Philadelphia residents will cast their ballots on May 16 to determine which of the eight Democratic challengers will face the Republican mayoral nominee David Oh in the November elections. However, the mayorship is far from the only seat at stake. Several other Philadelphia positions including City Councilmember, City Commissioner, City Controller, Sheriff and Register of Wills, will appear on the ticket in addition to four Pennsylvania-wide judicial appointments. Finally, the ballot will pose four questions that offer voters direct input on budgetary measures, economic development, police oversight and public safety. So, what do these jargon-heavy questions really mean? Here’s each question decoded:

Ballot Question 1: Should The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to expand the requirements for annual minimum appropriations to the Budget Stabilization Reserve, more commonly known as the “rainy day fund”?

Decoded: In 1951, the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter established the city’s government framework. It has since been amended to include the Budget Stabilization Reserve, or the “rainy day fund,” as is customary in most American cities. The rainy day fund is a portion of the city’s budget that, in the event of a surplus, is set aside to cover emergencies, such as the pandemic or a recession. If approved, the amendment would require the city to contribute a larger sum of money to the rainy day fund (0.75% of a 3-5% surplus) than it currently would. This amendment has been endorsed by Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney. 

It is worth noting that the only contributions to the fund since its creation in 2011 have been in 2021 and 2022 due to federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act. In fact, Philadelphia ranked 16th out of 18 cities analyzed in a 2021 PICA study on reserve fund management. 

Voting “yes” supports the expansion of the Budget Stabilization Reserve.

Voting “no” opposes the expansion of the Budget Stabilization Reserve.

Ballot Question 2: Should The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to create the Division of Workforce Solutions within the Department of Commerce and to define its duties?

Decoded: The primary responsibility of the Department of Commerce is to attract and support businesses throughout the city. Currently, the Department of Commerce operates several divisions which provide services for employers and support for women, minority and disabled-owned businesses. If approved, the amendment would add a Division of Workforce Solutions to the Department, defining its duties as promoting workforce development, providing information on job training and connecting citizens to employment opportunities. This amendment has been endorsed by Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney. 

Voting “yes” supports the creation of the Division of Workforce Solutions.

Voting “no” opposes the creation of the Division of Workforce Solutions.

Ballot Question 3: Should The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to make employees of the Citizens Police Oversight Commission exempt from civil service hiring requirements?

Decoded: The Citizens Police Oversight Commission (CPOC) analyzes and evaluates Philadelphia Police Department policies, procedure and practices to foster a healthy relationship between the police force and the community. The commission meets regularly with the mayor, the police commissioner and the public, to provide recommendations and discuss issues. Under the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter, most public employees are subject to the civil service system, which hires, promotes and fires employees based on merit. Certain positions such as the director of finance, the mayor’s clerks and secretaries and officers elected by the people are currently exempt from the civil service evaluation system. If approved, the amendment would include employees appointed by the CPOC as public servants exempt from standard hiring requirements. 

Voting “yes” supports the exemption of employees appointed by the Citizens Police Oversight Commission from the civil service hiring system. 

Voting “no” opposes the exemption of employees appointed by the Citizens Police Oversight Commission from the civil service hiring system. 

Ballot Question 4: Should The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to create the Office of the Chief Public Safety Director and to define its powers, duties and responsibilities?

Decoded: The final ballot question proposes a new cabinet-level position, charged with coordinating resources deployed by police and fire departments, prisons and emergency services in addition to guiding violence-prevention programs, budgetary policies and operational procedures for these institutions. In light of Philadelphia’s gun violence epidemic, City Council members seek to model other American cities with Public Safety Officers to curb mounting homicides. If approved, the Public Safety Officer would be appointed by the mayor but must gain approval from the City Council. Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney opposes this amendment, citing concerns about an inefficient overlap in duties between the impending Public Safety Officer and the existing Managing Director. 

Voting “yes” supports the addition of the Office of the Chief Public Safety Director to the mayor’s cabinet.

Voting “no” opposes the addition of the Office of the Chief Public Safety Director to the mayor’s cabinet. 

Former City Councilmember and real estate developer Allan Domb is one of eight Democratic candidates in Philadelphia’s upcoming mayoral primary on May 16. He is hoping to secure a chance to run against the de facto Republican candidate David Oh in November. Domb spoke with The Triangle in a phone interview where he outlined his top priorities as a prospective mayor and what differentiates him from his many opponents. 

*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

TP: If you were to speak directly to the voters now, what would you say sets you apart from your peers as the best candidate for the city right now?

AD: I have a different experience, so I have a different vision. I’ve spent several years in the private sector building a business from scratch, hiring people, creating good paying jobs, creating opportunity for many people, partnering with small businesses and small entrepreneurs. Then serving almost two terms, almost seven years, in government, in city council. No one else has the experience of doing both. So I come to the table as the next mayor with the leadership skills and understanding government and the private sector and the unique ability to bring them both together to really solve the biggest issues of this city. 

TP: If you were to become mayor, what would would be your top three priorities for your term?

AD: I think number one is public safety. We have to make sure that the city is safe and we have to make sure college campuses are safer. I say number two is education, and number three is creating opportunity and more jobs. We need more jobs to take people out of poverty. We need good paying jobs. So I’d say simply public safety, education, and creation of opportunity and good paying jobs. Underneath each of those categories, there’s subcategories, but those are the overview. 

TP: What do you have in mind for the creation of more jobs in Philadelphia?

AD: The issue is we need more entrepreneurs. There’s 2% to 3% entrepreneurs in this city in the black and brown community. We need entrepreneurship not just in the core of the city, but in every section of the city, number one. Number two, we need to attract more employers into the city. Employers employ people and we need to stop double taxing businesses. We need to make sure that every student at Drexel graduates with a great job, and Drexel has a great program that I’ve been a supporter of for 20 years. I actually have co-op students in my office. But we need to become easier to do business with. The city needs to be supportive of small businesses, entrepreneurs, and employers. Their success is the city’s success. 

We have to do a couple things. One, create the environment that attracts and gives the ability of small businesses to expand, which means a cleaner and safer city. I did publish a public safety, a public services plan on my website, votedomb.com: that talks about street cleaning, that talks about picking up trash on time, filling the potholes, towing the abandoned cars, replacing street lights that are out within 72 hours. Just providing the basic services to the neighborhood businesses where we want inclusive growth. The second is create a better business environment, from the city’s standpoint. Right now we are the only city in the country that double taxes businesses. We need to remove that. We also have the highest wage taxes in the country. So the two major job growth initiatives we need to accomplish are lowering the wage taxes and the removal of what is called the net income or the bird tax, which is killing our businesses. 

TP: Would you say your plans for increasing street lights, picking up trash, filling potholes, are also part of your plan for public safety? Would you say that you’re a proponent of broken windows theory?

AD: Yes. We can talk about all these things, they all connect. Public services helps with public safety. Education helps with public safety. Everything connects together. Crime is the symptom of low-paying jobs, lack of affordable housing and poverty. Education is the cure. When you educate people and we make sure we provide them with a quality education so they can achieve a good paying job, they can afford the housing and climb out of poverty. 

TP: It was reported earlier in the campaign that you had plans to go out and hear perspectives from all of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods. What have you learned from interacting with West Philly residents in particular? 

AD: The issues of Center City are different, in some respects, than the issues of all the other neighborhoods. But every corner of the city has an issue with public safety. The neighborhoods need more attention, including where you are at Drexel. They need more street cleaning, they need us to clean out the abandoned lots and get rid of trash. They need us to board up the abandoned buildings. They need us to focus on the ten or twelve zip codes that have the highest levels of violent crime and be impactful there. What I learned is that all these neighborhoods have similar issues. Every neighborhood wants the same thing: opportunity. They want a better opportunity and a better life for their children than they had, which means the creation of good paying jobs. 

