If you like theater you will never be at a loss. I am an active member of the Keystone Players and have been in all but two shows since my freshman year. There is a perfect balance between urban and rural life. I can hike the trails at Keystone or the state park and still go out for a night on the town in Scranton.”

Mike Quick, East Stroudsburg University English Secondary Education Major (MQ)
“In my free time I love to spend time with my wonderful girlfriend, run, attend events on and off campus, attend sporting events and use the Recreation Center. On campus, my friends enjoy hanging out in the University Center and the Recreation Center. Off campus, we usually hang out at their apartments, Dansbury Park, the University Ridge and the University Apartments. Some of our favorite restaurants are Friendly’s, Palumbo’s Pizza, and of course our absolute favorite - the Texas Roadhouse! Off campus attractions that we go to are Camel Beach Waterpark, Camelback Ski Resort, Shawnee Ski Resort, Stony Acres and the Stroud Mall.”

Food
Where’s the best place for...?
Coffee before Class:
JM: Susquehanna Room (King’s Administration Bldg.)
TT: Starbucks & the commuter lounge on-campus
XZ: Einstein Bros. Bagel (Wilkes University)
JK: Starbucks
SW: Kissam Coffee House (Factoryville)
MQ: Common Grounds (ESU University Center) & Wawa
A Quick Lunch:
JM: Connerton’s Café (King’s Sheehy-Farmer Campus Center)
MC: The Bus Stop Diner
TT: Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Sushi Go-Go (Shavertown)
XZ: Subway. The China Buffet is great for lunch, but after that you will not be able to go to your afternoon classes, LOL!
JK: Five Guys Burgers and Fries (Dickson City) or Subway
SW: Kissam Coffee House (Factoryville)
MQ: Center Court (ESU University Center) & Wawa
Pizza:
JM: Rodano’s (Wilkes-Barre)
MC: Newtown Cafe (Ashley)
TT: Pizza Perfect (Trucksville/Shavertown)
JK: Mendicino’s (Moscow)
SW: Armetta’s (Chinchilla)
MQ: Palumbo’s Pizza (Stroudsburg) & Kasa’s Pizza (East Stroudsburg)
Ice Cream/Dessert:
JM: Rita’s Ice
MC: Perkins (Business Route 309)
TT: Dairy Queen
XZ: I would drive for half an hour just to eat Cold Stone Creamery (Moosic)
JK: Cold Stone Creamery (Moosic)
SW: Manning’s Ice Cream & Milk (Dalton, Clarks Summit, Scranton & Dunmore)
MQ: Friendly’s & Dairy Queen
Late Night Snacks:
JM: Monarch Mart (King’s Campus Center)
MC: Denny’s
TT: Sheetz
SW: Sheetz
MQ: Late Nite in Dansbury Commons (ESU Campus) & Wawa
Dinner:
JM: Marketplace (King’s Sheehy-Farmer Campus Center)
MC: Leggio’s Pizzeria (Wilkes-Barre)
TT: Red Lobster & The Olive Garden
JK: Olive Garden, Red Lobster & Outback (Wilkes-Barre)
SW: JJ Bridges
MQ: Texas Roadhouse, Red Robin, Sarah Street Grill (Stroudsburg) & Friendly’s
Ethnic Cuisine:
MC & TT: Thai Thai (Wilkes-Barre)
JK: Formosa Asian Fusion (Clark’s Summit)
MQ: Blu Wasabi (Dickson City)

Going Out
Getting Outside:
JM, MC & TT: Kirby Park (Kingston)
XZ: Kirby Park? Really, for me, the great outdoor place to go is the Mall!
JK: Lake Scranton & Nay Aug Park (Scranton)
SW: Lackawanna State Park (Dalton)
MQ: ESU students own a 119-acre wildlife reservation in Marshall’s Creek called Stony Acres. I have gone to participate in trust building exercises, work on low and high rope course elements, go canoeing in the lake, sit around a campfire with some of my friends and use it as a facility for clubs and organizations that I am involved in.
