Drexel University’s six day long Gaza Solidarity Encampment quietly ended in the early hours of Thursday morning. 

Encampment members “launched a strategic retreat from campus” after Drexel Public Safety officers and the Philadelphia Police Department sought to clear out the encampment at Korman Quad.

According to their statement, encampment organizers “reject symbolic arrest” that “stretches resources thin without accomplishing our demand of full divestment.” For this reason, protesters willingly complied with police demands to disperse peacefully.

In a statement sent out to the University community shortly after, President John Fry acknowledged “This was a difficult decision, but protesters left us no other choice but to take action to clear the encampment ourselves.” 

Fry continued, “These demonstrations interfered with normal teaching and research activities, singled out members of our community for harassment and intimidation, and forced us to severely restrict access to the central part of Drexel’s campus.”

Drexel students woke up to a DrexelAlert message around 5:30 a.m. that warned of “Police activity in the area of Korman Quad,” similar to how the University of Pennsylvania Pro-Palestine encampment was disbanded on May 10 around 6:00 a.m. followed by 33 arrests.

From the start to the finish of the encampment, there was confusion on communications between organizers and university administration.

On Sunday, May 19, President Fry sent out an email that claimed “We have opened a line of communication to the protestors and will try to prevail on them to cease and desist from their unauthorized demonstration.” 

In response, the Drexel Palestine Coalition said on Instagram, “Your communication seems to have gotten lost along the way, seeing as no attempt has been made to contact the encampment to date.”  

On Tuesday, May 21, President Fry claimed that “Today, Chief Singleton’s offer of a meeting between members of the administration was refused by the protesters.” 

Finally, organizers claimed this morning that “Neither city police nor campus police delivered a warning to clear the encampment.” 

At the center of the controversy for the encampment was one of the protester demands, which elicited a strong response from President Fry and university community members. 

Listed under their BDS demands, the coalition called to “immediately terminate Drexel’s chapter of Hillel, a global zionist campus organization” and to “immediately terminate Drexel Chabad due to welcoming an ex-IOF soldier into the Drexel community.”

Furthermore, the coalition urged to “immediately terminate” Henry Israeli, the director of Jewish Studies at Drexel and Brett Altman, a member of Drexel’s Real Estate Advisory Council.     

In his statement sent out on Monday, May 20, President Fry wrote that “encampment protesters have created a hostile, confrontational environment by subjecting passersby to antisemitic speech and by issuing several “demands” that have unacceptably targeted individual members of our faculty and professional staff, a member of our Real Estate Advisory Committee, and two Jewish campus organizations.”

Following the encampment disbanding, Korman Quad is still barricaded off. Other green spaces on campus, like Lancaster Walk and areas around LeBow and Perelman Plaza, have fences blocking out the areas.

Students can now expect classes and student life to resume to full in-person operations, but Drexel IDs will be required to enter into all buildings. 

President Fry noted, however, that “the Korman Center will remain closed until further notice.”  

The Drexel founded Scholly app is one of the Close School of Entrepreneurship’s most well known success stories. Just recently, Scholly was featured in a “Shark Tank” update that premiered nearly nine years after the original episode that sparked a notable debate among the Sharks. 

In light of the “Shark Tank” update and it being nearly a year after Scholly was acquired by education solutions company Sallie Mae, the Triangle checked in again with founder Christopher Gray. 

In the update, Gray was able to reunite with “Shark Tank” investors and mentors Daymond John and Lori Greiner while also being joined by Sallie Mae’s Chief Commercial Officer Donna Vieira to uplift new initiatives through the Scholly acquisition. 

For Gray, the Shark Tank update was a full circle moment, bringing him back to his last few months at Drexel during a pivotal senior year in 2015. Over the past nine years since then, Scholly has made over $30 million in revenue with five million users and has helped students raise over $100 million in scholarships.

“I was a senior about to graduate, there was a lot going on, right before finals and all that. So it was really emotional and it was a real full circle moment to be reunited with the Sharks,” shared Gray. “I just really did a look back on everything Scholly has accomplished.”

“Lori and I invested in Chris, and now Chris is investing in the future, and that is what it’s all about,” shared John in the update episode. 

John also felt reassured in his decision to invest in Scholly years ago, stating that “my return on my investment is between 40x and 60x.”  

For the update, Gray and Vieira traveled to John’s alma mater, Bayside High School, where they announced two $10,000 scholarships to seniors Giselle Rodriguez and Amir Theodile. In addition, the two announced $1 million in funding to go towards the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, the nation’s largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community. 