TP: Would you say that in your experience learning about West Philly and dealing with residents that you’ve noticed a fear of the current gentrification happening in that area? Do you have any plans for protecting housing for existing West Philly residents if you become mayor?

AD: One of the bigger issues with gentrification is that we have to make sure that people can keep the home they’re living in. We have to increase homeownership because that is the backbone of generational wealth. 95% of the wealth in this country is in people’s homes. The average wealth of a tenant is $4,000 to $6,000. The average wealth of a homeowner is $200,000.  We’re not doing a good job of making sure people are aware of all the different programs for people that are going through gentrification, whether it’s the senior citizen program or the long term owner occupant called LOOP program or, if you owe some money, the OOPA program, Owner Occupied Payment Agreement. We have so many programs it’s confusing. And then we have a program called the Earned Income Tax Credit, a federal program that supports lower-income learners. Last year, in Philadelphia, we left 100 million dollars of Earned Income Tax Credit money on the table that could’ve gone to 35,000 residents who didn’t apply for it. The average refunds could be two to six thousand dollars. 

We should automatically be trying to enroll them in these programs. I passed a bill called the Wage Tax Bill that puts money into the hands of people to pay their bills so they can stay in their neighborhood. We found that of the top 50 cities in the country, we tax lower income people the highest. The bill reimburses 60,000 Philadelphia families wage taxes between 800-1,000 dollars a year. Unfortunately, very few people applied. We need to do a better job of getting the word out. 

Companies like Benefits Data Trust actually put your information into a computer and tell you exactly which programs you qualify for. People should be going through this process because for every dollar we invest in Benefits Data Trust, they produce ten to twelve dollars back in state and local benefits. It’s a great return, and for people at the lower income level, these dollars are valuable. So when you talk about gentrification and all these other things, the first step is to make sure all this money that’s out there is received by people in that situation. 

TP: Beyond increasing the awareness of already existing programs for residents, do you have any ideas about when gentrification would be unable to be stopped that way? For example, when landlords change the designation of housing from being affordable housing. Would you have any plans that would combat that sort of change from larger developers or larger landlords displacing families?

AD: What we should do is utilize the land the city owns and the buildings the city owns and we should leverage those for affordable housing. We own them. We’re sitting on this inventory. It costs us 15 million a year to maintain this inventory. It’s kinda crazy. We should utilize our assets to create affordable lower income housing for the residents of the city. It’s really the government’s responsibility, not a landlord’s responsibility. We have to step up to the plate and provide that affordable housing. 

TP: Do you have any plans that you think would affect the lives and learning experiences of students here at Drexel and at other universities throughout the city?

AD: Yes. So I can share with you an idea that I brought to Drexel. I met with 13 life sciences companies and asked them what they needed and the way to expand. What came out of it was they needed talent. So I approached Drexel and the Community College of Philadelphia and discussed the idea of creating the  country’s first life sciences college on Drexel’s campus that would focus on gene and cell therapy and other programs like life sciences so we could teach and train people for the life science world and do it in cooperation with our community college so we’re doing it together. And so, to me, that would be a game changer. When you have the talent, you will attract the businesses and you’ll attract the jobs. Our goal has to be ‘how do we keep every Drexel student in the city of Philadelphia?’ We want you all to stay. But we have to create the opportunity and the jobs for you.

Former City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart is one of eight Democratic candidates in Philadelphia’s upcoming 2023 mayoral primary on May 16 hoping to secure a chance to run against the de facto Republican candidate David Oh in November. Rhynhart spoke with The Triangle in a phone interview where she addressed issues relevant to students among other areas she hopes to focus on if elected mayor.

*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Amelia Erb: What would you consider the issues that are most relevant to university students to be, and are there any that you wish that university students would pay a little more attention to, or would be a little more aware of?

Rebecca Rhynhart: Well, I think that for university students, we need to make sure that our city is a safe city and that we grow the economy so that there’s good jobs, so people can stay here after they graduate. And I think it aligns with my platform to make this city safer and cleaner, and to create opportunity. So first, on the issue of safety, I’ve put forth a public safety plan of steps I would take, starting from day one as mayor to tackle gun violence, and crack down on illegal guns. The mayor is responsible for safety in our city, and as mayor, I would pull the district attorney together with the police commissioner, to make sure that we’re on the same page with cracking down on illegal guns.

You know, the police have doubled the number of arrests for illegal carry over the last five years. But the conviction rate by the district attorney has declined from 65% to 42%. The district attorney says it’s because the police cases aren’t as strong as they need to be. Well, let’s all get in the same room and figure this out, because we have to make our city safer. 

And also as mayor, I would coordinate the Philadelphia Police Department with Drexel police, SEPTA police and state police to make sure that everyone is coordinated for true safety, campus safety. So, given the level of gun violence and crime in the city, that is the number one priority right now. But for university students, I think that making sure that there’s job opportunities so that our students stay here after graduating, I want to keep as many of the Drexel grads after graduation as possible, so that’s a big initiative of mine as well. 

AE: I noticed in your public safety plan, you mentioned declaring a citywide emergency to address the issues right now. I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about what the effects of this would be like? Basically, what would it mean for students?

RR: Well, declaring a citywide emergency on gun violence allows the mayor to activate the

emergency operations center. So what that means, from the mayor’s point of view, is that this would enable me, as mayor, to coordinate not just the police department response, but the Streets Department to fix street lighting in high crime areas, library and rec departments to make sure that there is after school programming in the neighborhoods most impacted by the violence. Just for clarification, what I’m calling for, the citywide emergency, is different than a state of emergency. A citywide emergency just allows the mayor to open the Emergency Operations Center. And so it just allows for better coordination and to truly treat the gun violence as with [the] urgency that it deserves. As a student at Drexel, the only difference that would be felt would be stronger coordination and leadership from the mayor and the operating departments to get our city safer.

AE: I also wanted to ask about your former role as a City Controller; obviously that has a lot to do with controlling finances. And I was wondering how that contributes to your perspective on economic growth in the city, and how that background kind of gives you an advantage?

RR: I have spent a number of years working for the city in financial roles. I was the city’s budget

director for five years and then I also served as the independently elected Controller for the last five years, and so I know the city’s finances inside and out. I know how the wage tax, the business income, receipts tax and other taxes contribute to the city’s budget. I also know how to maneuver the city’s budget, meaning that one of the things I think we need to do to encourage business growth is to continue the gradual reductions in the wage tax, and also look to lower the business income and receipts tax. 

So this tax, otherwise called the BURT tax, business income and receipts,is a tax on gross receipts of a business as well as profits. What it means is that small businesses and entrepreneurs are double taxed on their businesses. We’re only one of four cities across the country with this tax this way, and we need to lower that. From my financial knowledge, I know that if we want to lower that tax by 5%, it costs about $35 million. And that’s a number that we would then have to locate. For example, as City Controller, I estimated that the city could save $40 million a year by managing overtime better. Those are the types of adjustments that I’m very aware of because of my knowledge of the city’s finances.

AE: As City Controller, you were also the first woman elected to serve. If elected mayor, you would also be the first woman to serve in that position. What does this mean to you, and have you been able to see progress since you first got that role as controller?

