With basketball season coming up, students are once again going to pack the DAC and both cheer on the Dragons and jeer on everybody else. The Triangle was able to speak with the President of the DAC Pack Zoë Simmons to prepare all students for the upcoming season and how they can get involved.
PL: Tell me a little about yourself and how you ended up at Drexel?
ZS: My name is Zoë. I’m a 4th year junior from Portland, Oregon and I’m majoring in sports business in LeBow. I got to Drexel because when I was looking at schools I wanted one with a sports business major in a major city and when I looked up Drexel I saw the Mario statue and thought to myself “yeah, that’s cool”.
PL: Tell me about how you first got involved in the DAC Pack?
ZS: I’ve always been a sports fan so participating in a student section was something that I was always interested in. My first introduction was during sophomore year, first game of the 2021-22 season. It was a double header and I was immediately welcomed by the former president Emily McAndrews. I really enjoyed the vibe of the games and DAC Pack. From there it was just that I really enjoyed it and continued to get closer with other members.
PL: What is the best game that you have ever attended?
ZS: I’m going to say that the best game I’ve attended was last year’s Homecoming game against Delaware. We won 77-74 in OT and the vibe in the DAC was so amazing, everyone was on the edge of their seats.
PL: Why should students get involved in the DAC Pack?
ZS: Students should get involved with DAC Pack if they like coming out to games either to watch a game or for the environment of the DAC. Everyone on campus can find a place within DAC Pack.
PL: What does being a part of the DAC Pack even mean? What is the best way of being involved?
ZS: I think that being a part of DAC Pack just means that you’re a Drexel student who has some school spirit they want to express, who wants to have a good time, or who just really likes basketball. We like to say that everyone on campus is in DAC Pack, it’s just a matter of if they’ve had the chance to come out to a game with us yet. The best way to be involved is different for everyone I think. You can be involved by coming out to games or by helping to plan events and activities.
PL: Nov. 8 and 14 are the Womens and Mens home openers for basketball. For the uninitiated, explain what is the proper decorum for a college basketball game, especially a big rivalry game like when the Men take on Temple or the Women host La Salle?
ZS: For college basketball games the vibe is really different than professional. Student sections are loud and rowdy. When it comes to cheering, yelling and heckling opposing players, respectfully, of course, we like to get creative. Sometimes we will do a deep dive into opposing players’ old twitter and instagram posts. Last year we found a post from a player when they were in 7th grade and we printed the photo out and held it up at the game.
PL: What’s the funniest interaction you’ve ever seen go down between DAC Pack and an opposing player?
ZS: Personally, I think the funniest interaction we’ve had would be at the CAA tournament this past year. When we were playing Monmouth and one of their players was warming up right in front of us alone so we took the opportunity to start telling him he was warm and ready to play basically nonstop. He ended up sitting bench most of the game but we continued to tell him and their coach to put him in because he was warmed up. When he finally got put in he pointed to us and said “I’m warm”. It’s always fun when they start to interact back with us.