The Drexel University community and its neighbors are invited to engage with university police officers over free coffee and other sweet treats at two campus locations Oct. 3 as part of National Coffee with a Cop Day.

All students, faculty and other members of the community are invited to partake in the national event, which aims to increase trust and cooperation between police and the people they serve, at Saxbys from 8 to 10 a.m. and Wawa from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“It’s to bridge that gap,” Thomas Cirone, Jr., a community relations police officer at Drexel, said. “It shows that we’re not just hard, stiff, robot-talking people.”

Cirone, who has been policing at Drexel for about seven years, will be joining other members of the university police department alongside additional officers from the overlapping University City Police Department to provide public safety information to passers by who will converse with them, in hopes of encouraging positive relations between the community and law enforcement agencies beyond this singular event.

“It’s community policing to its core — that’s what it is,” Kim McClay, a fellow community relations police officer at Drexel added, reiterating the pledge of the National organization, which was first officially enacted by the Department of Justice in 2016.

Both Cirone and McClay hope the event will inspire students — as well as other members of the community — to learn more about public safety on Drexel’s campus.

They will get to know their police department and learn about what resources are available to keep them safe, Cirone said, explaining how he hopes it will help students to open up.

“Maybe there’s concerns students have that they normally wouldn’t think to just come over and talk to a police officer — now they can,” he said.

This, Cirone said, will be extremely valuable to students as they live on campus and beyond.

“They’ll learn a little bit more about Drexel and just public safety that they can take with them anywhere,” he said.

He said the event will also be an opportunity to promote their registration program the Drexel Police Department now offers, in which valuables including bicycles, phones, laptops headphones and even instruments are documented and assigned a registration number to deter potential thieves and provide law enforcement with crime-solving information.

But while he is excited to share safety advice and tips with students, he said he is also looking forward to conversations unrelated to public safety.

McClay emphasized that the event will be about building connections more generally.

“It breaks down the barriers,” she said, adding that it is important for officers to be approachable community figures.

Both McClay and Cirone said the event signifies the department’s goal to offer a continuous mode of open communication year-round.

“They can call anytime, they can stop here anytime,” Cirone said, explaining how the department welcomes all communications, whether students or community members need help dealing with a crime, career advice or even assistance through a crime-related project.

The department, which is currently headed by Chief Eileen Behr, who is also vice president of public safety on campus, is consistently committed to alerting Drexel and the neighboring communities about their offerings so that all community members can take advantage of the various programs and services that they offer, McClay explained.

According to McClay, the department has been conversing with various student organizations like student government, as well as other aspects of campus life, including the residence halls, to keep the campus informed as possible.

National Coffee with a Cop Day, she said, is just a single part of this overall mission.  

“We really want to commit the resources to letting people know about our police department, the programs that we offer, and making sure they know that we are approachable and that we’re here as a resource for them,” she said. “This is just another avenue for us.”

Drexel University students who “gottahava” Wawa can now satisfy their hoagie and coffee cravings at the newest location of the convenience store, which officially opened on Drexel’s University City campus on Sept. 21.

As the largest Wawa now in Philadelphia, it stands on the 3300 block of Market Street — right in the heart of campus.

“It’s so close to campus now — and classes,” Faith Wetter, a senior marketing student, said.

Wetter, who marveled at the convenient set-up of the new store, said the classic East Coast franchise beats its predecessor: Market 16 Noodle Bar, which closed in 2016.

“It’s definitely better,” she said, noting how the new atmosphere of the space is now far more inviting due to the bright lighting.

Jennifer Viveiros, a lab technician for the biology department, also agreed that the chain outshines the Noodle Bar. While she contended that the former store was rather pricey, she said that all Wawa chains are consistently cheaper.

Besides, she said, Wawa is generally a crowd-pleaser.

“It’s something everyone knows and likes already,” she said, noting the wide variety of items available.

Brandon Huynh, a senior biology student, said it was a reasonable use of space, though he wishes he could see greater diversity in campus dining options  — especially considering that there is another Wawa just minutes away at 36th and Chestnut streets on the University of Pennsylvania’s campus.

“Seeing the same stores is dull,” he said.

