On Tuesday, Sept. 20, Colonel Twala Mathis, commander of the 2^nd ROTC Brigade, along with her senior non-commissioned officer, Sergeant Major Kevin Goetz, visited the Royal Warrior Battalion and The University of Scranton. Colonel Mathis assumed command of the 2^nd ROTC Brigade headquartered at Fort Dix, New Jersey, in mid-July this year. This was her first visit to the University, one of 41 host institutions to Army ROTC she commands across Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and throughout New England. To view the full release, click here.

The Community Outreach Office will host this semester's Pet Therapy: Canines on Campus on Wednesday, Sept. 28 on the DeNaples Center patio and Dionne Campus Green. The rain date is Thursday, Sept. 29. For more information, visit the Community Outreach Office, DeNaples Center, room 205B, or www.scranton.edu/volunteers.

An unwitting accomplice to a drug smuggling operation, Suzy Hendrix must use all her cunning to stay alive. Blinded by a recent accident and sequestered in her basement apartment, alone and vulnerable, she is forced to rely on the element of darkness and her four remaining senses to outwit the conmen who have come to retrieve their illicit goods 

The University Players present the suspenseful 1966 thriller "Wait Until Dark," directed by Michael O'Steen and written by Frederick Knott, on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 and 2, in the Royal Theatre in the McDade Center for the Literary and Performing Arts. (Friday and Saturday performances are at 8 p.m.; Sunday performances are at 2 p.m.)

This thriller, by the playwright who brought you "Dial M for Murder," was recently produced at the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe and will have you on the edge of your seat. (Suitable for all ages except the very young) This performance will have audience members sitting at the edge of their seats to see if this blind woman can successfully outwit, outsmart, and outsurvive her assailants!

General admission is $8, and students, faculty, staff and seniors pay $5.

For more information, call 570-941-4318, email players@scranton.edu, or visit www.thescrantonplayers.com. 

The Office of Community Relations is pleased to provide information on downtown and area community events. If you have any questions, please contact community@scranton.edu or 941-4419. Like us on Facebook to stay up to date with Scranton happenings. Coming up this week:

A Literary Weekend in Scranton: Sept. 30 & Oct. 1

• American Masters Lecture hosted by the Lackawanna County Library System with Michio Kaku, free with pre-registration and a Lackawanna County Library card, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. at the Scranton Cultural Center. For more information, click here. Tickets are also available through the Community Relations office.  Email community@scranton.edu or call ext. 4419. 
• Pages & Places Book Festival including a book expo, panel discussions, author book signings and writing and publishing workshops throughout downtown Scranton, fees vary, Oct. 1, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. For more information, click here. Free student tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis through the Community Relations office.  
• Family Street Fair with a Civil War theme on Courthouse Square, downtown Scranton – free and fun educational activities for children and all ages, Oct. 1, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. For more information, click here.

Downtown Familiarization Tour with Scranton Tomorrow, Oct. 1
Scranton Tomorrow hosts a monthly “FAM” – familiarization – downtown tour on the first Saturday of the month. The tour is open to anyone interested in exploring downtown Scranton. This week’s tour departs from the Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel at noon.  Email leslie@scrantontomorrow.org for more information or to RSVP.  The Office of Community Relations is also partnering with Scranton Tomorrow to host a special tour for Faculty and Staff on Thursday, Sept. 29.  Email community@scranton.edu or call ext. 4419 for details.   

Save the Date: College Night First Friday Oct. 7
October’s First Friday art-walk throughout downtown Scranton is going to have “College Night” as its theme. Student groups from The University of Scranton will be performing and exhibiting art along with other area colleges. The event is free and runs from 6 – 9 p.m. throughout downtown Scranton. Mark your calendars and plan to mingle with area students and Scranton neighbors. For information about First Fridays, visit http://firstfridayscranton.com/. 

Pages & Places Book Festival Tickets Available
The Office of Community Relations and the Office of the Associate Provost for Civic Engagement & Academic Mission are sponsoring the Pages & Places Book Festival on Saturday, Oct. 1, which takes place throughout downtown Scranton. 150 free student tickets are available for faculty to distribute or for students to obtain directly. Contact community@scranton.edu or ext. 4419. Panel discussions explore the theme of “Milestones” and include:

• Coal Region Writers, 9 a.m.
• The Civil War, Slavery and Justice with Pulitzer Prize-winner Eric Foner, 11 a.m.
• Free as in Freedom exploring Corporate Culture & the Internet, 2 p.m.
• Jane Jacobs & the Death and Life of American Rust Belt Cities with Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty and Braddok, PA Mayor John Fetterman, 4 p.m.
• The City as Literary Influence with National Book-Award-nominee Aleksander Hemon, 6:30 p.m.

For more information, visit: http://pagesandplaces.org/.