RR: In terms of being the first woman Controller, I feel honored that I did it. It’s amazing to me that the city has gone so long without having a woman Controller or, for that matter, a woman mayor. The city has had 99 male mayors. And we’re looking to elect the 100th mayor on May 16. And I want to be the 100th mayor and the first female mayor that the city has had. I’ve accomplished a great deal as City Controller over the last five years, really moving and expanding my office as Controller beyond the traditional financial audit work to tackling some of the city’s toughest challenges. I worked on gun violence reporting out on what works in other cities and what we should implement here. I did work around the inequity in service delivery across our city.

For example, looking at on time trash collection, and reporting on how your zip code is the

determinant for when your trash gets picked up on time. For example, Center City and northeast Philly have on time trash, maybe 93% of the time or more. While Northwest and South Philly have on time trash pickup rates of only 65% to 75%. This type of service inequity is unacceptable, and as mayor I’m going to change it to make our city work for every neighborhood. We should have services that work for each neighborhood, trash picked up, streets clean and schools that are good. All of the city services should be provided in a way that every neighborhood feels safe and healthy and with opportunity.

AE: You’ve also been recently endorsed by former mayors Nutter and Rendell. I was wondering if you could give some insight into what these endorsements mean to you and what they represent to you?

RR: Mayors, Nutter, Street and Rendell. They’re very different. They all have very different leadership styles, and all had very different policy priorities. But what the three of them agree on is who can best lead our city forward and what it means to me is that the three of them, despite their differences, know what it takes to be mayor. They know what it feels like to get a call at three in the morning that there’s a crisis in our city. And they know what it takes to lead our city through that. They have confidence that I am the right person to lead the city forward. I am honored to have their confidence and I hope to gain the people’s confidence to become the mayor on May 16.

AE: Lastly, I was wondering if you could elaborate on your goals relating to sustainability and addressing the climate crisis?

RR: The climate crisis is, of course, such a severe issue. I put forth a sustained sustainability and

climate action plan, which involves committing to carbon neutrality by 2050, and also committing to be a waste free city by 2035. What that entails is improving our recycling and adding composting. Recycling is down to 8% of the total trash and recycling pickup, meaning that we are not doing a good job as the city with recycling. It was up to 21% at the end of Mayor Nutter’s term, and it has [now] fallen to 8%. That is unacceptable, and as mayor I will prioritize getting recycling, backup, adding composting and becoming waste free by 2035. 

And also on climate change, making sure that as a city, we prioritize reducing

energy consumption in city buildings, and helping homeowners across our city make improvements to their homes, especially lower income families that encourage energy reduction, insulation and other changes and improvements to homes. I have a whole plan on this. I actually was an environmental studies major in undergrad and I care deeply about the environment and about sustainability. This is a priority for me going forward.

Philadelphia’s Democratic mayoral primary will be held Tuesday, May 16. This key election will determine which candidate runs in November’s mayoral election for a chance to serve as Philadelphia’s one-hundredth mayor. This guide offers more information about the election, including how to vote and background on the candidates.

Where to vote

Completed mail-in or absentee ballots must be received by the county board of elections by 8 p.m., and they may be dropped off in person. The county board of elections is located at 142 City Hall, 1400 JFK Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19107. 

If you are voting in person, polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. You can visit vote.phila.gov to find your polling place and ward and division number. 

What is a primary election? 

In primary elections, voters who are affiliated with the Democrats or Republicans must vote for their party’s nominees. If you don’t belong to either of those parties, you may still vote on ballot questions. 

This election will decide which candidates will be on the November 7 ballot. Here is a complete list of candidates running for Philadelphia mayor: 

Democrat 

Warren Bloom: Philadelphian who has run for other positions at least six times. His priorities include strengthening public schools, creating better health care access and protecting women’s health rights, creating a safer city with “environmental excellence” and fighting for ministerial leadership for the city. 

Amen Brown: The youngest candidate, a West Philly native that served in the State House. His priorities include a 3-year Business Income & Receipts Tax abatement for small businesses, starting a social media taskforce to monitor “gang activity” and making it illegal to wear ski masks, and implementing a blight removal plan and update of trash collection system. 

Jeff Brown: Known as a grocery store magnate praised for opening stores in “food deserts” in Black and brown neighborhoods. He is endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police and the Transport Workers Union. His priorities include addressing generational poverty and encouraging minority entrepreneurs, hiring more police officers and building institutional support for returning citizens — people facing the transition from prisons and jails to society. 

James M. “Jimmy” DeLeon: A retired West Philly judge who served on the Municipal Court for 34 years and chaired the legal committee for the Democratic City Committee. His priorities include coordinating anti-violence efforts of law enforcement agencies, hiring 1,500 new police officers and establishing citywide rent control. 

Allan Domb: A real estate businessman who has served two terms as a councilmember. He is endorsed by former Mayor Bill Green. His priorities include decreasing violence with a 10-point action plan, providing affordable housing and improving K-12 education with a focus on entrepreneurship and financial literacy. 

Delscia Gray: Philadelphia native who currently serves as protective services officer with Jefferson Health. She does not have an online campaign presence, but an interview with Metro Philadelphia revealed her priorities of anti-violence and focusing the School District’s resources on building a K-12 school in Center City that would enroll many public school students.

Helen Gym: An education activist who served two terms on City Council. She has been endorsed by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Working Families Party, Reclaim Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers. Her priorities include taking a unified approach to public safety, establishing accessibility to fully-funded public schools and expanding affordable housing and its protection as a human right. 

Cherelle Parker: Northwest Philadelphia native who served as a state representative in Harrisburg for 10 years, followed by seven years of service on the Philadelphia City Council. Her priorities include implementing a city safety plan, including more police presence, increasing year-round schooling in public education and reducing wage and business taxes. 

Rebecca Rhynhart: Former city treasurer, city budget director, chief administrative officer and the first woman to serve as City Controller. She is endorsed by three former mayors and the Philadelphia Inquirer. Her priorities include reducing violent crime, increasing school funding and quality of education and increasing economic opportunity that is “shared and sustainable” according to her campaign website. 

Republican

David Oh: A former assistant district attorney who served on the City Council for nearly three years. His priorities include stricter prosecution and sentencing, a direct election of five school board seats and increasing job growth by attracting new businesses. 

What are the Ballot Questions?

• Should The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to expand the requirements for annual minimum appropriations to the Budget Stabilization Reserve, more commonly known as the “rainy day fund”?
• Should The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to create the Division of Workforce Solutions within the Department of Commerce and to define its duties?
• Should The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to make employees of the Citizens Police Oversight Commission exempt from civil service hiring requirements?
• Should The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to create the Office of the Chief Public Safety Director and to define its powers, duties and responsibilities?

Philadelphia’s 2023 primary also features races for state Supreme, Commonwealth and Superior Courts, alongside local elections including City Council at-large and district seats, City Commissioner, City Controller, and Sheriff positions. The full list of positions can be viewed in this article from Billy Penn.

In the final mayoral forum before Philadelphia voters choose a Democratic candidate for Philadelphia’s one-hundredth mayor in the city’s primary election on Tuesday, May 16, nine candidates joined Philadelphia’s only Black-owned talk radio station WURD at University City’s Science Center for a conversation sponsored as part of Comcast’s Philly Tech Week on the theme of “Inclusion, Innovation, and Philadelphia’s Future.” 

In the debate-style discussion, WURD hosts Solomon Jones, Andrea Lawful-Sanders and Joann Bell questioned candidates around strategies to integrate technology into plans for sectors like public safety, public education reform and economic growth in Black communities.