While some students deem the duplicate store unnecessary, others think the new location is noticeably more convenient for Drexel students, especially considering the hectic schedules that many students have.

Senior biomedical engineering student Raadiya Qadeer said that she never went to the other location because it was still too far of a walk, especially when she was on-the-go in between classes.

“I’ll be here much more now,” she said.

Qadeer said it is the perfect option for students, as it is more convenient than other campus chains like Starbucks and faster than the neighboring food trucks.

“Plus, it’s a Pennsylvania thing,” she said, though she noted that the size of the store was not necessary.

Kevin Carbon, an electrical engineering pre-junior, is pleased with the size of the store. At 8,760 square feet, Carbon said that it was just the right size for campus.

“Any smaller would have been too cramped,” he said.  

Though the openness of the store is his favorite part, he said he also appreciates the new seating within the store, which includes 20 interior seats with plans for exterior seating to come.

“It’ll be a great place to come with friends,” Carbon said with a grin. “It’s fantastic.”

Isaac Woods, a mathematical graduate student, also likes the large size of the store, which he said will prevent customers from running into each other.

He said the size makes sense for the size of campus, which he considers relatively big — especially since campus is growing.

Woods, who is originally from Virginia and grew up on Wawa’s long-time competitor, Scheetz, said his time at Drexel has made him grow attached to the chain — though his Virginian counterparts would beg to differ.

“I definitely like Wawa better — but don’t tell anyone,” he said with a laugh.

Nina Latcheva, a grad student in Drexel’s medical school, has always been a fan of Wawa and said that it could be even bigger.

“You can never have enough Wawa,” she said.

Amid the plethora of political news stories accompanied by endless commentary responding to such turbulence from both sides, it is easy — and practically anticipated — to become immune to such hackneyed commotion. We live in a world in which this coverage runs on a nonstop basis, etching our fears, distinguishing our concerns and inevitably determining our attention spans. It’s not surprising many Americans are switching the channel when this constant pandemonium emblazons their TV screens or rolling their eyes at the incessant headlines that greet them as they sip their morning coffee. There comes a tipping point at which vast over-saturation manifests into profound lack of interest altogether.

But as our former president Barack Obama reminded us at a recent rally in California, the biggest threat to our democracy lies within this apathy. The political detachment sweeping our nation that leaves waves of passiveness and shrugged shoulders becomes detrimental to the country’s political identity — the very ideals that created the roots of this nation in the first place. In this period of information-overload, our numbed concentrations signify the death of our nation’s democratic values.

We must vow to fight the ill-fated languor that has plagued modern-day politics by remaining politically active and meticulously informed during this age of political indifference. We cannot maneuver the tumultuous seas of political uncertainty by merely turning a blind eye during a time in which our undivided attention and augmented understanding is more important than ever.

Apathy may be a direct result of political hopelessness, but we cannot discredit the remarkable political power we yield as individuals — no matter where you comfortably lounge on the political spectrum.

We have the ability to build coalitions — to support or resist. Binding together with like-minded individuals only deepens this power. Don’t get lost in the headlines; find yourself in the headlines. Pinpoint your beliefs, uncover your passions and fight like hell to live in the kind of world that you want to live in.

The power of voting must also never be forgotten — especially as the midterm election rapidly approaches. Our votes are the codes that enable the democratic system — surprising notches of hope in an unpredictable world. But more importantly, we must remember that for the democratic system to truly endure, we must hold our elected representative dutifully accountable far beyond Election Day.

And most of all, we cannot forget the importance of being informed. Even when we feel as if we have no control, knowledge fuels us. Fight the feelings of relentless bewilderment and dispassion with well-rounded news coverage, allow public radio to become your savior and don’t ever let newspapers die, for they are the true instruments of power. Information is the stepping stool to understanding — the very antidote to apathy.

The political chaos scourging our nation may seem unending, but so is our ability to become more politically involved — no matter what age you may be. Seasoned political participants must persevere through these unexpected political times just as hard as blossoming proponents of the political system. It’s important to render political involvement from all demographic sectors. This includes the political parties themselves.

Apathy must be battled from all sides because democracy is not a factional characteristic — it’s a necessity that encompasses all party politics. In a nation that’s vastly disconnected by the party system, let us be unified by these democratic ideals — by the power to speak our minds to become the creators of our nation’s unwritten history.

