With societal pressure of achieving the perfect diet, issues such as malnutrition, imbalanced diets, food insecurity and eating disorders impact the mental health of Drexel University’s students.

Started in 2007, the Healthy Minds Study is an ongoing study of student mental health across universities throughout the United States. The study results state that 41 percent of students reported symptoms of depression, 36 percent reported feelings of anxiety and 14 percent reported suicidal ideation. These findings suggest that student mental health is worth investing more resources into on college campuses around the country. 

Nutrition is one aspect of mental health that universities can focus on to improve the mental well-being of students. In an article written by Dr. Laura Lachance and Dr. Drew Ramsey in 2015, the psychiatrists state that, “food choice is strongly implicated in mental health risk.” 

Specifically, a review published in a journal titled Frontiers in Nutrition  looks at the connection between nutrition and mental health and describes the antioxidant system as being a serious implication in psychiatric disorders and “depends on the presence of nutrients in food.” Further findings by this review “indicate a reduction in the incidence of depression and suicide with a healthy eating pattern.” 

In a survey on 2,200 adults conducted by the American Psychiatric Association and the American Society for Nutrition, only two-thirds of adults felt knowledgeable about this relationship between diet and mental health, but 81 percent of adults indicated that they would be willing to modify their diet in a way that positively impacts their mental health. Given that these factors are true for adults around the country, it is important to assess how the nutritional content of the Drexel food programs align with this need for healthy diets to support student mental health. 

Second-year psychology major Gabrielle Baar, a co-op research assistant at Drexel’s Center for Weight, Eating and Lifestyle Science, shared her thoughts on the nutritional content available for various dietary preferences in the Drexel dining halls.  

“[Drexel] just [wants to] get food out. So I don’t think they necessarily focus on all of the different options, but I think they do okay. They can definitely improve,” commented Baar.

When asked what the largest barrier to eating healthy on campus is, Lynelle Martin, a third-year biomedical engineering major at Drexel said, “I think the largest barrier would be the lack of variety of healthy foods and the lack of reason for students to care that much about their diets.”

Martin elaborated by mentioning that healthy food options are offered as sides, rather than the main course.

A deeper question that must be explored is how to ensure students care about their diet. Baar emphasized the need for Drexel to educate students about their nutritional, emotional and mental well-being. When describing the tendency of the dining halls to test different foods and receive student opinions, she brought up an important point about nutritional value.

“[The food testing] wasn’t about like, ‘Oh, this is nutritious for you.’ It’s like, ‘Is it good?’ They have days where it’s like, it’s pizza day, or it’s ice cream day, you know?” said Baar. “But they don’t say, ‘Okay make sure you guys are eating your veggies’ or ‘Make sure you’re getting a balanced diet.’ And to my knowledge, I don’t think they do that.”

Baar and Martin agreed that implementing nutrition education university-wide would be a significant step in the right direction. Some students may want to eat healthier meals but lack an understanding of what is and is not good for them.

“There were also never any posters that had the nutritional breakdown you need a day or any type of guidance for students,” according to Martin. “It was more self-motivated if you wanted good nutrition and a healthy diet. There have been some nutrition promotion events where foods like pasta and salad are served in a common space, but most students don’t care too much about the nutrition aspect.”

One way to navigate this issue is to increase healthy meal events that offer students free, healthy food along with educational services on how to make healthier choices.

Food service company Aramark and the Drexel Campus Dining team describe Campus Dish, a resource that they offer to help manage nutrition, health and wellness, and any food allergies or specific diets. Both entities also describe their commitment to providing consistent nutritional education, interactive health and wellness activities.

Aramark in particular, described their efforts to include nutrition focused events around national dates such as “National Vegetarian Month, American Heart Health Month, National Nutrition Month among others.”

But increasing nutritional education is only one part of a multidimensional solution needed. In addition to emphasizing the importance of nutrition and its positive effects on learning and attention, a second year clinical psychology PhD student at the WELL Center with expertise in weight loss, nutrition and eating disorders suggested nutrition counseling. 

According to the Armstrong Center for Medical health, nutrition counseling is when a “Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist (RD/RDN) works with an individual to assess his or her usual dietary intake and identify areas where change is needed.” 

