Welcome Back Letters | The Triangle

Welcome Back Letters

Greetings from the President,

To the returning members of our Drexel community, and to the new members who have joined us, I extend my best wishes for the upcoming academic year. Our students, faculty and professional staff are the lifeblood of the University, and the reason for our great success.

Each year, our campuses are invigorated by the new ideas and perspectives brought by new community members. This year is no exception, as we welcome the largest and one of the most academically talented freshman classes in Drexel history, a stellar new group of graduate students and newly recruited employees at the top of their professions.

They join a university that has celebrated an unbroken record of achievement and growth for more than a decade. We continue to strive to meet our commitment to academic excellence, research innovation and community service.

This promises to be a pivotal year for Drexel. We will complete a comprehensive strategic plan, crafted with student, faculty and staff input, that will set our course for the next five years. We will also begin to see the fruits of our affiliation with the Academy of Natural Sciences and our new civic engagement initiatives in Powelton Village and Mantua. And the new Constantine Papadakis Integrated Sciences Building will provide tangible, and stunning, evidence of Drexel’s growing research and teaching enterprise.

What’s next for Drexel? You can have a big say in the answer to that question, by becoming involved in the life of the University. There are countless student and employee organizations looking for new members and new energy.

I encourage all our freshmen to take full advantage of the access to Philadelphia’s cultural treasures made possible by Drexel’s Cultural Passport, and to start thinking about the opportunities the Drexel Co-op will soon offer them.

I hope that students and professional staff will join me and the Drexel faculty and administration at Convocation Sept. 27 at 11 a.m. in the Main Building Auditorium. The featured speaker will be Dr. Robert Peck, historian and humanist at the Academy of Natural Sciences, in honor of the exciting affiliation of our institutions.

Good luck and have a great year.

John A. Fry

President, Drexel University

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Drexel University,

At the Triangle, our offices overlook two important pieces of our University’s future and as I look out over the newly completed Papadakis Integrated Sciences Building and the soon to be demolished husk of Matheson Hall I can’t help but feel excited for another year here at Drexel.

As a freshman one of the first stories that I ever reported on was the groundbreaking ceremony for the Papadakis ISB and it shocks me to walk through the lobby of what was, just a few short years ago, a barren dirt plot. I also remember slogging through my University 101 class in Matheson, but seeing the hall in pieces today isn’t bittersweet since I know from the plans that the new LeBow School of Business building are an extraordinary replacement. In the few short years that I have been here I have witnessed incredible changes at Drexel, and I know that the upcoming year will be no different.

We are a fast school. Ten-week terms and a constantly changing landscape aren’t the only things that keep all of us on our toes; incredible research developments, a new President, and a constantly evolving student population are all testaments to our University’s fast-paced style. I feel proud to attend a school that isn’t mired in ancient traditions and pageantry and instead understands the realities of today’s world as it embraces new technologies and areas of study.

As writers and editors for your school paper we hope to share with you the distinct vantage point that we have over Drexel. Seeing all of the changes that occur around campus as a whole really excites us because it gives us a sense that Drexel will continue to be on the forefront as we start another year here in Philadelphia.

So please, we invite you to take a look at the mesmerizing artists and performers that grace our entertainment pages and get a sense for the vibrant arts scene that is fostered at Drexel. Take a look at our athletes and get caught up in their fight for the championships that they deserve. Watch as some of the most articulate students and professors I’ve ever met discuss the day’s hot topics in our editorial and opinion pages (and join the conversation too, we’d love to hear your views!) And follow our news department as they bring together stories about the achievements of Drexel students and faculty that are helping to foster a sense of community in our University.

Once you’ve seen all of that and you gain an understanding of just how rapidly this University is advancing, I hope it will be easy to see why I’m excited to start another year here at Drexel. So, to old friends returning to the city and freshmen who’ve just arrived, I say take a look around and get excited at just how much will be happening at Drexel in the next year.

David Stephenson

Editor in Chief, The Triangle

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To the student body of Drexel University,

Allow me to give you a hearty welcome to this great University of ours! Whether you’re starting co-op or classes, an incoming freshman or a fifth year senior, I hope you’re as excited as I am for what is sure to be a busy, productive and fun academic year.

To the incoming freshmen: You are lucky to be attending Drexel during such an exciting year. The face of the University is, as always, changing and improving for the better. The Papadakis Integrated Sciences Building presents a sparkling new focal point for the University (it doesn’t hurt that it’s easily visible by our Quaker neighbors, either). For those that might be interested in Greek Life, the Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority, as well as the Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity, are welcome new additions to the already stellar fraternity and sorority community. Make sure to stop by Night on the Row Wednesday, Sept. 21 to check out all the houses and sample some amazing free food! If you happen to be a Philadelphia local (or just a fan of great food), you’ll be happy to learn that Sabrina’s Café is coming to campus, located at our very own Ross Commons.

To any returning students, I’d like to remind you that it’s never too late to get more involved in the campus, and the city as a whole. Join a club, form an intramural team, or just explore the Philadelphia area outside of Drexel’s campus. With 10-week terms and co-op taking up 40 or more hours a week, it’s easy to forget that these years spent at Drexel will fly by, and that it’s up to you to take advantage of what this University can offer. If there’s something that you’d like to see (or see removed) from this University, I ask that you please let me know what it is. I promise that I’ll do my utmost to make your idea a reality. You can email me any time at [email protected] or visit www.drexelusga.org to voice your opinion. I’m sure that together we can all make this year at Drexel the best yet.

Adam Trosko

President, Undergraduate Student Body