“What you’re seeing is not just Scholly becoming more accessible to more people and getting a lot of traffic, we’re starting to see Sallie being able to leverage Scholly to give back, a tool where we can actually put our money where our mouth is, and actually create scholarship opportunities for students,” said Gray. “The goal at Sallie Mae is to really put free money first, so you know, use Scholly first, and then if you need private loans, you can get them, but you want to get as many free scholarships as you can.”

Nearly one year since the Sallie Mae acquisition, Scholly has already seen an expanded audience and opportunities to venture into new initiatives and potentially even future collaborations with Drexel.  

“It’s free, it’s a no-brainer. We now even have an ungated experience where you don’t even have to register or create an account.. It’s really seamless now,” added Gray. 

Drexel University is officially moving towards a semester based calendar within the next three years, along with many other fundamental changes to the university structure, according to an extensive email sent out to staff and faculty by President John Fry on April 18.

These proposed changes came from the University Advisory Committee on Academic Structure (UAC) which issued a report of recommendations during a town hall hosted by Provost Paul Jensen and Faculty Senate Chair Kevin Owens on June 20, 2023. 

In the months since, working groups comprised of Drexel faculty and professional staff spent time assessing the recommendations. Now, many of them are coming into fruition.

Out of all the recommendations, the one that affects the Drexel student experience the most is the switch to a semester system. The potential switch to semesters is a topic that has been debated among the Drexel community for years, with the most recent example being the student focus group discussions held on Feb. 5 and 6. 

According to President Fry’s message, the university is now “mapping out a path that would feature semesters and maintain the six-month co-op while providing students with greater flexibility and more choices to design their own paths based on desired learning objectives and outcomes.” 

This greater flexibility could potentially include: “the six-month co-op, with up to a total of three co-ops; significantly more study abroad opportunities; shorter internships; and undergraduate research experiences.” 

Furthermore, President Fry mentions how peer institutions such as Northeastern and Rochester Institute of Technology “have transitioned successfully from quarters to semesters” and that he was “reassured that moving to semesters can significantly improve recruiting, retention and the student experience at Drexel.” 

Another major aspect of the announcement is the merging of several Drexel colleges and entities. Working groups assessed the possibility of grouping the College of Arts and Sciences (CoAS), the School of Education (SoE) and the Goodwin College of Professional Studies, but ultimately recommended merging only the first two. 

President Fry writes that while the First-Year Exploratory Program of the Goodwin College will be grouped with CoAS and the SoE, the working group recommended to leave the Goodwin College outside of the merger in favor of “maintaining its connection with the LeBow College of Business for the time being.”

Additionally, the university will merge all clinical sites under a new entity: Drexel Health. This will include clinical sites at the College of Medicine, College of Nursing and Health Professions, College of Arts and Sciences and Salus University once the merger is complete. 

It is possible that there are more pilot groupings and mergers to come soon, as President Fry writes, “I have asked the Provost to explore further the costs and benefits of further affiliations and will base my final decisions on his recommendations.”

Notably, the university will also be working towards creating core competency requirements “for all undergraduate students to support greater curricular alignment and flexibility and to provide differentiating skills that define a Drexel education.” 

The main areas for core competencies include: research and innovation, partnerships with organizations and businesses, civic and urban engagement and global engagement. These competencies will, in addition to the semester shift, be implemented within the next three years.

Creating more community spaces is another area highlighted in both the UAC report and many projects are currently in the works. 

As President Fry lists, these projects include a “renovated and expanded Bentley and Kelly residence halls; the new Life Sciences Laboratory and Research building being developed at 32nd and Cuthbert Streets, which will provide welcome and much needed space for the College of Engineering and School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems; the construction of a mid-block crossing in the 3200 block of Chestnut to improve pedestrian safety; and the opening of the Myers Quad this fall.”

The announcement ends by listing an upcoming university gathering on May 8 to discuss these great transitions and next steps, but it is unclear if students will be involved in this process.

“As I said at Convocation this past September, this work enables us to focus on what Drexel is good at and good for, and it empowers us to keep getting better at what we do,” says President Fry. “Let’s keep working together to move in that direction.” 

Resident assistants at Drexel University announced their intent to unionize in a petition submitted to Drexel President John Fry on March 11. 

80 percent of Drexel resident assistants, which includes 102 students, signed the petition to form a union with OPEIU-152 and to demand voluntary recognition, according to a press release.

The petition calls for (1) Drexel to voluntarily recognize the union and (2) “If Drexel instead proceeds to a union election, the University will not employ deceptive, manipulative, and unethical union-busting tactics, and instead, let the student workers form an educated decision on their terms.”  

Drexel resident assistants are classified as student workers that “create a sense of community on campus, get to know a variety of people, develop critical thinking skills, and learn more about themselves” according to Drexel’s website. 