The forum featured Democratic candidates Rebecca Rhynhart, Jeff Brown (who was disclosed as a minority investor in WURD), Cherelle Parker, Amen Brown, James “Jimmy” DeLeon, Helen Gym, Allan Domb and Warren Bloom, along with de facto Republican nominee David Oh. 

The contrast in candidates’ approaches to crime were stark. Some saw increased surveillance as the answer, such as Amen Brown, whose “Fitzgerald Law” allocates municipal grants for drones with gunshot detection and heat-sensing technology. Jeff Brown similarly supported funding identification technologies like facial recognition, while Parker proposed implementing a camera surveillance network in her Neighborhood Safety and Community Policing Program. Gym, however, advocated instead funding immediate preventative crisis response in the form of emergency responders and “non-police mobile mental health crisis units.”

Notably, candidates also took strong stances on regulating social media’s potential as a catalyst for violence. One proposed solution came from DeLeon, who suggested allowing local courts to administer case-by-case social media bans, coupled with a citywide curfew. Bloom, who branded himself “the only candidate who’s willing to admit I don’t know everything,” pledged to appoint youth to promote positive social media narratives. Domb and Rhynhart both argued for conflict resolution programs in schools, with Domb planning to bring law enforcement into these programs while Rhynhart would use social media to promote public youth activities. 

Youth support remained a major focus, with Lawful-Sanders highlighting that only 34% of third to eighth-grade students in the School District of Philadelphia met reading standards during the 2021-2022 school year. Oh attributed this to flaws in the Philadelphia School Board, saying that he would replace all current board members and rebuild its governance structure because “you can’t build success around failure.” A number of candidates, including Jeff Brown, Domb and Amen Brown, also suggested reforming school curriculum by incorporating technical and financial education.

Senzwa Ntshepe, guest speaker and founder of local BIPOC-business accelerator The Connect, delved deeper into the economic impact of young technology-focused Philadelphians by asking the candidates how they would retain and attract Black business owners. Jeff Brown addressed the issue with ideas for a social equity and social venture fund with city investments and shared living arrangements for Black entrepreneurs. Bloom also encouraged housing and grant incentives, while Gym expressed a need to “dramatically expand Philadelphia’s commerce department.” Parker, on the other hand, sought to expand public resources by appointing a deputy mayor for minority business growth who would help local business ventures get funded. 

Despite their different methods of using technology, all candidates affirmed during the forum that it would factor heavily into Philadelphia’s future and be a vital tool for its next mayor to access. How technology will affect Philadelphians’ everyday lives is something they can help decide for themselves by voting in Pennsylvania’s 2023 primary election on May 16.

With the booming box office success of Illumination’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” bringing in an unforeseen $909.9 million and HBO Max’s “The Last of Us” becoming one of HBO’s best-performing series since the eight and final season of “Game of Thrones”, it is clear that there is a noticeable surge in the popularity of video game adaptations, especially as more and more classic games are in the works for being adapted for the big screen or streaming services. 

However, whilst video game adaptations are on the rise, it appears that comic book movies are starting to lose their appeal. In 2023, releases like Marvel Studios’ “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” along with Warner Bros.’ “Black Adam” and “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” have failed to live up to the hype of their respective cinematic universes. With “Ant-Man” suffering a colossal second week drop in the box office whilst “Black Adam” and “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” struggle to make back their budgets. It seems that while video game adaptations have “Konami-coded” their way to success, comic book movies have lost the powers of attraction.  

There are a number of factors that could explain why video game adaptations are succeeding where comic book movies are failing. First, video game stories like “Super-Mario Bros,” “The Last of Us” and “Sonic the Hedgehog” often contain more unique and engaging storylines than modern comic books movies, as many — even DC Studio’s Co-CEO James Gunn — admit that superhero movies have become formulaic and mundane. Additionally, video games’ productions are usually one-off films or a trilogy at most, so there is no need for an in-depth understanding of the cinematic universe or a dozen movies and television shows to watch for context.

To understand the storyline of “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” — the second Doctor Strange movie released by Marvel Studios — one would need to watch the first “Doctor Strange” to know who Doctor Strange is, “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame” to know why he is not the Sorcerer Supreme anymore, “WandaVision” to know why Wanda is suddenly evil — and if you do not know who Wanda or Vision is good luck, because you now need to add on “Avengers: Age of Ultron” and “Captain America: Civil War” onto the watchlist to get the skinny on their whole storyline which is incredibly relevant to her motivations in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” 

To understand “Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” you would need to watch “Sonic the Hedgehog.” That is it. 

Personally, I understand why people are starting to switch from hyping up comic book films to video game adaptations. Even as a major fan of DC and Marvel, there is only so much time and money I can spend in theaters watching the same basic storyline. Even with anti-superhero superhero shows like Amazon Prime’s “The Boys” and “Invincible,” I find myself tired with the concept after a season or two. Despite comic book movies and shows having a plethora of captivating storylines, I feel that  studios do not utilize them to their best ability and instead opt to redo tired, overdone plots and characters since they think that is what the audience wants. I also believe that the releases of one to two comic book movies every season is making the genre seem overproduced, with many online even joking that Marvel movies are like jury duty for actors. While I do not feel that comic book movies are going to fade into obscurity, I do think they will need to change their tactics if they want to remain relevant in the ever-changing landscape of entertainment.

Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health staff members are initiating an effort to obtain paid family leave.

During a meeting of staff members across the different departments of Dornsife School of Public Health, staff representatives began to raise the topic of the university’s family leave policy. This caught the attention of Drexel staff advocates as Drexel is the only research intensive, R1 research university in the state that does not offer paid leave to professional staff members. 

Family leave is defined by the university as any leave, paid or unpaid, that is taken by faculty or staff to care for family in the case of an emergency or illness, as well as leave that is taken upon the birth or adoption of a child. 

The discrepancy lies in how staff members are allotted family leave compared to their faculty coworkers. Drexel staff are allowed 12 weeks of leave as per the federal Family and Medical Leave Act. To receive any compensation for this, they have to use sick and vacation time. Any time taken in excess of paid time off (PTO) is unpaid. Faculty get six weeks paid after one year and 12 weeks after two years.

The disparity is clearly highlighted between the policies for staff members versus faculty members. Drexel faculty encompasses any employee that has a teaching or professorial role at the university. Drexel defined staff are those in a wide range of roles varying from administrators and academic advisors to custodial workers. Often, this means that lower wage university employees are not taking as much time as they may need for their families due to an inability to support themselves and their family without paid leave. 

Staff members from Drexel’s Public Health department have begun work on developing a policy brief to discuss the impacts of paid leave among professional staff. Among the Public Health staff advocates is Natalie Shaak, operations manager for the Center for Hunger-Free Communities and chair of the Dornsife School of Public Health Staff Coordinating Committee. 

“Most people find that if they are not paid, they can’t take time off,” Shaak said. “That tends to impact lower wage workers and lower income families much more.”

Following the release of their brief, Shaak and the Dornsife School of Public Health Staff Coordinating Committee are hoping the university will implement a six week paid leave for staff members to match the existing policy for faculty. 

The committee is an advocate for better and paid leave for families on the basis of the positive impact that extended leave has on both parents and children, especially in the case of maternity or paternity leave. 

“There’s a lot of really important things as far as family bonding and mental health that are impacted by people being able to take time off after having a child. There’s also a piece of it that is related to physical health for the child and specifically the mother,” Shaak said. 

In fact, Natalie Pederson, a tenured professor of LeBow College of Business and member of the Legal Studies Department at Kline Law School, wrote to the Philadelphia Inquirer in 2017 regarding the issue of family leave. 

