Spring Break
Editorial
New traditions needed at Drexel
Editorial Board
Issue date: 2/1/08 Section: Ed-Op
It doesn't take much to see that there is a lack of tradition at Drexel.
According to Drexel's Wikipedia page, rubbing the toe of the Waterboy statue in the Main Building to get good grades is just about all we've got.
Sure, there's Crystal Ball, Spring Jam, basketball games, convocation, and a mixed bag of other events. But these only seem to gather interest from one part of the student body, it's not something that every student at Drexel can say they've been a part of.
Our other traditions are downright depressing - "the shaft" growing an inch every time a student feels like they were wronged by the administration.
Schools with a strong sports tradition have an advantage. Think about Joe Paterno at Penn State football or John Cheney at Temple basketball. Football teams or historical, powerhouse basketball teams make traditions like homecoming and fight songs a lot easier to pull off. In the Happy Valley, a Saturday in the fall is reserved for football. A sports team is an easy thing for the student body to get behind and follow.
However, not all traditions need to stem from sports. In fact, the majority of them stem from a variety of places - university clubs, Greek life, student media (a-hem) and most of all, the students.
That is why we are pleased to see undergrads like Dan Vignola starting traditions that involve the entire student body.
Vignola is organizing an "undie run" that will include our University City neighbor, the University of Pennsylvania. Scheduled for May 3, this could be just the kind of thing that we need at Drexel. It has happened at several other schools across the nation, like UCLA, and attracts thousands of students.
We are constantly reminded that our campus is tiny and ugly, that there are is a disproportionate number of men to women, and our administration is covered in red tape. Traditions like this can help break up the negativity a lot of students have about Drexel, and bring about a positive atmosphere for a change.
While this has the potential to be a really fun, great event at Drexel, we encourage all the participants to not act like total idiots. Let's not vandalize property or fountains in the area, like some students at the UCLA have done. This is an opportunity for the student body to bond with one another and enjoy college life. It's a chance for all Drexel students to do something together. That's something we really lack.
According to Drexel's Wikipedia page, rubbing the toe of the Waterboy statue in the Main Building to get good grades is just about all we've got.
Sure, there's Crystal Ball, Spring Jam, basketball games, convocation, and a mixed bag of other events. But these only seem to gather interest from one part of the student body, it's not something that every student at Drexel can say they've been a part of.
Our other traditions are downright depressing - "the shaft" growing an inch every time a student feels like they were wronged by the administration.
Schools with a strong sports tradition have an advantage. Think about Joe Paterno at Penn State football or John Cheney at Temple basketball. Football teams or historical, powerhouse basketball teams make traditions like homecoming and fight songs a lot easier to pull off. In the Happy Valley, a Saturday in the fall is reserved for football. A sports team is an easy thing for the student body to get behind and follow.
However, not all traditions need to stem from sports. In fact, the majority of them stem from a variety of places - university clubs, Greek life, student media (a-hem) and most of all, the students.
That is why we are pleased to see undergrads like Dan Vignola starting traditions that involve the entire student body.
Vignola is organizing an "undie run" that will include our University City neighbor, the University of Pennsylvania. Scheduled for May 3, this could be just the kind of thing that we need at Drexel. It has happened at several other schools across the nation, like UCLA, and attracts thousands of students.
We are constantly reminded that our campus is tiny and ugly, that there are is a disproportionate number of men to women, and our administration is covered in red tape. Traditions like this can help break up the negativity a lot of students have about Drexel, and bring about a positive atmosphere for a change.
While this has the potential to be a really fun, great event at Drexel, we encourage all the participants to not act like total idiots. Let's not vandalize property or fountains in the area, like some students at the UCLA have done. This is an opportunity for the student body to bond with one another and enjoy college life. It's a chance for all Drexel students to do something together. That's something we really lack.
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