All differences aside, we can build the pillars to support what our nation can and should be. We can no longer have apathy for our own apathy; we must come together to make America care again.

On May 1, Drexel University will host the third annual Day of Giving, an online fundraising campaign promoted through additional on-campus events designed to garner as much support for the university as possible within 24 hours.

This year’s theme “change the game” encourages students, faculty, advisors and other friends of the university to become game-changers by donating to specific allocations that matter to them, which brings the community together and ultimately coincides with the overall goals of the university.

“Day of Giving is a terrific university event because it focuses all of us — and that is 100,000 plus alums, our friends and supporters, our board of trustees, our faculty, our staff, our students — on supporting the mission of the university,” Westphal College of Media Arts & Design Dean Allen Sabinson said. “It’s an endorsement of what we do and it’s backed up by a full effort by the Institutional Advancement Office to get everyone on the same page and by doing it in one day, it adds a level of fun and desire to be included.”

According to Andi Bricklin, associate director of digital marketing, the campaign’s reach expands across the university by enhancing various college offerings, amplifying experiential opportunities like co-op and study abroad, elevating student life by fostering student organizations such as athletics and Greek life, while also boosting civic engagement through entities such as the Lindy Center and Dornsife. Other featured allocations this year include EAT Cafe, Veteran Student Services, Drexel Hillel, Drexel Newman, Dragon Hacks, Operation Graduation and The Drexel University Black Alumni Council.

While the campaign is geared toward accruing online donations, there will also be a noticeable presence throughout campus, particularly in the Recreation Center and in the Main Building. Participants will be reminded of the “change the game” theme through in-person and virtual gaming opportunities — some of which can win donors more money towards their specified donation, she said.

And that’s the premise of this campaign: allowing donors to choose specific allocations that are meaningful to them.

While the university continuously undergoes fundraising endeavors, through this campaign, donors can decide exactly where their funds will go, rather than placing a broad donation to the institution altogether, Bricklin said.

“It’s a way that you can give not only to the university as a whole, but to those things that matter to you the most,” David Kaganovsky, the alumni board of governors chair, said, explaining how the campaign shifts the focus from general infrastructure improvements to bettering the students themselves.

“It’s a way for all of us to heighten the quality of our programs, augment current offerings and to even develop new initiatives as a result of increased resources,” Assistant Vice President of Student Life Rebecca Weidensaul added. Weidensaul oversees various components of student life that are impacted by the Day of Giving, namely the Office of Veteran Student Services.

According to Weidensaul, last year’s funds directly supported student veterans by revamping the veterans’ lounge, covering costs of events that focus on career transitions and hosting mixers for veteran alumni and current veteran students, although the Office of Veteran Student Services represents just a mere slice of student life that benefited from the campaign.

The wrestling team, headed by coach Matt Azevedo, was one of the biggest success stories from last year’s campaign, which Azevedo attributes to the already competitive nature of athletes. The team received funding from 404 individual donors in the 24-hour period, which was the most gifts earned within any organization in the university. While Azevedo was happy the funds could be utilized to boost the team’s facilities, travel opportunities and scouting abilities, he explained how donated funds signify more than just physical improvements for the team.

“It’s important to give back so that Drexel can continue to be a great institution — an institution that current students and alumni can be proud of. Trying to improve the university through donations is just something small that everyone can do. It’s a way to give back to the place that gave them so much,” Azevedo said.

He added that the campaign helps to improve the student experience overall by increasing the number of opportunities available to students.

“You have these young kids that have really high goals that want to do great things, but we need to have the infrastructure to do that and the financial support to do it. The better our financial support is, the more we can do for these young people,” he said. “We’re always shooting to be better. We want to improve the experience and the value of what we’re doing.”

Beyond the transformative effect the campaign yields on many components of student life across the university, the colleges themselves directly benefit from the campaign, according to Sabinson.

Sabinson said funds support a wide range of services across the university, such as scholarships, events, study abroad programs and advanced technology. For Westphal specifically, Sabinson is thankful that funds can benefit the theatre program, specialized equipment and funding for unpaid co-ops.

