UPDATE: Round 1 voting has ended and the results are in!

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We’ve got our own version of March Madness: the search for Gannon’s Ultimate Fave.

Based on nominations submitted by members of the GU community, we’ve selected 32 popular venues — places where Gannon students eat, study, shop and hang out.

Each week, local restaurants, campus hot spots and area attractions are battling it out in five rounds of competition. The  winners of each match-up will move on to the next week’s round of voting until only one spot remains (See the complete tournament bracket here). Round 1 voting ends on Friday, March 11 at 12:00pm EST.

It’s time for you to help pick Gannon’s Ultimate Fave.


Favorite Place to Eat (On-Campus)

Match #1: Doc’s Landing vs. Knight’s Cove

Doc’s Landing is one of three eateries in the Waldron Campus Center; here, you can grab pizza, made-to-order burgers and sandwiches, soup and on-the-go items – GU Gold and meal plans are both accepted. Also a dining option in the Waldron Campus Center, Knight’s Cove offers fresh subs, paninis, tacos, burritos and quesadillas.

Results:

Doc’s Landing – 49%
Knight’s Cove – 51%

Match #2:  InterMetzo Cafe vs. Beyer Cafeteria

The InterMetzo Café, located in the Palumbo Academic Center, offers specialty teas and coffees, as well as daily lunch specials including fish fries and macaroni and cheese. The Beyer Cafeteria offers a variety of food options, such as fresh subs and pizzas, salad and ice cream bars, grilled entrees and a signature line daily special.

Results:

InterMetzo Cafe – 47%
Beyer Cafeteria -53%


Favorite Place to Eat (Off-Campus)

Match #3: Molly Brannigans vs. Porky’s Pizzeria

Located just a few blocks from campus, Molly Brannigans is an Irish pub that serves both authentic Irish cuisine as well as American favorites. Open late nights, Porky’s Pizzeria, on the edge of Gannon’s campus, offers dine-in and delivery pizzas, subs and burgers.

Results:

Molly Brannigans – 44%
Porky’s Pizzeria – 56%

Match #4: Steel 12 vs. Sidewalk Cafe

Another restaurant that is close to campus, Steel 12 is downtown Erie’s source for Pittsburgh-style pizza, sandwiches and chicken wings. A diner offering home-cooked breakfast and lunch, The Sidewalk Café is a quaint, inexpensive restaurant within walking distance of Gannon’s residence halls.

Results:

Steel 12 – 26%
Sidewalk Cafe – 74%


Favorite Place to Study (On-Campus)

Match #5: Nash Library vs. Power Room

Located on the corners of Sixth and Sassafras Streets, Gannon’s Nash Library offers three floors of study resources for students, including computer labs, group study rooms and a television production studio. In the lower level of the Waldron Campus Center, the Power Room computer lab has computers and  a printer, as well as personal and group study areas and vending machines.

Results:

Nash Library – 62%
Power Room – 38%

Match #6: Zurn Science Center vs. Morosky Academic Center

The Zurn Science Center is the home-base for engineering and science majors, and it is home to the Computer Integrated Enterprise and Computer Integrated Manufacturing Center, auditoriums, computer labs and numerous specialized science labs. The Robert H. Morosky Academic Center is Gannon’s newest academic building and houses the college of Health Professions and Sciences and includes a patient simulation center, an interdisciplinary simulation lab and even a café.

Results:

Zurn Science Center – 53%
Morosky Academic Center – 47%


Favorite Place to Study (Off-Campus)

Match #7: Starbucks vs. Tim Hortons

Starbucks, located on the corner of State and Fifth Streets, is just blocks from campus and has Starbucks’ typical menu, as well as two rooms with tables and arm chairs, perfect for studying or just relaxing. Tim Hortons is a Canadian coffee and doughnut chain that expanded to also serve sandwiches and soups – Erie’s Tim Horton’s shares a space with Cold Stone Creamery, and both businesses take GU Gold.

