A vibrant tradition on campus, Drexel University’s Homecoming 2023 starts Jan. 17 and ends Jan. 21. It kicks off with the bonfire at Race Lawn and will conclude with the Homecoming basketball game against the University of Delaware at the Daskalakis Athletic Center. These are various events such as the window-decorating competition, the quizzo and the variety show happening during the four-day period.
One unique and exciting Drexel tradition is the week-long student competition. Drexel student organizations and other students form their own teams compete for a prize. Throughout the week, students will be able to earn spirit points at each of the Homecoming events and the game itself, which will count toward the team’s overall score. Another opportunity to earn spirit points is by having four or more people in a team wearing Drexel gear during an event.
Teams will be able to win first, second or third place overall based on the number of points they accumulate throughout the week. Final awards will be awarded at the halftime of the Homecoming game on Jan. 21. The first place prize is $1000 Dragon Dollars, second place is $500 Dragon Dollars and the third place prize is $250 Dragon Dollars. All prizes are to be split between team members.
Each event has its own rules and scoring criteria. Additionally, each individual event will have a gold, silver and bronze medal team winner. For the window decorating event, the Drexel community can cast votes for their favorite window paintings; points will be awarded based on craftsmanship, creativity and Drexel Spirit. There is a total of 100 points available, and additional points will be awarded to teams with the most votes.
The variety show allows students to display their various talents, such as original songs, skits, magical acts, jump roping and many more. Judges will award points based on teams following the guidelines: creativity, Drexel Spirit and overall performance. There is a total of 100 points available, with up to 25 extra points awarded for the team with the most votes. Quizzo is a trivia based competition where teams will win points based on their performance. Teams who win first place overall get 100 spirit points, second place get 90 spirit points and third place will get 80 points.
There are a few student organizations participating in the student competition. Among them are Drexel Club Track, Drexel Mock Trial, DAC Pack, USGA and Drexel ESports. Teams must have a minimum of four members in order to be eligible for the competition.
Drexel Club Track is a co-ed team that welcomes runners of all skill levels. They participate in cross country runs in the fall, track meets in the winter and spring and road races throughout the year. Emily Thompson is Drexel Club Track’s captain.
The DAC Pack is Drexel athletics’ student fan section. As one of the largest student organizations on campus, their goal is to spread school spirit and pride, and show support for Drexel and its student athletes. Their captain is Mike Bufalo.
The USGA is Drexel’s Undergraduate Student Government Association. Its goal is to advocate on behalf of the student body, represent the students and build relations between students and the university community. They also aim to conduct student outreach and facilitate student involvement. USGA’s captain is Carlie Relyea.
Homecoming is a cherished Drexel Winter tradition that allows dragons—students, faculty and alumni—to show their Dragon pride, engage with the Drexel community and have fun.