Cultural Events:
JM: F.M. Kirby Center (Wilkes-Barre)
TT & SW: The Scranton Cultural Center (Scranton)
XZ: During the school year, we will have a lot of different activities which are organized by our international students, so you do not want miss it!
Seeing a Show:
JM: Wachovia Arena (Wilkes-Barre)
MC: River Street Jazz Cafe (Wilkes-Barre)
TT: F.M. Kirby Center
XZ: F.M. Kirby Center
SW: Keystone Players performances (Keystone) & Music Box Playhouse is the place to go for musicals (Swoyersville)
MQ: Sherman Theatre (Stroudsburg)
Watching a Movie:
JM, MC & XZ: R/C Wilkes-Barre Movies 14
TT, JK & SW: Cinemark (Moosic)
MQ: AMC Loews Movie Theatre (Stroud Mall)
Watching Sports:
JM: King’s College Robert L. Betzler Field
MC: Big Ugly’s Bar and Grill (Wilkes-Barre)
TT: Grotto Pizza (Harvey’s Lake, Wilkes-Barre & Edwardsville)
XZ: School teams
SW: Damon’s Grill
MQ: ESU’s Eiler-Martin Stadium
Going on a Date:
JM: Katana (Wilkes-Barre)
MC: Well… I’d certainly let the ladies take me out for coffee!
TT: There are so many local restaurants. I would definitely do a nice dinner, maybe a movie, show, or to the comedy club for a group date would be fun.
XZ: Anywhere, as long as you are with someone you love.
SW: Lahey Family Fun Park (Clarks Summit)
MQ: Bushkill Falls (Bushkill) & Delaware Water Gap
Accessing Free WiFi:
JM & TT: Barnes and Noble
MC: All over LCCC campus
SW: The Donut Connection (Clarks Summit)
MQ: ESU’s University Center & Kemp Library
Getting a College Student Discount:
JM: Domino’s Pizza
TT: Domino’s Pizza
XZ: R/C Wilkes-Barre Movies 14 & school book store
MQ: AMC Loews Movie Theatre (Stroud Mall) & any of the vendors participating with the E-Card Program
Going out on a Friday night:
JM: Chacko’s Bowling Center (Wilkes-Barre)
MC: Arena Bar and Grill (Wilkes-Barre)
TT: The Woodlands (Wilkes-Barre), Arena Bar & Grill (Wilkes-Barre), Ole Tyme Charley’s Restaurant & Pub (Plains), the movies, or catching a band at a any local pub
XZ: R/C Wilkes-Barre Movies 14 & bowling
SW: Pizza and a movie
MQ: AMC Loews Movie Theatre (Stroud Mall)
Enjoying on the Weekend:
JM: Pocono Downs (Wilkes-Barre)
XZ: Shopping anywhere!
MQ: Sporting events, The Stroud Mall (Stroudsburg), The Crossings Premium Outlets (Tannersville) & bowling
Shopping for clothes/accessories:
JM: Shoppes at Montage (Moosic)
MC & XZ: Wyoming Valley Mall (Wilkes-Barre)
TT: Wet Seal (Mall at Steamtown, Scranton)
JK & SW: Viewmont Mall (Scranton)
MQ: The Stroud Mall (Stroudsburg) & The Crossings Premium Outlets (Tannersville)
Shopping for Other Things:
JM & MC: Wyoming Valley Mall (Wilkes-Barre)
TT: Target, Macy’s & Price Chopper
XZ: Wal-Mart
JK: All the stores on Commerce Blvd. in Dickson City
SW: The Shoppes at Montage (Moosic)
MQ: The Stroud Mall (Stroudsburg) & The Crossings Premium Outlets (Tannersville)
Volunteering:
JM: Commission on Economic Opportunity
MC: St. Vincent De Paul
TT: SAFE (Supporting Autism & Families Everywhere)
XZ: Anywhere, as long as you put your heart into it
SW: Lackawanna Humane Society
MQ: ESU’s The Vista
A Day Trip:
JM: The Crossing Premium Outlets (Tannersville)
MC: Frances Slocum State Park (Wyoming)
TT: Scranton
XZ: New York City
JK: The Poconos
SW: Ricketts Glen State Park (Benton)
MQ: Dorney Park (Allentown), Stony Acres, Delaware Water Gap, Philadelphia & New York City
A Weekend Trip/Road Trip:
JM: NYC to watch the Yankees
MC, TT & XZ: New York City
JK: The Poconos
SW: Hershey Park (Hershey)
MQ: Jersey Shore & New York City
Other Favorites Places:
JM: Camel Beach Water Park (Tannersville)
MC: Eddie’s Diner (Wilkes-Barre) & the occasional trip to Mohegan Sun (Wilkes-Barre).