Depending on the history of the person undergoing the counseling, services offered can range from nutrition education, problem solving, support, and follow-up care. 

Penn State University provides such nutritional counseling to employees, students and community members both in-person and virtually. Services range from overall personal health improvement, managing eating disorders and healthy diet plans among other support specifications, and are very notably, free of charge. 

This method was also successfully implemented at Lehigh University and allowed students to have productive conversations about their “diet composition,” something the PhD student from the WELL center mentioned was previously dictated by “a parent, grandparent or sibling” who was providing food.

While Drexel offers these services to all members of the greater Philadelphia community, as well as to Drexel students, faculty and staff, a way to make them more prominent could be to offer them free of charge, much like Penn State does. In this manner, the services may become more accessible to students, making them more willing to utilize them.

Even if students are knowledgeable about the nutritional value of different foods, they are not always given a choice when deciding what food to eat, especially with difficulties affording high quality produce. 

In a survey conducted by US News and & World Report, 71 percent of students changed their eating habits due to a lack of funds and 27 percent of students compensated for the reduced funds for food by eating less than they should or cutting the size of their meals. 

Additionally, Wisconsin HOPE lab affiliate Anthony Jack from Harvard University found undergraduate students “turning to off-campus food pantries and sometimes fainting from hunger.”

Financial hardship can exacerbate the feelings of depression and anxiety many students already face. Martin revealed that she knows many students who have struggled with anxiety, which aligns with the most recent Health Minds Study results for the 2022-23 school year: 93 percent of students experienced some level of stress regarding their financial situation. The compounded stressors of school, financial hardship and nutritional limitations are likely to increase levels of anxiety among students.

Food insecurity is a common issue on college campuses. According to a review done by The Hope Center for College and Community Justice at Temple University, a new federal report by the National Center for Education Statistics at the U.S. Department of Education shows that nearly one in four undergraduate students and more than one in ten graduate students are experiencing food insecurity. This totals to nearly four million food insecure students. 

Jen Tifone, director of finance and administration for Enrollment Management & Student Success, mentioned that around 30 percent of college students nationally will experience food insecurity while in college.

One option for students to get free food at Drexel is Mario’s Market, the university’s food pantry. 

Tifone shared that Mario’s Market “opened in December 2020 as a pickup service, and we opened our doors for in-person shopping in February 2021.”

Mario’s Market provides students with healthy, culturally appropriate and tasty food options, regardless of dietary restrictions. The food purchased by Drexel has grown to include non-perishable canned goods to refrigerated food. 

“At any given time, there is enough food for people to access about a week’s worth of food in one visit” according to a piece by Giving Drexel.  It was estimated that nearly 70-100 people visited the market every week in a spring term when the market was open. Increasing engagement and involvement with the Market could be a good avenue for students who are experiencing food insecurity and are unaware of the resource. The hours for Mario’s Market are posted on their door on the 2nd floor of the Rush Building at 30 North 33rd Street.

“If students are looking for other resources and support outside of Mario’s Market, they should reach out to Feed a Dragon at feedadragon@drexel.edu,” said Tifone.

Drexel’s website for Student Life highlights the Meal Swipe Donation Program and public resources to combat food insecurity, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. 

The consequences of a lack of nutritious food are not always necessarily physical. Severe struggles with nutrition can result in eating disorders. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, eating disorders are serious and sometimes fatal illnesses that are commonly misconstrued as “lifestyle choice[s].”

In reality, eating disorders involve severe disturbance in eating behaviors and are linked to thoughts and emotions. Generally beginning between ages 18 to 21, The Child Mind Institute describes the newfound societal pressure and independence that dictate “when, what, and how much [students] eat for the first time.”

Gaining a better insight into the specific issue that eating disorders pose to the surrounding community of Drexel, the WELL center PhD student described her research. When specifically referring to the surrounding Philadelphia area, she admitted that individuals aged 18 to 30 are hesitant to participate in her disordered eating and weight loss studies, largely due to a “lack of time and motivation.”

Getting more young people involved with such interventions, as she described, would be a huge step to studying the population to develop targeted interventions that work for their age group.