Though the job is classified as part-time, the press release highlights how the responsibilities of being an RA are 24/7, including “attending weekly mandatory staff meetings, responding to requests and emergencies during 12-hour duty shifts on weekdays and 24-hour duty shifts on weekends, writing and filing incident reports within 2 hours of the event, scheduling 1-on-1 meetings with the Resident Director, stay on campus for holiday break duty” and more.

“I dedicated a lot of my time in my college career towards this job because it truly made me happy, but putting your all into an organization who doesn’t reciprocate that same dedication into you is disheartening,” said resident assistant Grace Knauss, “All I wanted was to improve the first-year experience, but it seems that when I came to them as an individual they didn’t care. Hopefully now they’ll start caring more when their whole RA staff is united together.”

The release describes how “RAs are drastically undercompensated for their time and efforts,” only receiving a monthly stipend of $100, a dorm room for the academic year and a partial meal plan. 

According to the university, “It is an expectation that the RA position be made a priority, second only to class and co-op.” 

The announcement follows a national trend towards campus unionization and labor action also seen at nearby colleges, notably Temple University and the University of Pennsylvania.

In 2023, Temple University graduate students called a strike lasting from January into March, as did UPenn graduate students in April. Graduate and undergraduate Resident Advisors at UPenn successfully won the right to unionize through OPEIU last September, despite university opposition.

“Unionization allows RA’s to better support students who live in the residence halls. Having the Drexel community stand in solidarity with us would mean the world,” said RA Izzy Curtin. “Help us by reading our instagram posts, having conversations with your RA friends, and engaging with content that unpacks what unions mean!”

The full press release can be found on OPEIU Local 153’ website. For further updates, follow along on the union’s Instagram @duraunion.

Drexel Students for Justice in Palestine released a letter on Oct. 12 addressing the absence of support they have been receiving from President John Fry and Drexel administration. 

“We, students of Drexel University representing Palestinian voices and our partners in solidarity are writing this statement to express our profound disappointment and sadness at the recent email sent by President John Fry regarding the escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip. Though we applaud the email’s support for academic freedom and free intellectual inquiry, we are shocked by President Fry’s failure to mention the Palestinian people even once or acknowledge the context for these tragic events and violence,” the letter states.

Drexel student organizations like Drexel Black Students Union, Drexel Indigenous Students Association, Drexel Community for Justice, Drexel Middle East North Africa Club, Pakistani Student Association, Drexel Queer People of Color, Drexel University College of Medicine Muslim Student Association, Swarthmore Jewish Voice for Peace, Penn Chavurah, Temple Students for Justice in Palestine, Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Delaware, Swarthmore Students for Justice in Palestine, Bryn Mawr and Haverford Students for Justice in Palestine and Penn Against the Occupation all have signed the letter in support of SJP and the Palestinian community.

SJP has not been the only student organization on campus that released a letter expressing these sentiments regarding the administration’s statements.

In a letter posted on their social media on Tuesday, Oct. 17, Drexel Muslim Students Association  denounced President Fry’s three most recent statements for excluding Palestinian voices and neglecting the Muslim and Arab communities in light of the Israeli offensive in Gaza following the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7. 

“It goes without saying that the Drexel Palestinian and Muslim communities are in a state of grief. This context and reality is one that you neglected when you chose to circulate a university-wide statement without any mention of the unfathomable loss of innocent lives and the egregious violence experienced by the Palestinian people for decades,” reads the statement. 

In an interview with The Triangle, DMSA, President Kawthar Aguibi said that this was not the first time the DMSA responded to an email from the university with an open letter.

“Two years ago there were similar tensions between Palestine and Israel, and there were a lot of protests going on, a lot of public rallying and a lot of students speaking up. Back then the DMSA had met with leadership, had met with administration in response to their emails during that time and expressed concerns over Palestinians not really being heard. And so the past two years we’ve had a good relationship with administration. And we felt like we were being heard,” shared Aguibi. “And then we get the first couple of statements, and it just feels like some of the work that we’ve been doing the past two years kind of just goes down the drain. And we’re kind of questioning: were we even actually heard the first time around?” 

According to Aguibi, the letter was sent to 23 officers in Drexel administrative leadership in hopes of making an impact. Other MSA chapters have been boosting and reposting the letter which has now gathered almost 1,000 likes on Instagram. 

“In John Fry’s email, he didn’t mention anything related to the Palestinian lives that were lost…there was no mention of the support system that would be available to Palestinians and Muslims who are seeing the footage that’s coming out of Palestine right now,” commented Rida Memon, vice president of DMSA. “And that gives us the impression that our suffering does not matter to the university and it makes us feel unheard. It makes us feel unwelcome and unincluded. It makes us hesitant to speak out. It makes us feel unsafe because it gives the impression that some lives matter more to the university than others.” 