“Running a research university is a very expensive enterprise and while our tuitions are substantial, it’s still difficult to keep up,” Sabinson said. “[Day of Giving] helps us to create more opportunity, to offer more experiences and possibilities, and it helps us keep students here.”

“Not everything that happens at Drexel comes from tuition dollars; in fact, most things come from philanthropic support,” Bricklin added, emphasizing how gifts count more on this day both individually and collectively.

Weidensaul said this collective effort helps to communicate aspirations of the university with its stakeholders so that ideas can become implemented, making dreams realities.

“When you have a good idea and say ‘I can’t afford it,’ that should never be an obstacle because of things like the Day of Giving,” Weidensaul said. “It’s a great symbolic representation of a culture shift around self-care as a university and enlisting the support of others financially and building our culture of philanthropy.”

In addition to pushing philanthropic values in the Drexel community, the campaign is also intended to ignite pride amongst students, faculty and alumni.

“It’s a day of pride. It’s a day of showing university support — not just in Philly, but all over the globe,” Bricklin said.

Bricklin explained how building this sense of pride is the campaign’s biggest goal. In fact, there is not a precise dollar goal to raise; the team just wants to see as many donors emerge as possible, and encourages all levels of donations. Last year, 3,707 supporters gave $824,534 to the Day of Giving.

“It’s symbolic more than monetary,” Weidensaul said.

More funds would mean more improvements to student life on campus, but this particular initiative is more concerned with engagement overall.

“The $10 gift is in many ways as cool as the $1 million gift because it comes from somebody that cares,” Sabinson said.

“Engagement is the most important thing. We’re not judging on what people can give,” Kaganovsky added.

While the campaign acts as a vehicle to measure university progress, it’s up to everyone to decide what value their Drexel education has held and if they wish to become ‘game changers’ for the university.

“You’re investing in what matters to you,” Weidensaul said.

Sabinson explained how the campaign also signifies an investment in the overall future of the university and the impact its students will have on the world.

“The Day of Giving is really an investment in the intellectual capital and the outcomes that our alums will produce,” Sabinson said. “Ultimately, at the end of the day, you’re making an investment in our students and future alumni and they — we hope — are going to make the world a better place.”

Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business announced April 11 a partnership with nonprofit group TechGirlz  which is designed to increase the number of middle school girls receiving technology instruction.

As part of their collaborative efforts, the two organizations will work together to implement workshops, research studies and summer camps that will advance girls’ understanding of technology.

“As leaders in preparing both women and men for rewarding tech careers, we at Drexel are thrilled to partner with TechGirlz in empowering and preparing young girls to be good students and eventually play a critical role in meeting society’s technology needs,” Drexel President John A. Fry said.

The partnership announcement came after TechGirlz initiated the “20k for 2020” campaign, in which it aims to set 20,000 middle school girls on a path towards a STEM career over the next two years, according to a DrexelNow article.

In March, TechGirlz celebrated the milestone of educating 10,000 girls through its custom-built TechShopz program. This compelled the nonprofit to launch a $1 million campaign to double the outreach numbers by 2020.

“As an organization, this is validation,” said TechGirlz CEO and founder Tracey Welson-Rossman in the official campaign announcement on the nonprofit’s website. “It shows that we can reach our goal of breaking the cycle in tech by helping our middle school girls become engaged technologists, despite commonly held myths to the contrary. It proves that our model of quality, off the shelf coursework rooted in subjects the girls like works. It demonstrates that change is possible.”

Drexel’s partnership with TechGirlz started in February, when 12 middle school girls were invited to participate in a TechGirlz TechShop that focused on text mining and data analysis. The three-hour interactive seminar, taught at LeBow College’s Business Analytics Solutions Center, taught the girls how to use text mining software to represent data three dimensionally and analyze sentiment.

“Drexel has been a wonderful partner to TechGirlz and this partnership will help our girls visualize and move forward on the path from middle school on through college towards a career in technology,” said Welson-Rossman, who is a Drexel alumna. “Together today, we can positively influence the number of women in technology tomorrow.”

On a national scale, A report from the U.S. Department of Commerce showed that in 2015 women filled 47 percent of all jobs nationwide, but only 24 percent of jobs in the science, technology, engineering and math disciplines.

