DUNMORE, Pa. — It was originally named The Quiet Lounge, a large room with long vertical windows overlooking the Lackawanna Valley and the mountains in the distance. It was a place where students could go to read, study, relax, or maybe just catch a quick nap.
And, it really was quiet. Students studying together did so in hushed tones and whispers. There were no cell phones or video games, iPods or laptops. There were comfy overstuffed blue chairs and a few end tables. It hosted photo exhibits from time to time, in which local photographers' works were hung on its exposed brick walls.
Fast forward to today and only a handful of people on campus remember The Quiet Lounge.
The K. Bruce Sherbine Lounge, as it was renamed in 2004 in honor of the campus' long-standing Director of Academic Affairs K. Bruce Sherbine, is a hub of student activity with modern furniture, big-screen TVs, and a place where students hold group meetings and host gaming nights.
It is also a gathering place for special events hosted by the campus — from Program Information Nights to alumni events to large group meetings to special luncheons and dinners. It truly is a full-service area, and it is anything but quiet.
The change, which evolved over the past decade, reflects the different and varied needs of today's students. And the campus administration is proud of that fact.
In fact, before embarking on the remodel, Student Services made sure that current students had input on the re-design and the features they wanted to see incorporated into the new lounge.
There is new furniture — high-backed couches; new windows that offer an expanded view of the surrounding community; a countertop with counter-stool-style chairs that allow students to sit at the window, enjoying the view while they study, chat or relax; big-screen televisions; two murals that replaced one of the exposed brick walls; and framed artwork of campus landmarks and THON.
On Thursday, the campus hosted a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the re-birth of the Sherbine Lounge (as it is usually called) and brought back the room's namesake — K. Bruce Sherbine — to participate in the ribbon-cutting.
In attendance were current faculty, staff and students, as well as former employees who worked with Sherbine, and members of his family, who are as Penn State proud as he is.
During his remarks, Sherbine complimented the lounge's new look and said he was happy to see that the lounge was still a vibrant area utilized by students and the campus.