“Numerous studies have shown the benefits to parents and children of time off with newborn babies, benefits that include decreased infant-mortality rates, increased IQ scores in children whose parents take leave, and increased family financial stability,” Pedersen wrote. “Offering paid leave enhances these benefits because it increases the likelihood that new mothers and fathers can afford to take advantage of the leave.”

Additionally, the policy brief written by Dornsife is intended to help the university understand how they would be improving staff relationships and family relationships by bettering their leave policies, as well as making Drexel job positions more desirable to future candidates. Shaak points out that the university is unlikely to lose any additional money in improved leave due to how the budgets are built to encompass six weeks of paid time. 

“What they’ve found in a lot of research is that when folks take leave, they actually are more engaged and more likely to stay at their employer long term. I think for Drexel to really attract the best staff, we need to be offering this [paid leave] to be more competitive,” Shaak said.

Student organizations in all forms play pivotal roles in our lives. Over 300 student organizations call Drexel University home; they are run by student presidents who are eager, passionate and produce exemplary work on campus. They leave their mark on campus to make a space that is inclusive and worthwhile. However, out of the 300 organizations on campus, a mere 12 are led by a Latinx undergraduate student.  

The Latinx undergraduate population is roughly 6.6 percent of the student population, yet the numbers continue to grow as these Latinx presidents not only fill these positions but build the vision of their organizations to be distinctive entities. They push the fold of what was done in the history of these respective clubs to show that Drexel is much more than its cliché as a ready-to-work environment. Students have found their own places to develop their skills and create chosen families. 

From the margins of representation, they have been distinguished in 2022 for their excellence, dedication and exemplary work to push the fold. The Triangle presents these leaders to amplify their stories and their work at their respective student organizations and to highlight the unique hardships they endure as a mentor, provisioners and spokespersons all wrapped neatly in one title. 

All of the Latinx leaders are represented within this feature excluding the Editor-In-Chief of the Triangle. 

Oscar Lopez, President of Drexel’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA)

Oscar Lopez, 21, is a Junior Communication major who is now in his second year as the acting president of PRSSA’s Drexel Chapter. He is the first Latino in Drexel’s PRSSA chapter. 

He knew from an early age, until his exposure as a writer at the Triangle in 2020, that he wanted to be a broadcast reporter.  But then he found his path to lay in public relations after being recruited by Professor and PRSSA advisor, Scott Tattar. From that point on, he became loyal to his PRSSA community through their online general body meetings during the COVID-19 quarantine. 

“It gave a place for community while I was in my room,” Lopez states. 

However, it was unlike him to become a president. He had never done any extracurriculars until college, let alone run for president. However, Professor Tattar advised him to become president. He accepted his position after the internal elections with a proud speech over Zoom in February 2021. 

Oscar leads his club with the intention to “give it character.” He keeps balance in the organization’s activities by bringing in guest experts within the broad field of media and professional development opportunities. He plans networking opportunities, resume building, mock interviews and much more to develop professional skills in a welcoming environment; he makes sure the spaces are not lecture-based. It is a place to cultivate these skills outside of the classroom. 

Oscar knows that as a leader there is no room for ego. 

“It’s about lifting my team members, I can manage myself, [this is about] talking with them–not at them,” he states.

Oscar has learned to not only make the club social and cultivate identity within but also to adamantly work towards engagement outside of the members. 

Oscar is a Mexican-American first-generation college student, and although he is the first Latino president of PRSSA, he states that he doesn’t want that to be his legacy. His goal is not just to show up in these spaces but to create real progressive change. He wants for himself and other Latinxs to be seen as multi-faceted; Latinxs can lead conversations on anything and not just the culture of the diaspora. He declares to all, “We’re not a monolith.” 

Oscar plans to step down as president as he looks toward graduation. Now in his last year as president, he tells the Triangle about his plans to move to a new position he has been creating for himself at PRSSA–the student advisor. In this role, he would act as a “VP of personnel,” managing the 50 students that are currently enrolled in PRSSA. 

He states, “it takes a village to keep any [organization] alive,” and with that, there must be someone that can aid the executive board to not only nourish the organization but to execute a vision for the future generations of PRSSA members. Looking forward, Oscar believes in the potential community of Drexel PRSSA and intends to work to progress his legacy. 

Martha Victoria, Dragons First

Martha Victoria, 20, sets it off as the sitting president of one of the only organizations that supports first-generation college students, Dragons First. 

As a Junior Health and Food Sciences major, Martha came to Drexel and Dragons First her first year virtually in the midst of Drexel’s full-year online courses during COVID-19. For her, and for many Latinxs, she was excited to go to college to reach a goal so many had been unable to reach. However, her first-year experience went against the norm. She notes the distinction of her introduction to Dragons First in contrast to an in-person recruitment session. Martha still made consistent attempts to attend their online general body meetings, in an effort to not let the online setting dampen her first-year college experience. 

She soon after applied to be the event coordinator for the club. Martha applied with intentions to step up with more responsibility within the organization. 

“I have a lot of ideas, I like to see my ideas come to life,” she states.

She was thereafter hired for the position and began a new period of development into a leader. 

Fast-forwarding to in-person classes, she elevated herself to a new level where she started taking on the duties of the president.

“I didn’t really get to really do anything as an event coordinator, so I decided to step up. I felt that I had the potential to prevent [Dragon’s First] from being frozen. I signed us up to be recognized in July 2022,” she says. 

Martha had quickly found herself tasked with recruiting a whole new executive team, despite her own hesitations to step into a presidential role. 

“Not only do I have to oversee my position, but I had to oversee everything; I had to make sure people stayed on their tasks, it was a lot of responsibility,” she states. “I’m still learning. I trust them to do what they’re expected to do.” 

Dragons First is still growing in recognition on campus with Martha’s vision and hard work. Martha is working on a national first-generation celebration event and growing into being a leader rather than a follower. She discusses how her time in lower-responsibility roles required advocating for herself, but is now on the receiving end of her peers advocating for themselves.

Martha emphasizes that she is still new and growing in her role as a leader, which to her means no bias and supporting her peers. She expresses how her latinidad has told her to never take no for an answer; she implements her lifelong experience as a first-generation to be the leader she wants to be.  

The responsibilities of the big role have slowly started steeping in and she is hoping to become a bigger name on Drexel’s campus. With recruiting and events, she embarks on a trail that is new and unfamiliar, yet sets a standard for first-generation students at Drexel to reach out for help, get resources and feel less isolated on campus.  

“I felt 5 steps behind people [who aren’t first-gen], I want to help people know what they know,” she mentions. 

Dragons First is a chapter of a larger nonprofit organization the Collective Success Network. Dragons First also provides support and resources for first-generation college students while also connecting these students to resources and mentorship the larger nonprofit provides.

Luis Benitez, Latinos United Campus (LUC)

Luis Benitez, 22, is LUC’s Puerto Rican president. It is in Benitez’s mission to make a second home for Latinx students at Drexel. 

Benitez is an Entertainment and Arts Management major who took LUC as his own personal goal to elevate LUC as sustainable and worthwhile. His journey to the presidency was marked with ambition and executed with strategy, starting off as a mere general member to the then co-program associate, vice president and now president.

Luis came to LUC through a recruitment session and joined in part of wanting to find space as a native Puerto Rican to meet other Hispanics on campus. He came filled with ideas that would ensure slow but concrete expansion of the organization, including coordinating more events on campus with different topics and themes. LUC went from hosting a few events and socials a year to working with co-associate Laura Herndon Garcia to hosting several events within a term. 

Alongside Laura, the associates worked diligently to early hours of the morning to make LUC a name to reckon with.