A Drexel University study has found that the soda tax initiative prompted by Mayor Kenney has reduced the consumption of sugary and sugar-substitute drinks by Philadelphians.

The study, led by Yichen Zhong, a doctoral student at the Dornsife School of Public Health, was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine and compared two groups of people: 899 people living in Philadelphia and 878 people living in Trenton, Camden and Wilmington. Using difference in differences regression, a method to compare two groups over a period of time, the study showed a decrease in consumption of regular soda by 40 percent and a decrease in consumption of energy drinks by 64 percent over a two month period. The study also shows a 58 percent higher consumption of bottled water over the same 2 month period.

“Sugary drinks have been way underpriced relative to healthier beverages and relative to their long-term costs. The tax is really just inching up the cost of a beverage that has been underpriced,” Amy Auchincloss, a professor in the Dornsife School of Public Health and co-author of the study, told science news website Seeker.

The soda tax was implemented on January 1, 2017 as a $0.015 per ounce charge on sugary and sugar-substitute drinks — which includes all sodas, energy drinks and drinks containing less than 50 percent juice such as Arizona beverages, lemonade and fruit punch.

Since the study only observed the consumption of sugary drinks over a two month period, it is not yet clear as to whether or not the soda tax will continue to have a benefit as time goes on.

“It’s possible that the Philadelphia tax will have longer-term impacts on beverage choice, but it is still too early to tell here,” Zhong said in a DrexelNow article.

However, a study conducted by a professor at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill shows a continued reduction in consumption of sugary drinks in Mexico after the Mexican government introduced a similar soda tax.

The effects of this reduction of the consumption of sugary drinks in Philadelphia has yet to be correlated to any reduction of obesity or type two diabetes risk, but according to the Center for Disease Control, sugary drinks have been connected to many different diseases including obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease and tooth decay.

The soda tax brought in a $79 million revenue for the city in 2017, 15 percent lower than the $92 million that was estimated. While no studies have been done with regards to the impact the soda tax has had on businesses and corporations, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court will hear a case against the soda tax May 15.

Drexel University and Wawa Inc. plan to open a new Wawa store on the corner of 34th and Market streets, according to an April 12 press release.

The location, which was formerly home to the Market Noodle Bar, is more than 8,760 square feet. It will house 20 interior seats, with plans for additional exterior seating, according to the press release.

“Drexel is thrilled that Wawa will open a location on our University City Campus. When surveying students, faculty and professional staff, Wawa consistently comes to the top of the list of a most desired retail addition,” Rita LaRue, Drexel’s vice president for campus services, said in the press release.

This location will sell Wawa’s flagship line of products, and will also feature delivery and mobile ordering through the Wawa app.

The proposed size of this store would make it the largest location in Philadelphia and would make it only about 440 square feet smaller than the largest Wawa nationwide.

This location would become the third in University City, joining the storefront on 36 and Chestnut streets and the other location at 37th and Spruce streets. Three other Wawa stores are also scheduled to open in Philadelphia this year, located at 2131 South St., 1300 Chestnut St. and 1102 Market St.

“We couldn’t be prouder to be a part of the fabric of Philadelphia and are excited about bringing Wawa’s unique combination of convenience and fresh foods to the world-class campus of Drexel University,” Brian Schaller, chief real estate and fuel officer for Wawa, said in the press release.

Wawa aims for the new location to open by the start of the fall quarter.

The Drexel Meditation Group will host Drexel’s Day of Mindfulness April 18 to promote general health and well-being to Drexel faculty, students and professional staff.

“[The Day of Mindfulness will] explore the powerful potential of mindfulness to help us cultivate meaning, purpose and joy in our own lives and in our Drexel community,” according to a DrexelNow announcement.

Michael Carroll, an author and lecturer on leadership and mindfulness, will lead three workshops that will focus on the use of mindfulness specifically in the context of university life.

The first workshop is “Mindful Leadership in Higher Education: Promoting Health and Well-Being in a Chaotic World,” which will focus on using mindfulness to create meaningful objectives and bring out the best in others in spite of the unending challenges that leaders in higher education face.