SJP member and graduate student Nada Abuasi also commented on the reasons motivating the organization to comment on President Fry’s letters. 

“One of the biggest surprises, I suppose, is that we expected [the initial statement] to be both sides, but it seemed that right on the front President John Fry had immediately just expressed support for Israel, and did not even acknowledge both Palestinians in the West Bank and in Gaza, who are, you know, facing the front of collective punishment. And so reading that email, we were kind of all collectively upset. But we were like, ‘Okay, let’s calm down. Let’s write out an initial statement.’ And we decided to put that out so that people know that this is what we feel,” said Abuasi.  

Aguibi and Memon noted that Muslim students have been sharing stories about feeling unsafe on campus and as if the university has turned their backs on them.  

“People are afraid to speak up because they’re afraid of what kind of retaliation is gonna happen. You know, international students are afraid of risking their education in a different country. Students with scholarships, students with financial aid, students, you know, of all backgrounds and of all circumstances are afraid of risking anything related to their livelihood as students here,” said Aguibi. “I’ve literally had some students say that they feel like a target has been painted on our backs. I have felt like a target has been painted on my back by being visibly Muslim.”

“In the Intercultural Center, the ICC, where Muslim students hang out, I have heard on multiple occasions, ‘Am I safe here?’ And that is a lingering question among a lot of people in our community,” added Memon. 

Abuasi even shared that “One of the biggest ways I can explain sort of the challenges of Muslim and Arab students on campus is – it’s just a recreation of the climate that existed post 9/11, and it’s a climate that really never disappeared. It just lessened over time. It was something that people really got used to. But you know, with all this rhetoric going around, there’s an intense amount of surveillance. And there is an intense amount of monitoring that is under the guise of public safety or under the guise of protection.” 

Both DMSA student leaders shared that Drexel professors have been generously accommodating towards students’ needs in the midst of the collective grief and suffering occurring. In an effort to support members and anyone else who has been feeling overwhelmed by current events, the organization created an email template for students.

DMSA Professional Staff Advisor and Assistant Director with Graduate Student Services at Drexel’s LeBow College of Business Noor Jemy added that, “The reason the students crafted a template is because we have to be sensitive of what we can and cannot say…The template is there because it helps the students verbalize in a way where none of them will come to harm in any way, because they’re not taking a stance in the letter. They’re essentially just saying I am hurting right now, and I can’t focus.”  

In regard to President Fry’s statements, DMSA seeks an updated official statement from the university that includes the following: “Acknowledging and recognizing the impact of this crisis on members of the Palestinian community and their allies on Drexel’s campus; Shedding light using factual current events and providing accurate historical context pertaining to the region; Acknowledging and apologizing for the impact that the biased statements have had on the student population and increased tensions on campus; Reinforce that Drexel’s values of inclusion and safety also apply to Palestinian and Muslim students; Address next steps for ensuring the safety of all students, regardless of faith, ethnicity, or identity.” 

Similarly, Abuasi highlighted that Drexel SJP and all the organizations that signed their letter seek for “an acknowledgement of Palestinians on campus.”

“I think there has yet to be an email or a statement sent out by the President, but also sent out by any other faculty member that fully acknowledges Palestinian identity…Your denial of our experience, your denial of our identities, your unwillingness to respond to the statements that many have already put out, your unwillingness to extend a hand and reach out to your Palestinian students…It’s just brutal, and I think if any of us need support, if we’re talking about support, and that’s the support we need to begin with: just a blatant…knowledge and the fact that a genocide is happening…that’s it,” Abuasi added.

Abuasi and Drexel SJP shared a call to action for students: encourage students to join an organization that is dedicated to advocating for a community; engage in a process of “dialogical learning to engage in a process of unlearning” so that students can “start engaging in their own pedagogical formations”; and open the conversation in classrooms to invite awareness.

Drexel SJP has not received a response from John Fry or the Drexel Administration. “I personally forwarded the email myself…I know most of the time in my experience as an undergraduate, administration rarely responds back unless there’s an immense amount of people who are showing this support and demanding that there’d be a response…I think that Drexel University is unfortunately kind of one of those campuses that is…very calm, very silent about these things. So, and I honestly believe, unless there’s student outrage, we probably won’t hear a response,” Abuasi stated.

“An initial response was sent yesterday to us for a meeting with Subir and [Katie] and we will be following up with more information on how those meetings go and actions taken by the university on DMSA’s social media page,” Memon updated the Triangle this morning. Subir Sahu is Drexel’s Senior Vice President of Student Success. Katie Zamulinsky is the Associate Vice President and Dean of Student Life.

In the midst of all of the suffering of this crisis, DMSA hosted a Day of Du’a on Oct. 19, partaking in a global collective fast in solidarity with Palestine, followed by an Iftar dinner at Behrakis Hall.