 “We know LUC can do more. Laura was very wise and she formed a team…we asked to step up and became president and vice president, me as vice president.” Luis states, explaining this is where he felt his true involvement began. 

With a newly-formed 8-people team, LUC was able to host their first (and now annual) Hispanic Heritage Month celebration. The event broke record numbers in attendance with 150 people showing up to celebrate. 

“The events keep getting bigger and bigger,” he boasts. 

In 2022, he transitioned smoothly into the presidency. He works to make LUC more than just another identity-based organization but to have elements of education, socials and to celebrate the diversity of latinidad. 

He additionally works to get younger classes of students into serious roles to remove the stigma that only seniors are capable. He is now the only senior in a leadership position at LUC.  

“We have people in our community creating a space that we wanted to have seen for ourselves,” he informs. 

Luis hopes Drexel will highlight the diversity on campus. 

“Without the lack of attention, people like me wouldn’t have stepped up and raised their voice to these problems…I don’t want my students to go through what [Laura and I] went through. We broke new ground alone,” Luis mentions.

Yet, his Latin identity has empowered him to “be a voice for change.” 

He works in his role at LUC to work with Drexel in a more proactive way. He hopes the work done by the LUC leaves a lasting legacy not only for Latinxs on campus but for all. He believes in collective advocacy and will make history despite the hurdles.  

He leaves his final remark: “You owe it to yourself to advocate and be extremely loud about your needs.” 

Raquel Giselle Ramos, Drexel University’s Indigenous Students of the Americas

Raquel Giselle Ramos, 21, made Drexel history as the co-founder of the university’s first and only club solely dedicated to Indigenous students on campus. 

Raquel founded DISA during her time as a member of LUC. A fellow student had mentioned they wanted to start an indigenous student-oriented organization. It coincided with a time when Raquel was also unearthing her own indigenous Taino and Chibcha roots. 

“It was a perfect way to give people like me on my journey a safe space on campus,” she comments.

Once they were approved to be an organization in the fall term of 2020, Raquel became vice president. The decision was out of respect for the idea of the organization originating from her co-founder Sky Harper. At the same time, they had expanded the identity-based organization to indigenous students rather than just Native American students, creating space for those who were otherwise considered non-Native American to feel welcomed to draw and share certain cultural and heritage parallels with each other. 

For Raquel, DISA was pivotal for her in becoming more engaged in campus activities. Her previous sole focus on graduating expanded much more. It was the first time that cultural and advocacy intertwined. 

“I saw more than ever this student population, whether [or not] it is small, there’s a voice and representation for them,” she declares. 

To be a leader in itself was a powerful honor for Raquel. She cites her early childhood and the fact she grew up in “the projects,” low-income housing predominantly with residents of color. 

“You are told before you’re born that you’re not going to amount to anything,” Raquel asserts. 

She goes further to elaborate on her goal to leave an example to people–to tackle the identity of an ally to another level, despite the people trying to keep marginalized people quiet. 

Being a leader also means courage in times of tribulation. When she felt pressured to step down for her activism, she knew she had to continue, to pave the way for people after her in DISA and on campus. 

“I’m an example to others to show what one person can do… I want to show that I’m not another Latina who had her voice taken away. I refuse to step down, to quit and to hand it to someone who is not worthy,” she expresses. 

Raquel and Sky work to make DISA a home away from home for the small but mighty indigenous population at Drexel and to weaken the sentiments of isolation. Furthermore, they work to highlight the diversity of indigenous cultures (in the ways the club deems appropriate) and bring education to the campus. Now DISA works to unravel white-washed history as well as securing approval of a land acknowledgement plaque on campus. The plaque is still pending for the exact language but is estimated to be revealed in the spring term of 2023. 

Louis Vincent Catacalos, Oh so PSI chapter of the Latino America Unida Lambda Alpha Upsilon fraternity incorporated 

Louis Vincent Catacalos, 22, recalls the one summer after freshman year he had off, where he embarked on his journey to the eventual presidency of Lambda Alpha Upsilon. 

He had been asked over and over to join the fraternity by his friend and later co-founder, Andrew Espinoza, 22. Yet with a bit of convincing that the fraternity was a tangible way to make a difference on campus, Louis joined as a regular member of Oh so PSI. However, Andrew was the only member, therefore making Louis a foundational member of the fraternity. 

“Just the idea that I would become a foundational part of something on campus stuck out to me. That’s what I wanted–to put my stamp on campus for, hopefully, a long time. To create something lasting that I’m especially passionate about,” Louis recalls. 

Fast forward to 2021, Louis was elected as president of Oh so PSI where he felt fully prepared to accept the position. Louis leads this chapter energetically and proactively as possible. Networking can be stifling, but the best way to recruit? Louis believes it’s “action.” People will be attracted to how the organization already runs. 

“We are a family. That is our recruitment. The important thing is those interpersonal relationships,” he declares. 

Under Louis’s direction, Oh so PSI is on its feet now. They have held around eight events within this fall term and are planning on more for the rest of the year. For him, being a Latin leader is a matter of pride.

 “I take a lot of pride in my identity…. I try to use my position astutely. I try to recognize who I am representing,” he states.

Louis explains how identity meshes with representation, “you inadvertently represent everyone who shares your identity,” he states, citing his own Afro-Latino identity. “I try to be a voice of intersectionality…having an intersectional identity, I feel like I’m trying to stick up for all parts of myself.” 

This sentiment translates into the work of Oh so PSI, as Louis clarifies that although the fraternity is “Latino based not Latino exclusive. “We have Hermanos (brothers) from all different backgrounds—Hermanos who are Malay, Nigerian and Bangladeshi.  We make it a point to make a difference on campus.”

The difference between Oh so Psi and other fraternities lie in the fact that they are small but create ripples of noise on campus. Despite being relatively new, they are “Hermanos for life,” in Louis’s philosophy. You feel the hospitality echoed in other chapters of Lambda Alpha Upsilon from other chapters across the nation.

It feels good to be a part of something that is larger, and now, flourishing. It is something Louis carries with him everywhere—literally. As he displays his arm tattoo that reads “Venceremos,”(we will overcome) a piece of the fraternity’s motto, Venceremos Porque Nacimos Para Triunfar! (We will overcome because we were born to triumph!). 

Alana Martinez Alonso, The Drexel Latinx Medical Student Association + (Premedical Latinx undergraduate society) (DLMSA+) 

Alana Martinez Alonso, 21, is the founder member and president of DLMSA+. She was recruited by the eventual sister chapter of DLMSA at Drexel’s College of  Medicine, to start an undergraduate chapter of LMSA. Which later garnered them their “+” to their name.  

Alana gets straight to the point and gets the ball rolling with her team to create the undergraduate chapter that is now flourishing with resources and members respectively. Alana was a founding member but at the time of LMSA+’s inception, she was the event coordinator. Her involvement grew while in her role and the next year filled in to be president. 

Similar to many start-ups, there were difficult moments. Alana and the rest of the e-board struggled to get their engines up and running, and her limitations as an inexperienced leader became strenuous. 

Her work is utmost of importance to her since she works to push to see Latinxs in healthcare more. It’s crucial in a variety of ways for Alana; to be able to connect with patients of color who can feel comfortable in your care, as well as speak their language. 

“A different opinion, a new perspective,” she says. 

For her, being represented in healthcare is a great pride. 

“You can relate to a wider group of patients, understand them at different depths because of cultural reasons–to some extent you can relate what you feel. There’s a big lack [of Latinx in healthcare]. It brings an extra level of care,” she states.