Results:

Starbucks – 69%
Tim Hortons – 31%


Match #8: Blasco Library vs. Erie Book Store

The Raymond M. Blasco location of the Erie Public Library is located on the bayfront and provides both a place to study as well as study materials, including reference books, interlibrary loans, government documents and genealogy information. The Erie Book Store, downtown’s only full-service book store, sells new, used and rare books of all genres, and is home to the Cup & Chaucer Café, as well as the Poetry Scene – a weekly poetry reading session.

Results:

Blasco Library – 58%
Erie Book Store – 42%


Favorite Place to Shop (Downtown Erie)

Match #9: Rite Aid vs. Dollar General

The national pharmacy chain Rite Aid has a store on the corner of Ninth and Peach Streets and sells not only prescriptions, but also odds and ends such as holiday decoration, hair dye and frozen foods. Dollar General is a one-stop shop for food, cleaning and office supplies while being close to campus and fitting a college budget.

Results:

Rite Aid – 32%
Dollar General – 68%

Match #10: Accents By the Bay vs. Erie Sport Store

One of downtown Erie’s local boutiques, Accents By the Bay sells a variety of products, ranging from local décor to jewelry to Vera Bradley  bags. The Erie Sport Store, which has two locations, has been providing the Erie area with jerseys, sports equipment, trophies and embroidering for more than 60 years.

Results:

Accents By the Bay – 67%
Erie Sport Store – 33%


Favorite Place to Shop (Erie Area)

Match #11: Wegman’s vs. Grasshopper

A regional supermarket chain originating in Rochester, N.Y., Wegmans has much more than groceries – pharmacy services, in-store sub shop, lunch and dinner buffets and even catering services. Grasshopper, Erie’s self-proclaimed Hipnique Boutique, sells tapestries, clothes, incense and jewelry and is Erie’s tie dye headquarters.

Results:

Wegman’s – 71%
Grasshopper – 29%

Match 12: Wal-Mart vs. Millcreek Mall

There are five Wal-Mart stores and supercenters within 20 miles of Gannon’s campus – no matter which part of the Erie area you’re in, you’re never far from a Wal-Mart. Less than five miles from Gannon’s campus, there are more than 100 places to visit in the Millcreek Mall – from puppies to clothes to video games, there’s something for everyone at the mall.

Results:

Wal-Mart – 24%
Millcreek Mall – 76%


Favorite Hangout (On-Campus)

Match #13: Carneval Athletic Pavilion vs. Schuster Theatre

The Carneval Athletic Pavilion has all the facilities to take accommodate athletes from any of Gannon’s 18 NCAA Division II sports, 23 intramural sports of students interested in working out – there is a gymnasium, pool, racquetball courts, fitness center and free weight room. The Schuster Theatre is home to four main-stage productions each year, as well as numerous other programs and classes in the communication arts department.

Results:

Carneval Athletic Pavilion – 48%
Schuster Theatre – 52%

Match #14: Waldron Campus Center vs. Friendship Green

The Waldron Campus Center is the hub of students activities at Gannon, and houses three dining options, a piano lounge and a computer lab, and it connects the administrative offices of Old Main to the classrooms of Beyer Hall. Friendship Green, a grassy open space located outside the Waldron Campus Center, is home to Mass on the Grass as well as several picnic tables for enjoying lunch outside or working on homework in the sunshine.

Results:

Waldron Campus Center – 81%
Friendship Green – 19%


Favorite Hangout (Off-Campus)

Match #15: Erie Playhouse vs. Tinseltown

The Erie Playhouse is a community theatre just blocks from campus that hosts eight mainstage performances, as well as a Youtheatre program – the playhouse is perfect for actors and theatre-goers alike. The Tinseltown movie theatre, located on Upper Peach Street, is home to stadium seating and includes RealD 3D technology for select movies – there is even a café and an arcade in the lobby.

Results:

Erie Playhouse – 53%
Tinseltown – 47%

Match #16: Presque Isle State Park vs. Splash Lagoon

Presque Isle State Park, just miles from campus, features seven miles of beaches and 21 miles of hiking and biking trails. The Splash Lagoon indoor water park has not only water slides and lazy rivers, but also five restaurants, a dry activity center and an arcade.

Results:

Presque Isle State Park – 94%
Splash Lagoon – 6%

The winners of Round 1 will be announced on Monday, March 14 when Sweet Sixteen voting begins.