Expert Advice
Getting Around Town/Campus:
JM: Take the King’s Shuttle or ask about public transportation.
MC: Give yourself enough time, especially in the beginning of the semester. Parking lots are literally full at this time of year. Also, watch your speed on Middle Road…it’s 25 MPH!
TT: Do not park in the “yellow” faculty parking or you will get a ticket!
JK: Get a map and go, don’t be afraid.
SW: My advice is never being afraid to ask. There are always friendly faces that are more than happy to point you in the right direction.
MQ: I would recommend getting a campus map from University Police or Reibman Administration building. The students at ESU are very friendly and will always be willing to help you out if you need directions. To get through town there is the Pocono Pony, which is a public bus transportation service that runs through the Stroudsburg/East Stroudsburg area, as well as the rest of Monroe County.
Can’t Miss Campus Events
JM: King’s Idol, Alcohol Awareness Week, and basically anything that Campus Activities organizes.
MC: The Welcome Back Bash and Finals fest….and everything in between
TT: Homecoming week & Dallas Harvest Festival
XZ: Homecoming and all the games on campus, Club Day and others… there are just have so many cool things to do on campus you do not want to miss!
JK: BBQs
SW: Campus activities board offers everything from drive in movies to DJ Bingo. Also you get KC Cash for attending events. Always check the bulletin boards around campus for fun and free things to do on campus. Also be sure to check out the Keystone Players. There are special discount prices for students!
MQ: Homecoming (Oct. 4) is going to be huge because the brand new Science and Technology Center has just opened in time for the semester to begin and the new ESU Mascot will be unveiled! ESU will be playing West Chester University at the Homecoming Football game.
THINK PINK Breast Cancer Awareness Day on campus (Oct. 16). Everyone is encouraged to wear a pink to show their support for breast cancer awareness. The Pink Light Walk will occur before sundown as well.
Community on the Quad (April 18), the University Quad will be transformed into something similar to a carnival/fair grounds. Clubs, organizations, and outside vendors outline the Quad with tables while a stage is set up for live bands to perform and the interior of the Quad is filled with free food and inflatables.
Sporting events in general are awesome to attend. Not only are you supporting your fellow students, you are showing your school pride. Go Warriors!
Can’t Miss Community Events:
JM: Events on Public Square, Kirby Center (Comedians) & Wachovia Arena
MC: The Science Club area restorations
TT: Snow Ball & St. Patrick’s Day Parade
XZ: The Farmer’s Market on Public Square (Thursdays)
SW: First Night in Scranton is a lot of fun. The first time I was there I had a blast. Also, Montage Mountain brings in a lot of great artists and the lawn seats are very reasonable for a college budget. It’s a very different experience than a typical stadium concert.
MQ: The Sherman Theatre, located on Main Street in Stroudsburg, is a great place to find concerts and other events throughout the year. Since we are located in the scenic Pocono Mountains, I would encourage all students to try skiing or snowboarding. We have a lot of mountains around, so I would suggest everyone to try it at least once.