Jason Palaigos

Age: 22

Hometown: Catonsville

School: Loyola University, Class of 2011

Major: biology

What’s the best cheap place to eat near campus?

There’s a couple options. There’s Panera nearby, but they don’t take the student card. Chipotle does. S’ghetti Eddie’s.

What’s the best bar near campus?

[The bars along] York Road. Other than that, Power Plant [Live] or Mad River. They can accommodate more people and are more fun overall. 

What’s your favorite thing to do on weekends?

Take Friday off and go to York Road.

In a word, your classmates are . . . ?

Wild.

What’s the big major at your school?

Mainly business degrees.

Do students from your school get out into the city much, or do they mostly stick close to campus?

Everybody goes off campus. 

What’s something Baltimore/the Baltimore area needs to work on?

Getting around is difficult. Cabs are all corrupt. The light rail isn’t good to take at night, maybe to go to the game.

Aubree Corporandy

Age: 20

Hometown: San Francisco

School: UMBC, Class of 2012

Major: psychology

What’s the best cheap place to eat near campus?

American Asian, because it has every kind of Asian cuisine. Rita’s Ice.

What’s the best bar near campus?

There are a couple of hole-in-the-wall bars nearby—one called Whalen’s Irish [Sports] Pub. A lot of people go to the Fish Head Cantina. That’s where a lot of UMBC students go religiously.

What’s your favorite thing to do on weekends?

Every week [UMBC] has a whole calendar that lists movie nights, bus trips to New York or Ocean City, etc.. Personally, my favorite thing to do on weekends [is go to] sports events.

Do you feel safe on campus? In Baltimore?

I feel completely safe on campus, never had a problem. And whenever there is a problem they send out text-message alerts. They have the blue-light system.

In a word, your classmates are . . . ?

Diverse. I’ve met so many different people from completely different walks of life. But somehow we all get along. It’s not so much of a party school, but everyone is definitely intelligent in their own way, and you can learn a lot from everyone.

What’s the biggest misconception about your school?

People kind of assume that since UMBC is a state school and not as well heard of, you’re a partier and don’t have much work. But there aren’t that many parties.

How do you get around?

It’s more of a commuter school, but since I’ve been there they’ve added a lot of things. In the meantime parking has been terrible. Having a car is definitely helpful going to UMBC. They do have campus shuttles that are free to Catonsville and the mall, and direct to the Inner Harbor. 

Do students from your school get out into the city much, or do they mostly stick close to campus?

Catonsville is a big destination. I lived on campus the first two years. I’m not someone from Maryland, so I wanted to explore. There are places within probably two miles with a lot of cool stuff going on. 

What’s your favorite thing about Baltimore?

I’m a city girl. I’m from San Francisco. Probably my favorite thing is the Inner Harbor—walking around and people-watching. I like the water. It reminds me of San Francisco. And I also love the free museums, like the Baltimore Museum of Art. 

What’s something the Baltimore area needs to work on?

It would be nice to have a more connected campus life. It would be cool to have more things to do on and around campus without having to travel far off campus into the community. I remember seeing the Collegetown buses and being so frustrated because they never went to UMBC. I think that it needs to be connected more with the surrounding colleges.

What do you wish someone had told you about Baltimore?

Don’t rely on public transportation. I’d tell them to take every opportunity that they get and to go out and explore. Do as much as you can so you know where you want to go later.

Sean McCloskey

Age: 24

Hometown: Rockaway, N.J.

School: Towson University, Class of 2011

Major: marketing

What’s the best cheap place to eat near campus?

I usually cook for myself, so I don’t go out as much as another college student would. But I’d say Jerry’s Subs.

What’s the best bar near campus?

The Rec Room.

What’s your favorite thing to do on weekends?

I play a lot of video games, and intramural softball.

Do you feel safe on campus? In Baltimore?

For the most part safe. [Campus] still has a Baltimore feel to it, because it is very close. You still kind of feel like you’re in a city. To me, Baltimore is more laid-back, kind of relaxed. 

> Email Joe Marinelli and Ashlea Browning