Just like every academic year at Drexel University, this past one has been eventful and exciting for all Drexel students.
We said hello to Drexel’s largest freshman class ever. At 3,225 students, this class came to Drexel in September and instantly made their mark. They were billed by Senior Vice President Randall C. Deike as “more engaged than any class in our recent history” and everyone had high hopes for what they would achieve — we at The Triangle believe they delivered on that.
Drexel moved up in the annual Wall Street Journal’s college rankings, placing 84th out of 1,054 colleges and universities in the U.S. which was nine places higher than the previous year. While it’s certainly not perfect, Drexel is a great school and we’re happy to go here. The co-op system and student organizations provide more opportunities than most schools do and we should be grateful to take advantage of those. It’s exciting to see Drexel nationally recognized in this regard.
We saw the opening of a new quadrangle, and while it might not affect our lives every day, it’s hard to deny the extra green space is nice to have. Now that the weather is finally nice and we can take advantage of it, take some time to lay out in the grass and appreciate the newfound student space.
Drexel broke ground on Schuylkill Yards. When completed, Schuylkill Yards will be a whole new neighborhood of commercial, residential and educational spaces that will extend Drexel’s campus over what is now rail yards. We can’t wait to see what this turns into and to come back to campus years from now to enjoy it.
We said goodbye to our beloved professor George Ciccariello-Maher — well, maybe not that beloved. Whatever your opinion of him, he certainly made a splash on Drexel’s campus and will be remembered for better or for worse for years to come. Good luck at New York University, George.
Drexel snagged a Wawa and we couldn’t be happier to save two blocks of walking for a hoagie. Sure it might only be one of the largest Wawas on a technicality, but hey who’s counting? If the foot traffic is anything like 7-Eleven, they’re going to be making a boatload of money.
This past fundraising campaign was an influx of $750 million to the university. This funding will help academics, student organizations and a plethora of other student services that make Drexel what it is. We know that this amount of funding can change Drexel for the better and are hopeful for the improvements it will bring.
And on the note of having the largest incoming freshman class this year, Drexel Admissions broke that record again this year with nearly 3,600 student slated to come to Drexel this fall. While we at The Triangle might poke fun at this achievement every once in a while, we want to take this moment to congratulate everyone in enrollment management on all the hard work they’ve done to make this happen. You’re the first people future Dragons interact with and we know you’re bringing in some of the best and brightest students this year.
And finally, John A. Fry’s contract was extended for another five years. While we’ve certainly already voiced what initiatives we think those next five years should include, we know that President Fry will continue to lead Drexel into the future and is the most capable person to do so. President Fry, we at The Triangle wish you the best of luck in your next years.
We’re looking forward to a wonderful new school year, and all the exciting new things that come with it.