*Editor’s Note: President John Fry released a new statement on the evening of Oct. 20 that expressed support for the Palestinian community. “I want to extend my full sympathy and support to our Palestinian students, faculty, and professional staff, whose pain and trauma deepen by the hour as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens and casualties rise. I join with them in grieving for loved ones who have died during Israel’s siege of Gaza and in praying for the safety of Palestinian civilians in harm’s way. I also want to reaffirm that Drexel defends their right to express their views about Israel and Palestine without fear of intimidation, harassment, or professional retribution, and will continue to enforce a policy of zero tolerance against any manifestation of Islamophobia in our community.”

For almost a decade now, Scholly has become a premier tool for students and families to access and apply for customized scholarship opportunities. In a world where college costs are constantly rising, Scholly helps bridge the ever-growing gap. The numbers speak for the platform’s success: Students have won more than $100 million in scholarships through Scholly. 

Recently, Sallie Mae, a private loan lender corporation, acquired key assets of Scholly, which made the platform free and will expand the application’s services in the future. 

“We know scholarships are critical to making college more affordable, but too often they go unclaimed due to a lack of awareness or simply not knowing how to find them,” said Donna Vieira, Sallie Mae’s Chief Commercial Officer. “Through this acquisition of assets, we’ll simplify the process, connecting more students and families to a free, one-stop shop for all things scholarships.” 

This acclaimed service has its humble beginnings at Drexel University, as the passion project of former business graduate Christopher Gray, along with co-founders Nick Pirollo and Bryson Alef.

In an interview with the Triangle, Gray talked about how his struggles with applying for scholarships inspired him to create an app like Scholly. 

“I originally won over a million dollars in scholarships myself to go to college,” said Gray. “That experience taught me there is so much money out there for students and a lot of people just didn’t know that money existed.”

Gray tried to relay his scholarship techniques as a volunteer for the School District of Philadelphia working with low-income high school students but quickly realized that there was no way to help everyone at once. 

“I realized there are hundreds of millions of dollars just kind of sitting on the Internet, that students don’t know exists, and…there’s no intuitive or quick way of finding it,” mentioned Gray. 

That experience encouraged Gray to utilize technology as a way to scale up his efforts and reach a larger audience. Through two entrepreneurship co-ops at Drexel, Gray was able to develop his company for six months at a time in addition to receiving a stipend. 

“It was thanks to Drexel and that co-op that I had the bandwidth to be able to not have to take classes and get credit and start Scholly [at the same time],” added Gray. 

The Scholly app was propelled into the national conversation when it was featured in a Shark Tank episode in 2015. Daymond John and Lori Greiner both landed a deal and invested in Scholly. From that moment, Scholly went on to be featured in national media outlets, became #1 in the iOS Apple store and the Google Play Store for three weeks and was able to reach a far larger audience eager for scholarship opportunities. 

Gray was quick to express enthusiasm and support for Drexel’s entrepreneurship program, touting its pivotal role in the success of Scholly. 

“If you have an entrepreneurial mindset, then I think that Drexel is the right place for you. Be proactive in leveraging the resources around you,” Gray said. “My professors at the school were an incredible resource and that’s how I made a lot of my connections. That’s how I’ve made a lot of the deals I’ve done. Leverage the people around you.”

Now with the Sallie Mae acquisition, Scholly will be reaching new heights and an expanded audience.

“I think it’s incredible…I think that making the app free was something that I always wanted to do,” shared Gray. “Having the price point made the business sustainable, but I always wanted to make it accessible to everyone. So I’m really happy that we can offer it to many more people.”

According to Gray, the amount of new Scholly users has increased 2500% since the app became free on July 26, with about 20,000 new users.

Exciting initiatives are on the horizon for Scholly since the acquisition, which includes the launch of exclusive scholarships that will only be available through the platform. Gray is also preparing for a Shark Tank update, which is something that feels “full circle” for the founder and now corporate executive.  

“We’re really going to, with Sallie Mae, get the ability to do what it would have taken me tens of millions of dollars to raise on my own. Being able to really do that and have a huge team behind the product, is just going to bring us up to scale, and just really be able to offer more scholarship opportunities to students,” said Gray.

In their opening game of the Colonial Athletic Association Playoffs, Drexel University defeated Monmouth University 64 to 45— in a game that some believed could have been close. Drexel received a well-rounded performance from the top of the roster to the bottom that rendered the contest anything but competitive. 