With DLMSA+ she not only promotes Latinx representation but also connects members with financial tools they need in college–resources she wished she had for herself. She recounts the numerous times she tried to research and connect in ways that would support her in college, feeling as though it wasn’t enough. 

“It’d be a shame to not pursue your career because you have financial struggles,” she mentions.

DLMSA= is able to do this by making sure they are in contact with the national chapter as well as continuing to offer financial tools. Alana continues her work of being a mentor for her members as she looks toward providing them with all the tools necessary to thrive in Drexel’s environment. 

Alexis Raya, The Drexel Chi User Experience Club

Alexis Raya is in a league of her own as the president of the Drexel Chi User Experience club. 

She tells the Triangle that the field is relatively broad. Her major in User Experience and Interaction Design and the club’s mission coincide with each other—to show every major that UX applied for almost all other fields.

Alexis started her college experience during the COVID-19, where she initially attended the sole Chi’s event over zoom. 

“I didn’t see many events and they were mostly overlapping with my classes,” she states.

She applied to be president after a short time over zoom on a Google form, after her club advisor encouraged her to take a higher role due to the lack of UX majors actually holding a high role at the time. 

She has found that managing the team was more of a challenge than expected. 

“I know I’m the type that if something is not done, I’ll get it done. But my position is supposed to be a facilitator,” she says, “It’s different here because it’s [my] peers. It has been tricky balancing work-friendship balance.” 

Alexis gives her team trust and faith they will do what is needed to make the club active. She intertwines her identity with her work in a more nurturing sense.

“At the root of [my identity], it’s showing, giving people our character ticks and roots as a people. It’s about empathetic and family-centered, [making them] feel like they’re part of a group, making them feel like they are cared for,” she says. 

From her perspective, it’s paid off. As she cites the 50 active members in the club and over 250 registered on Dragon Link. It can be lonely as a first-generation college student to not see people like you in leadership positions. For Alexis, it felt like she was losing herself amid a new city, campus and position. Yet, her accomplishments as a first-generation college student outweigh the isolation she feels. 

Ale Gonzales Montoya, Queer People of Color Club

Ale Gonzales Montoya, 21, hails from Lima, Peru to be a president in their own regard of the Queer People of Color club. 

Ale took over with a drive that allowed for the sustainability of the club– a crucial drive since the club disbanded in 2015.

 ”I wanted the club to continue because it was very meaningful and important to me,” they mention.

So, they applied to be treasurer. From treasurer to VP, to president, Ale reminisced the time spent amongst the e-board discussing their slow transition into each role. Something Ale is grateful for. 

“There has been so much growth,” they say elated. “Everyone I work with is so talented. I wanted to be a good leader and make space for them. It was a little tough but I found a groove. I’m proud of what we’re doing. We are growing as an org and me as a leader.” 

The ways in which QUPOC runs under Ale’s directions has allowed them to find a place of rest amid constant fighting in the world over their ethnicity, race and gender. QUPOC is a home for rest, Ale makes reference to the stressful 10-week quarters at Drexel.

“Drexel makes it overly complicated to prove why we exist on campus. [We] need resources and space, “ they state. “They still don’t give [us] enough. As an org, we are under a system that constrains [us.]”

Ale knows that some people aren’t ready to understand the diverse identities that exist.

“Sometimes those negative voices come from within, but those messages aren’t mine, they are taught,” they say. “It’s helpful to have people believe in them. The process is difficult.”  

Being Latinx, for Ale is complex, as they come to Drexel as an international student as well as a queer, non-binary person of color. They know their sexuality and gender are not accepted–let alone brought up in their home country, making it feel very exclusionary in their birth home. However, Being a leader of QUPOC, Ale approaches queerness with reverence and latinidad with grace. 

“It might not be many of us, but those who are outspoken are needed,” Ale elaborates. “It’s a lot of energy, the big things are recognized but many small things about latinidad are not recognized. I just want us to be fine and we are taken care of. People might not have to worry about the same things and values as we do. ‘I always question where is the time to yourself?’”

Now in their several months of presidency, Ale has created a space for peaceful rest among members of QUPOC. 

John Alexander Solano, Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA)

John Solano, 20, is the Ecuadorian president of ALPFA– the Association of Latino Professionals for America– among many other things. 

The Drexel Chapter of ALPFA is one of the few identity-based organizations that John was inclined to join due to its resources for internships, networking and resume building. Since he joined during the pandemic, he stayed and joined to be a board member his second year at Drexel, Alongside joining LUC as their treasurer too. 

When asked by the former president and vice president of ALPFA to fill in the role of president, John happily accepted. However, he notes how predominantly the freshman population is on the team. People went away for the summer on their only break, which allowed him to go to the national convention of ALPFA sponsored and for free alongside six other Drexel students.

“It wasn’t until I got to the convention and met with other presidents that I got an idea of what I should do…I’m basically a delegate. I reach out to a lot of professionals.”

Since his return from the convention, he’s worked closely with LUC to make events for both clubs, meetings with his e-board to plan events in the future, and fundraising. 

Despite the new fresh feeling of being president, to be a Latino leader at Drexel “feels great,” he says. “There’s a small Latinx population here at Drexel. There are not a lot of non-identity-based orgs that are Latinx leaders. They leave a great example. It’s something that I’m proud of to be representative of the professional side of things.”  

Majo Garcia, Undergraduate Student Government Association (USGA)

Majo Garcia, 21, is President of the Undergraduate Student Government Association and had the privilege earlier this year to speak at Drexel’s Convocation Ceremony.

“I could not believe I was there, standing next to university leadership in regalia, speaking words of encouragement and hope to my fellow students,” she states. “After the ceremony, various students and faculty reached out to me, expressing how proud they were to see a Latina being part of such important events. Their words of praise and happiness moved me.”

It was one of her core memories of being at Drexel and something she knew would make her family back in Honduras proud. However, it wasn’t until later that Majo realized how much it meant to the Latino and other historical minority communities here on campus. 

“Experiences like this throughout my administration have emphasized the importance of representation. It meant that someone like me with big dreams but limited resources, could have a seat at the table and uplift the voices of students from different backgrounds and identities,” she states. “As a Latino leader at Drexel, I am filled with hope and pride that our students realize the value of having diverse voices included in decision-making processes across the university. I feel a great privilege being able to share the values and work ethic my Latino community and my country have taught me.”

Throughout her time as president, she has focused on the sustainability of USGA to last long after her own time to graduate. From creating resources for survivors of sexual violence to expanding services from the counseling center to supporting student-led initiatives, Majo’s ultimate goal has been to support students that “have a vision of what their communities need.”

Looking forward, Majo is looking forward to creating an environment where all students feel empowered during her administrative term. She hopes they can recognize their power, regardless of the fear, and become advocates for themselves and what their needs are to create a better, more inclusive environment on campus. 

When Twitter was first created in 2006, it was regarded as a fun microblogging site for people to share the mundane aspects of their lives with their friends. Simple things such as what someone ate for breakfast were common parts of the site. As time went on, Twitter evolved into a social media giant. Since its inception, Twitter has dealt with a variety of issues including how to make money and how to police bad actors who use the site for nefarious purposes.

The recent purchase of Twitter by Elon Musk has brought to light what many of us have known for some time — the platform is a mess! Twitter is not a profitable company. Much of the revenue it generates is from advertising, and it is estimated that around half of all advertisers have distanced themselves from the site since Musk took over. Twitter’s inability to make money has always called into question its future. As consumers of a product, it is important for us to know how a company makes its money, especially if it involves the use of our data. 