Disordered eating is a common issue college students face across the country, and with the stress that comes with a unique educational structure like Drexel, it is important to raise awareness of these studies and programs aimed at helping students with disordered eating.

In light of the student mental health crisis that is striking college campuses around the country, it is important to consider a holistic approach to diet and mental health, ensuring that comprehensive support systems exist to address the complex issues that nutrition and student mental health pose. 

This article is part of a grant awarded to The Triangle from the Solutions Journalism Network investigating student mental health at Drexel University. 

Founded in 1893, Reading Terminal Market houses over 500 vendors who offer their wide range of unique food choices to the market’s customers. 

According to Annie Allman, CEO and general manager of Reading Terminal Market, the clientele of the market consists of “about 2/3 local and regional and maybe 1/3 conventions and tourists.”

The market’s merchants are a mix of multi-ethnic and local-born small business owners. 

“For many of them it’s a generational opportunity. We have merchants that started in the market at the same time the market did,” says Allman.

Some came from other countries: “Komal’s Middle Eastern, they’re a Syrian-family doing all Middle Eastern grub” and “Olympia’s Gyro which is mostly Greek and [like Komal’s] second-generation,” says Layla El-Tannir, director of business development at Reading Terminal Market. 

Others decided to use the market as their opportunity for growing their eatery. 

According to El-Tannir, some long-standing businesses include “Sweet T’s Bakery, which is believed one of the first Black owned stores in the market” and “Bassets Ice Cream [who was] an original merchant of the market and they’re still owned by the same family for six generations.”

Only the best and most delectable merchants can obtain a lease in the market, as getting one is a lengthy process. 

According to Allman, “There’s an online 3–4-page application that asks you to describe your business or the vision of your business to tell us a little bit about you, your expertise, what size you are looking for, and what equipment you will need, and then Layla and I will work with the potential merchant to flush that out and bring it to a leasing committee [for approval].”

Aside from all the merchants inside the market, several purveyors promote food accessibility. 

“The heart of the market is the purveyors and this is where most people who visit for the first time don’t see the value of having these purveyors in the market, but we are one of largest places for customers with EBT in the state of Pennsylvania, so having butchers, produce, dairy in this quality and quantity is extremely important,” says El-Tamir.

Behind all this goodwill is the market staff’s dedication to its core values. 

“We are small business focused, no franchises, really focused on that owner-operator relationship where a customer can establish a relationship with the shopkeeper or proprietor and their staff,” says Allman.

Despite being one of the oldest places in Philadelphia, the market keeps itself up to date with modern practices. 

“It wasn’t too many years ago that a lot of the businesses were still cash-based and so we really leaned into Mercato, the online platform we use for grocery ordering and delivery, we’re very active on social media as one of our major marketing channels,” added Allman. “We’ve got some pretty cutting-edge store traffic management counters so we can have a better sense of our traffic patterns and make sure we’re actively counting our foot traffic.”

Even during the pandemic, the market persisted in providing food options despite the lack of foot traffic. 

According to Allman, “It was pretty devastating early on for the prepared food merchants, conversely the purveyors, on a business level did pretty well as we were allowed to stay open, we’re designated in an essential business and in a weird way almost established those emotional bonds with Philadelphians as we were here for Philadelphia during the worst of it, it was very tough on the merchants but we came out of it.”

What makes it special, is that “it’s a truly diverse authentic public space, where really everyone feels like they come in and they belong and they’re so few of those environments left, is what really makes it special,” says Allman.

Drexel Dance Marathon, an organization dedicated to supporting Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, including Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, won two nationally recognized awards at the Dance Marathon Leadership Conference in St. Louis in early August. 

Brought to Drexel University’s campus in 2020, Drexel Dance Marathon hosts various fundraisers and events all year round to connect students with miracle families, which consist of children who have received or are currently receiving medical treatment at CHOP. 

One award was the Miracle Maker award, which is given to programs in different monetary categories that have a significant increase in fundraising percentage compared to the previous year. 

According to an article from Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Drexel Dance Marathon “increased their fundraising by an incredible 340% to raise $28,832! In comparison to their 2022 total of $6,539 this year’s total was over $22k more than last year.” 