Monmouth, the 13th seed in the CAA tournament, erupted for 100 points against Hampton in their previous game against Hampton. Some believed that a performance like that could have sparked the Hawks on to a Cinderella run through the higher seeded Dragons. In spite of being ranked as the 349th best team in the NCAA, Monmouth had toppled Drexel earlier in the season, and some thought there was a chance they could pull off another upset in the playoffs. The Dragons, who are tied for 22nd in the nation in fewest points scored against, flexed their defensive strength on Monmouth throughout the contest, quashing any hope for an upset that Monmouth believers had prior to the game. 

The Dragons had a terrific start to the game, scoring 18 points before Monmouth got their first bucket over a quarter of the way through the game. Drexel’s vaunted defense is tied for 22nd in the nation in scoring defense, a statistic that measures how many points per game a team gives up. The team’s defense was incredibly effective at not allowing Monmouth to get any easy buckets, at the rim or from three-point range. When Monmouth finally did get on the board, it did not provide much of a spark for the team, and Drexel never relinquished their double-digits lead throughout the entire game.

The Dragons, in many ways, looked to be more powerful in this game than at any point in the season. Amari Williams, the CAA Defensive Player of the Year, lead the way with 16 points and 11 rebounds. It was his 10th double-double of the season, a mark that demonstrates the multi-faceted impact that Williams has on a consistent basis for the Dragons. Drexel has routinely relied on Williams to carry the bulk of the production, both offensively and defensively, and then hoped that any other player on the roster would be able to erupt for over double-digits in points. In this game, the Dragons got quality performances from all eight players that saw the floor, especially Luke House and Lamar Oden Jr.. 

The player that Drexel fans were most relieved to see on the court was Justin Moore. The freshman point guard had missed almost a month with an injury prior to returning in this contest. While Moore’s scoring touch was not in form, he controlled the game with his elite passing vision when he ran the point. Moore led all players with his eight assists during the game. Moore’s return alleviated the play-making pressure that was placed on Yame Butler’s shoulders for the past month. Butler, who is more of a pure scorer than a point guard, had a rough night offensively, scoring just two points. Despite this, he made his presence felt defensively all game. The team had a noticeably more cohesive offensive game plan as Butler was able to attract multiple defenders every time he touched the ball. 

The Dragons will play the University of North Carolina Wilmington Seahawks on March 5, at 2:30p.m. In their sole previous bout, Drexel narrowly fell in double overtime to the Seahawks.

Drexel’s Women’s Basketball program has always been a shining star within Drexel Athletics. Year after year, the program wins games, finishes near the top of the conference in the standings and competes hard in the conference tournament. 

The 2022-23 season has been no different thus far; although it has been a year of significant transition and change for Coach Amy Mallon’s squad. The women currently sit atop the CAA conference in the standings. Keishana Washington is having one of the best collegiate basketball seasons any player could ever have. There is a lot to love about the Drexel Women’s Basketball team with three games remaining before the conference tournament. The Triangle sat down with Coach Mallon to have her grade her squad’s performance in typical Drexel fashion, with a midterm significantly after the halfway point of the term. 

“I’d give the season around a B, B+ so far. We’re doing a solid job of taking care of things we need to take care of, and the biggest thing is that we are getting better everyday. We have two freshmen starting for us, and we have two fifth year seniors in Maura Hendrixson and Keishana Washington, in addition to Hetta Saatman in the mix, a senior,” Mallon said. “We have a mix of experience with youth. I think it helps when you have one of the nation’s top scorers in Kei and top assist leader in Maura Hendrixson, but you also have two freshmen still learning exactly what we do here.”

A common theme across Drexel basketball this season has been massive roster turnover. Both the men’s and women’s lost a significant amount of experience and scoring. Unlike the men, however, the women were projected to finish first in the conference in preseason polling. 

“I think having that number one preseason ranking puts a target on our back, and a lot of that comes from respect for our program and our culture and our players. Washington being preseason player of the year, she is capable of doing so much for us, she’s a big reason we were picked number one,” said Mallon.

Coach Mallon understands better than maybe anybody how talented Keishana Washington is. Washington certainly has the ability to carry the Dragons to a successful season. However, Mallon emphasized that, in order to be champions, the team would have to see development across the roster. 

 “We started two freshmen, and I was really hoping that we could get through the non-conference and learn lessons from the wins and the losses. And we definitely did that, we were able to grow. When Kylie Lavelle got hurt, she was our second leading scorer, averaging over 20 points per game. When she got hurt and missed four weeks, Jasmine Valentine was able to fill in and got really good experience in that time, and a player like Chloe Hodges has been able to get a lot of experience lately too. You see each player growing around your core of Washington. Everyone around her is starting to really understand their roles and how when other teams double team her, we are able to make them pay,” said Mallon. 

Nobody can tell the story of Drexel basketball right now without highlighting in the boldest way possible what Keishana Washington has done this season. Coach Mallon certainly understands her importance, not just this season, but for the program as a whole.