The second workshop is “Facing Challenges With Confidence: How Mindfulness Can Cultivate Health and Wellbeing in Everyday Life.” This workshop is based on the idea that people often feel that they are consistently busy, never having time to focus on the things that matter in their lives, such as cultivating relationships with themselves, family, friends and colleagues. The workshop will focus on how to slow down when we feel like we cannot stop, to promote more enjoyable lives. After the workshop, there will be a book signing and meet-and-greet session with Carroll.

The final workshop is “Rediscovering Your Natural Resilience During a Busy 10-week Term.” Geared towards both faculty and students, this workshop will focus on recovering from falling short of a goal, especially in an environment where we are constantly faced with new challenges. It will also emphasize how we can use falling short as a learning experience to improve our lives.

The sessions are open to the entire Drexel community. While staff and faculty members are asked to register in Career Pathway, students are welcome as walk-ins.

The DMG originated from the “A Healthier U” initiative from Drexel University Human Resources and the group has been at Drexel for about six years. They offer weekly meditation sessions every Thursday from 12:30 to 1 p.m., as well as workshops geared towards faculty and professional staff. Many of their workshops encompass different components of mindfulness, such as a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction workshop.

Join the DMG April 18 in Behrakis Grand Hall to learn more about mindfulness and its power. For more information, visit http://drexel.edu/hr/career/engaging-u/mindfulness/.

Drexel University and Tower Health are partnering to establish a Berks County satellite campus of Drexel’s College of Medicine.

The medical school campus, which is pending accreditation to become operational for the 2020-21 school year, is expected to be located near Reading Hospital in West Reading, Berks County.

“We are very excited about this new collaboration, which offers our students a great opportunity to train with excellent physicians at a top-quality facility,” Drexel College of Medicine dean, Daniel V. Schidlow, said in a DrexelNow article.

According to DrexelNow, Tower Health will serve as an important resource to the academic mission of the college.

Drexel University’s College of Medicine has become one of the largest private medical schools in the country since its creation in 2002 after Hahnemann University Hospital combined with the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania. There are over 1,000 medical students currently enrolled in the college.

Drexel University president John A. Fry told The Morning Call that adding a campus in Berks County will help the university expand its influence in the region while also allowing it to train a higher number of doctors.

“We are so pleased to share with Tower Health in this effort to expand opportunities for medical training in our region, which will benefit practitioners and patients alike,” he said to DrexelNow.

According to The Morning Call, several hundred students would be admitted to the campus, which would help expand the college.

The branch campus of Drexel University College of Medicine is also projected to yield a positive economic impact on the Berks County region by increasing jobs for physicians, educators and other community disciplines.

Tower Health is currently assessing potential sites for the branch campus that are near Reading Hospital. The final location has not yet been identified.

Drexel University has announced that award winning director, producer, screenwriter, author and actor M. Night Shyamalan will address the class of 2018’s commencement ceremony June 15 at Citizens Bank Park.

“For our graduates, I’m sure that M. Night Shyamalan’s insights into his stunning success as a filmmaker will serve as the equivalent of a fascinating, final seminar, offering inspiration for their own academic, professional and personal journeys,” Drexel president John A. Fry said in a DrexelNow announcement.

Born in Puducherry, India, Shyamalan later emigrated with his parents to Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. He majored in film at New York University following his graduation from the Episcopal Academy.

His work often showcases the Philadelphia area, which he calls home today. In addition to filming movies around the city and featuring its top attractions, including his most recent project “Glass” and 2016 hit “Split,”  Shyamalan also hires locally and utilizes regional vendors.

His movies also include “The Sixth Sense” with Bruce Willis, “Unbreakable” again featuring Willis alongside Samuel L. Jackson, “Signs” with Mel Gibson, “The Happening” with Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel and “The Village” starring Phoenix and William Hur. His films have grossed over $3 billion worldwide, and he had a number one original film for three consecutive decades.

He has been nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. Last year, he presented the Philadelphia Film Society’s Lumiere Award to Bruce Willis, an award he had won himself in 2016.

Drexel will present Shyamalan with the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa following his speech.

Last year’s commencement featured world renowned designer and technologist John Maeda, and Donna Shalala, president of the Clinton Foundation, addressed the 2016 commencement.