External Director Caroline Ries, a third-year biomedical engineering major, and Internal Director Jami Tomczyk, a senior nursing major with a minor in health service administration, explained the effort that was put in throughout the past year in order to obtain such an achievement. 

“We shifted our mindset and we really realized that we needed to go back to our roots and the reason behind what we’re doing and our ‘Why’s, which is a big thing we try to implement throughout our campus,” Tomczyk said. “We can really show our students like we’re not just doing these for some imaginary kids, like we’re doing these for real kids as a part of our program at a hospital fighting for their lives a couple blocks away.” 

“Since CHOP is so close… I feel like that’s very powerful for our program,” said Ries. 

Drexel Dance Marathon held several fundraising events throughout the year, including restaurant partnerships and succulent sales. One fundraiser that did particularly well was a merchandise sale with clothing that had pictures of Philadelphia-related icons and drawings from the kids of the miracle families. 

“As we’re growing, we’re hoping to do more fundraisers that kind of unite the campus more in a sense,” said Tomczyk.  

Drexel Dance Marathon also won the Ryan White Award for Overcoming Adversity at the conference. Each year, this is only given to one program “whose experience in overcoming a significant obstacle best exemplifies Ryan White’s spirit and perseverance in the face of adversity,” according to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

In addition to the struggles of raising sufficient funds to reserve university space, Drexel Dance Marathon was notified that every participant would need “to be credentialed including a fingerprint and background check done three months prior to [dragonTHON],” according to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. 

This had not been a problem previously because the club started when most people were not on campus and did not have miracle families yet. With over 300 people signed up to attend their biggest event of the year, the organization knew this would not be possible. As a relatively new organization on campus, Ries and Tomczyk expressed how it was initially difficult to work with administrators who were not familiar with dance marathons. Eventually, they were able to develop a yearly contract for miracle families to sign that would allow them to be on campus and interact with students. 

The dragonTHON event was six hours long and consisted of food, games, a line dance every hour and stories from the miracle kids, ending with the fundraising grand total reveal. 

“It’s emotional to see at the end of the event, to see them being like, ‘This is how much we have raised!’ and it’s not just about the money,” said Kelly Blumenthal, whose son Finn had lifesaving open heart surgery at CHOP and is one of Drexel Dance Marathon’s original miracle families. “They could have said ‘We raised six dollars!’ and get really excited. It’s about the community. It’s about the inclusion of feeling like you’re one of them, and for that particular day, you kind of don’t think about the medical stuff because some of those students even have their own medical journeys that they’ll open up and share… with the kids.” 

Ries, Tomczyk and Blumenthal all expressed how the interaction between Drexel students and miracle kids positively impacts both parties. 

“I really feel like it’s a great organization because it truly is a win-win and that’s without even touching on the monetary part of it,” said Blumenthal.

For Drexel students, “it gives them an opportunity to do something more meaningful and deeper,” according to Blumenthal. “I feel like it really grounds you… like if you’re stressing for a test or…the social life that…kids can go through which can sometimes be challenging especially nowadays and it just sort of grounds you to just be like… ‘Okay, there’s a bigger…purpose in all of this.’” 

In getting to know the students through one-on-one peer matching, “It gives us a way to cheer them on,” said Blumenthal regarding exams and other normal challenges college students face. 

For the miracle kids, talking to a college student about life unrelated to their medical condition is refreshing and motivating. 

“Kids really look up to other kids… I mean my kid definitely thinks adults are cool but when they have a college kid…it’s much more relatable and it also gives them a goal,” said Blumenthal. “Education is important to us so I’m able to say, ‘Hey, look, education is important but it’s not everything. There are other things that make you well-rounded as well, and look, they’re going to school and they’re still giving their time… helping others… and having [a] purpose instead of just… doing classes, partying, and going home. There’s more to it, you know, than that.” 

Despite being in Virginia, Blumenthal explained the support her son and their family receive when they are away: “They’re not just a cookie cutter organization…They have so many different avenues of communication…At the events that we couldn’t attend that we were excited to attend, they FaceTimed us from the event [and] they introduced us to everybody.” 