“To have a player like Keishana is a gift for the program and also myself as a coach. We have seen her do outstanding things before. She won Most Outstanding Player in the conference in 2021, and she was the key behind us winning the CAA Championship that year. Last year, she was one of the top players in the conference and was so important for us to win a regular season title,” said Mallon. “She has won two regular season titles and one conference championship in her time, I think that just goes to show how she can make those around her better. The best thing about seeing her recognized as a top three scorer in the nation is that it doesn’t even matter to her unless we are winning. That’s what she has to do for us to win, but no matter what, she just does what she has to do for us to win the game.”

Keishana and fellow fifth year senior Maura Hendrixson have shown the entire country their class this year, so much so that they are both being recognized as contenders for national awards. Washington is on the list of ten finalists for the Becky Hammon award, which goes to the best Mid-Major basketball player in the nation, and Hendrixson is on the list of five finalists for the Nancy Lieberman Award, which is given to the best point guard in the nation.

While Hendrixson and Washington have established themselves as top players in the nation as well as key members of the Drexel program, teams that have championship aspirations need more support than just two outstanding players. 

Kylie Lavelle, the freshman forward, burst onto the scene at the beginning of the season. Through her first five games, Lavelle averaged 19 points per game. Unfortunately, she suffered a lower body injury, sidelining her for about a month. Since returning, Lavelle has been serviceable, but not the dominating force she showed she could be early on. According to Coach Mallon, Lavelle is trending in the right direction to be back to the kind of player that the Dragons need.

“Being a freshman is tough, no matter what. It’s a hard year, there’s so many things that are changing and that you’re learning. I thought she had the potential to do some really special things on the court and she did. She got hurt and missed time, through no doing of her own. What she missed that is so valuable to a freshman was the reps. I think that has been frustrating for her, but now that she has been back almost as long as she was out, you see her gaining some momentum and getting more and more comfortable every game,” Mallon said. “That’s really exciting because we have seen what she can do, and the goal really is by March that she is a key person on the floor that everybody has to respect and that she is confident in what she has to do to help us win the game.”

Outside of Lavelle, Mallon has been impressed with the minutes that Hetta Saatman, Chloe Hodges, Jasmine Valentine and Grace O’Neil have contributed.

“Hetta is doing a lot of work that stats don’t show. She is leading the way vocally on the floor on defense making sure we are all on the same page. Chloe has gotten in and scored some points, grabbed some rebounds, made some nice defensive plays. And Jasmine has given us great defense and rebounds and putbacks for us,” Mallon said. “They both have been great at providing a spark for us off of the bench. And Grace O’Neill has been putting together an All CAA rookie season. She’s our leading rebounder as a point guard! She’s the toughest player on the court and the heart of our defense.”

The importance of having a well-rounded team cannot be understated. Being a member of the Drexel Basketball program since 2004, Coach Mallon understands how the Dragons are always going to draw the best out of opponents. Drexel has established itself as the class of the CAA, which means that every other team would love nothing more than to knock the Dragons down. To stay at the top takes an all-hands-on-deck approach and unwavering confidence. 

This season for the Dragons has been magical in a treat in many ways. The roster is full of generationally talented seniors, blossoming freshman stars, and familiar faces hitting their stride as players to give Drexel important contributions when their number is called. The depth of the team is what stands out most to Coach Mallon, and it is why she chose one specific moment as her favorite memory of the season.  

“I really loved our home game against Penn State. The fun part about that game was everybody came off the bench and contributed. Keishana fouled out in overtime, and we still found a way to win that game. That was such a momentum boost for our group. I don’t think people thought we could beat Penn State,” Mallon said.

With just three games left on the schedule, the Dragons are rapidly approaching the all-important conference tournament. One of the realities of being a Mid-Major school is that, unless you win your conference tournament, it is incredibly difficult to make it to the NCAA Tournament. 

Speaking on where she hopes to see her squad as they head to Towson on March 8th, Mallon explained, “I want them to reflect on what we started with day one and realize that we have done the work and now, when we start the tournament, you have to just take each moment and do what we have done all season long.”

“We have to just have confidence in everything that we do and who we are as a team. Have the confidence to be the best that we can be,” Mallon said. “You can’t go to the tournament and be like, ‘Let’s see what happens.’ You have to go out there and take it. Hopefully at that point we can get an A+ on the final.”

Through the week of Feb. 20, 2023,  Drexel University’s chapter of Delta Phi Epsilon celebrated ANAD week, an annual event promoting positive body image and mental health awareness hosted in partnership with the National Association for Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD). 