The number of people who use Twitter to incite reactions and get into arguments is countless. This echo chamber has limited our ability to have meaningful political conversations, even resulting in our world views being manipulated. The most hateful, extreme people have gone to Twitter to cause chaos, and that’s what the platform is frequently used for today.

The time has come for Twitter to go away. It is not enough for people to delete their accounts; it would best to let Twitter become the next MySpace. This experiment in communication showed us that the most hateful people among us are capable of controlling how we view the world through algorithmic manipulation. Their tactics are vile, and we should never allow the most extremely minded people to make us feel bad about being reasonable or thinking critically.

If you have a Twitter account, I encourage you to delete it. If you are not comfortable deleting your account, delete as much information as you can from the platform. Do not allow Elon Musk, or anyone else, to gather information on you or manipulate your views on important issues. Do not take part in a service that is being used to incite hatred and anger. Together we can put an end to Twitter. The sooner Twitter is gone, the sooner a better alternative can take its place.

Drexel University’s food trucks are a campus staple. Whether it be the halal food trucks on 33rd Street, the breakfast food trucks across from Bentley Hall, or the boba food trucks, Drexel is incomplete without them. 

A lot of these food trucks are run by immigrants who bring their own culture and cuisine to Drexel’s campus. As a way to highlight some of these businesses, I interviewed the owners of three food trucks: the halal food truck by the Mario statue, Pete’s Little Lunch Box and Dos Hermanos Tacos, in order to gain insight into their backgrounds as immigrants and how they influence the food they make.

I interviewed Samir Hassani who runs the halal food truck near the dragon statue. This food truck sells dishes like falafel, gyro, chicken over rice and chicken salad. There are three people who operate the food truck; two of them are from Algeria while the other person is from Pakistan. The menu is heavily influenced by their background as immigrants, and they sell food that relates to their cuisine.

The most popular item on their menu is chicken, but lamb and falafel are also favorites. I asked Hassani what he loves the most about running a food truck, and he said it was the people.

“Our favorite thing here is the customer service. The customers here are good,” Hassani said. “The Drexel students are very polite. We have plenty of other food trucks. We have one on Temple’s campus, which is very busy, and also one on 34th street, but Drexel is our favorite spot.”

In reference to food, the word halal means food that is permitted for consumption under Islamic dietary guidelines. However, in cities and metropolitan areas, halal food has come to refer to Middle Eastern cuisine, typically items like falafel, chicken or lamb served with rice or salad, topped with either red or white sauce.  

Halal meat is prominent in middle eastern countries, especially in Algeria where Hassani is from. This style of halal food was not popularized in the United States until a few decades ago. In the late 20th century, halal carts and food trucks rose in prominence and eventually replaced hot dog trucks in large metropolitan areas. 

Though the halal food in these trucks bears little resemblance to Middle Eastern dishes or street food, Hassani and the other halal cart owners still bring back flavors, style of cooking and of course halal meat from their home countries. 

Drexel’s campus would be incomplete without the breakfast food trucks that line Arch Street. Sandy Tang runs Pete’s Little Lunch Box, known for its breakfast and lunch varieties at a relatively low price, and it can be found parked right outside of Bentley Hall. The most popular breakfast items are bacon, egg and cheese on hash browns, and for lunch it is sausage, egg and cheese. They have other food options too, like hoagies, croissants and bagels. Additionally, they also sell sandwiches, burgers, salads and steaks.

“We are from Cambodia, but we make American food,” said Tang. “It’s completely different! We came to the US a while ago and opened our first food truck on Drexel’s campus in January 2008 just across this street. Everyone here is so nice. We have been here for 14 years and we love it!”

Despite the fact that the food she makes is not Cambodian or directly related to her cuisine, Tang’s work ethic reflects her background as an immigrant. The truck operates from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday. This means that Sandy reaches campus around 5 a.m. to start setting up, and doesn’t leave until after 4 p.m. once she cleans up and sets everything up for the next day. 

Though their work day is anything but easy, it does not stop them from serving customers with a smile on their faces. This particular food truck has won the hearts of students due to its cheap prices and large portion sizes, as well as their amazing service. 

“This is probably the only place on campus where I can get a large iced coffee for a dollar, and the food is delicious too,” said Deeya Nevatia, a freshman health sciences major at Drexel. “Sandy is the nicest person ever! She always asks me how my day is going whenever I order something.”

Dos Hermanos Tacos is another popular spot on campus. Located by the Papadakis Integrated Sciences Building, the food truck sells items like tacos, burritos and quesadillas. Gabriel Lezama De La Rosa, one of the brothers who runs the food truck, is from Mexico. 

This food truck’s menu is heavily influenced by the brothers’ heritage and their background as Mexicans. The most popular items right now are the birria and shrimp tacos, especially due to the weather.

De la Rosa sells typical items from Mexican cuisine, but with a twist. In addition to classic favorites like shrimp and fish tacos, breakfast burritos and quesadillas, the truck also has items like the fall burrito special, which is a spinach flour tortilla stuffed with brussels sprouts, cauliflowers, apples, cheese and hummus. The harvest quesadilla special is also popular, consisting of a tortilla filled with butternut squash, pumpkin, black beans and corn.

Through their menu, Dos Hermanos Tacos pays homage to their Mexican roots, while also introducing new flavors and twists to authentic Mexican food. Not only does de la Rosa introduce Mexican food and his cultural background to students around campus, he also keeps his menu creative and interesting.

“We like to serve the people,” said de la Rosa. “We want people to be happy with the food, and we want them to try different cuisines. That’s why we introduce new, different items to our menu, such as the harvest quesadillas and the fall burrito.”

De la Rosa’s commitment to keeping his customers happy is in line with many of the other food trucks on campus.The truck first opened up around seven years ago on Drexel’s campus in Nov. 2014, and has been keeping customers satisfied ever since. 

“I think that food trucks are one of my favorite parts of campus,” said Pranita Madaka, a biological sciences freshman at Drexel. “It’s really cool to have all of these different cuisines at one spot. Like if I’m craving tacos for breakfast and Korean food for lunch, I can totally do that.”

Food trucks have been a part of campus for many years, but the COVID-19 pandemic severely affected the food truck business. According to the Philadelphia Mobile Food Association, around 25 percent of the food trucks on Drexel’s campus did not return after the pandemic. 

“[The pandemic] definitely affected us. We were closed for 18 months and everyone was online. It was a long break,” said Sandy Tang. 

Most of these food trucks business comes from students and employees of Drexel; with the school going virtual due to the pandemic, the food trucks were without customers for a long period of time. 

“We closed at the end of 2019, and didn’t reopen until the end of 2020. We were closed for almost more than a year,” said Hassani.

Although things have improved since Drexel reopened and students and staff came back on campus, there are still other challenges that food trucks have to deal with. Supply chain issues and difficulties gathering ingredients means that some food trucks have had to hike up their prices.

Gabriel Lezama De La Rosa, who runs the Dos Hermanos Tacos food truck, gets most of his ingredients and spices from Mexico. 

“Right now, in terms of getting the produce it is a little hard to find some of the ingredients, like oregano,” de la Rosa said. 

Despite all of these challenges, these food truck owners persevere in order to bring a smile on their customers’ faces.

“If the customer is happy, I am happy. That is why I do this,” said Hassani.

Food trucks on campus are known for their excellent quality, friendly service, affordable prices and diversity in terms of cuisine. Part of what makes Drexel so vibrant and colorful is the different cultures found on campus, and the food trucks here are one example of that. Each of these food trucks have their own stories and backgrounds that are reflected in the food they make. Despite all of the challenges they have faced, these food trucks are still here and campus would not be the same without them.