Even though the weather is freezing, school spirit is burning hot as Homecoming Week kicked off on Jan. 14 with a bonfire on Race Street Lawn.
Hundreds of students came to enjoy hot chocolate, s’mores and Drexel apparel giveaways.
A large bonfire was set up in the middle of Race Street Lawn as students gathered around it to stay warm in the cold. A live DJ set the mood with energetic music, and Dragons from many different branches of the University made appearances.
The bonfire, along with the rest of the homecoming events, was organized by Drexel University Student Life. The Homecoming Bonfire was the first of several events this week, culminating in the homecoming basketball game Jan. 19.
Homecoming is a time to celebrate university achievements and welcome alumni to engage with their alma mater. Homecoming has been a Drexel tradition for many years, but recent efforts have tried to increase excitement for this week of celebration.
According to Provost Brian Blake, homecoming promotes engagement of all Drexel students, whether they’re in classes, on co-op or even graduated.
“Homecoming done right allows us to reunite current students with past students. There will be a number of events that really connect alumni with students that are working in co-op that may not be in term and students that are currently here that can really give back to what the mission of the school is. It gives them the opportunity to actually see what has happened since the time that they were here,” Blake said.
Homecoming celebrations will conclude with the Drexel University Men’s Basketball game Jan. 19. Their current coach, Zach Spiker, made an appearance at the bonfire where he gave a brief pep talk to encourage attendance and get students excited about the game. The team will face off against James Madison University at 2 p.m. in the Daskalakis Athletic Center.