ANAD is one of several philanthropic partners of the sorority, formally affiliated with the Delta Phi Epsilon International Sorority since 1985 after delegates at a previous year’s convention decided to shift DPhiE’s focus to charitable efforts they felt better reflected the needs of young adults in the modern world. Drexel DPhiE has hosted their own events to commemorate ANAD Week since the chapter’s founding in 2003, crafting a decades-long legacy of supporting mental health and self-esteem. 

This year’s efforts were coordinated by DPhiE philanthropy chair Becca Newman, a second year global studies major, and a group of interested sisters committed to making ANAD week a success. Newman, inspired to add an artistic twist to the idea of self love, selected the theme “I am my own muse.” Newman plans to highlight this theme in all facets of ANAD Week, with events including in-person activities for DPhiE sisters and the public, educational content and fundraising for ANAD. Above all, this week is meant to spread awareness on the importance of being kind to yourself and safeguarding your health. 

“We have social media posts from all the sisters and each day of the week is going to be a different thing, like ‘No Makeup Monday’ or ‘Treat Yourself Tuesday,’ really to get people into the spirit of self care and mental health,” explained Newman. 

Other prompts include “Wear Your Letters Wednesday,” “Throwback Thursday” and “Empowering Friends Friday.” Along with their week-long social media campaign, DPhiE also planned several sisterhood events and a public mental health fair on Lancaster Walk aimed to support positive self esteem and mental well-being.

On Tuesday, sisters participated in a Paint & Sip night to harness their creativity and promote bonding. The fair on Friday includes a Scale Smash event where participants can literally bash their own insecurities in addition to an activity titled ‘Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover,’ where students can pick a brown paper-wrapped book based solely on a simple description rather than its cover art. The fair also features a community mural with self portraits of all attendants to promote positive self image, with all proceeds going directly back to ANAD.

Newman explained that her goals extend beyond this short stretch of events. 

“I hope to continue the values of ANAD throughout the year…just to keep in mind mental health and say it’s not just a one week event,” Newman said. “Mental health always matters.”

On Feb. 16, Drexel University’s Global Studies and Modern Languages Department hosted a Global Passport Series event to celebrate the 200th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and Mexico. 

Throughout the celebration at Nesbitt Hall in the Stein Auditorium, it showcased three keynote speakers: Dr. Arthur Schmidt, an Emeritus Professor of History at Temple University; Dr. Aurora Camacho de Schmidt, Professor Emerita of Latin American Literature at Swarthmore College; and Consul Carlos Obrador Garrido, the Consul of Mexico in Philadelphia. All three speakers each gave their say on why this event was so important to commend.

Dr. Schmidt began by referencing critical historical moments that led to the current political relationship between the U.S. and Mexico, from the very beginning to the present day. Dr. Schmidt described Mexico and the U.S.’s first relationship as “not a happy start” due to the start of the Mexican Revolution. However, he moved into talk about how years later the United States made an informal deal to manage their relationship with Mexico. 

“They had to recognize that Mexico was a vague and complicated country, it couldn’t be pushed around like some Caribbean or Central American country where you could send U.S. troops and tell people what to do,” Schmidt said. 

Dr. Schmidt continued on to discuss how Mexico was there for the U.S. during times like the Cuban Revolution; When they kept trade relations with Cuba before Mexico officially finally sided with the U.S. during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Dr. Schmidt’s speech closed out with him referencing all the diplomatic agreements we have now such as the American Mexican border area being a single environmental region.

Dr. Camacho De Schmidt then spoke about her marriage with Dr. Schmidt, which ties into why she immigrated to the United States. De Schmidt talked about several boiling points during the U.S.-Mexico relationship timeline. One of which was after 9/11 when the U.S. started militarizing the border, but later improved with Mexico and U.S. appointed new leadership and legislation. 

“There may be jarring moments or issues when the two countries discuss immigration, but there is a realm where we are the best of friends,” De Schmidt said.

De Schmidt closed her panel by showing off a famous poem she likes to read called “Booz Canta Su Amor” written by Gilberto Owen Estrada, a Mexican poet who emigrated to the U.S.

The final panelist Consul Obrador Garrido shifted the previous talks’ focus from past to present. He began by giving a presentation about the significance of Mexico’s economy. Garrido brought up how Mexico had over 65,000 companies invest in his country for 22 years and the benefits of his country’s predominantly open economy.

The presentation then shifted into Garrido’s consulate’s latest efforts in Philadelphia. One of which is their newest action to provide dual Mexican American citizenship to immigrant children given that Pennsylvania is one of the 13 states with the highest Hispanic population.

“They can come and bring them to the consulate and we will issue them a Mexican birth certificate with their birth certificate of the United States so those children will have dual citizenship, American and Mexican citizenship,” said Garrido. 

Overall, the GPS event demonstrated how the relationship between the two states includes several tensions over the years, but also tremendous economic and social achievements.