When they travel to CHOP, Blumenthal expressed how she values the unique support her family receives from Drexel Dance Marathon members: “We’re from four states away and 90 percent of the time my husband can’t even come up, we have to divide and conquer…When we have procedures…we’re not going to feel alone and he’s going to have a buddy up there and we’re going to be able to talk about things that he wants to talk about, it’s not a medical professional sitting down with him.”

“The biggest thing is that these families really know that…they do have cheerleaders and we’re here to cheer them on,” said Tomczyk. “They have everybody they need in the hospital. They have their doctors, their nurses, their therapists, all that, but sometimes… the thing they need most is those cheerleaders, those people who remind them that…life may not be how they expected, but we’re here every step of the way and we can cheer them on and we can be there for them and we can offer them normal kid things, whether that’s coming to a basketball game or soccer game.” 

Depending on the child’s mobility, Drexel Dance Marathon members suggest other activities to interact with the kids and families, such as going pumpkin picking, to lunch, or playing games. In the past, members have created personalized posters for their miracle kids and waved to them through a window at CHOP. 

In the future, Ries and Tomczyk expressed that they want to increase involvement across campus: “I feel like there’s not that many ways that people on Drexel are…united… so we want to be that [organization] where everyone can find a place and make it more known that no matter what your interests are, no matter what your skills are, you have a home in Drexel Dance Marathon,” said Ries.

This summer, Labiq Jaigirdar, a third-year management information systems and finance major at Drexel, received an email notifying him that he was the winner of the $25,000 grand prize as part of Philly Pretzel Factory’s 25th anniversary celebration.  From May 2 to June 18, customers were able to receive a scratch-and-win game card at any Philly Pretzel Factory location in hopes of winning $25,000 along with many other prizes. Jaigirdar, a member of the company’s VIP program, signed up for a daily free pretzel for the entirety of May and played the scratch-and-win game every day of the month.

“While I was on my co-op, I went to the Philly Pretzel Factory near my home every morning and got a free pretzel on top of a scratch off card,” Jaigirdar said. 

His commitment to this daily ritual paid off bountifully, when Jaigirdar heard via email months later that he won the promotion’s first prize of $25,000, rather than the free food he was expecting. However, Jaigirdar did not let himself get too excited — he first was focused on ensuring that the email was not a scam. 

“I was researching at first to see if it was a scam or if the winner was already declared. When I couldn’t find any of that, I thought maybe it was legit,” Jaigirdar said. 

Two weeks later, Jaigirdar was presented with the check at the Philly Pretzel Factory headquarters in Bensalem, PA. He toured the facility with his family and was shown how the pretzels were made. Additionally, he was able to speak with the company’s CEO, Dan DiZio. 

DiZio’s knack for entrepreneurship began when he was only 11, selling soft pretzels around his neighborhood. After graduating college, he began the Philly Pretzel Factory with his friend Len Lehman in 1998. Today, they serve over 145 locations across the country.

“He did whatever he thought was best for his company, and I was pretty inspired by it. This was the same brand I’ve been familiar with ever since elementary school, and I’m blessed that they gave me this opportunity,” Jaigirdar said. 

Jaigirdar plans on donating a large sum of his winnings to his local Bengali mosque in Northeast Philadelphia, which is next-door to his home and has been a part of his life ever since he was a child. 

“That mosque was my first exposure to faith. I grew up with that mosque,” Jaigirdar said.

The mosque has become more populated over the last few years, and they are now undergoing a renovation. Jaigirdar will be donating in order to help out with the building expenses.

In August of 2023, Labiq Jaigirdar, a 3^rd year student at Drexel double majoring in Management Information Systems & Finance received an email notifying him that he was the winner of the $25,000 first prize as part of Philly Pretzel Factory’s 25^th anniversary celebration.  

From May 2 to June 18, customers were able to receive a scratch and win game card at any Philly Pretzel Factory location in hopes of winning $25,000 along with many other prizes. Jaigirdar, a member of the company’s VIP program had signed up for a daily free pretzel for the entirety of May and played the scratch and win game every day of the month. 

“While I was on my co-op, I went to the Philly Pretzel Factory near my home every morning and got a free pretzel on top of a scratch off card,” Jaigirdar said.  

His commitment to this daily ritual paid off bountifully. Months later, Jaigirdar heard via email that he won the promotion’s first prize of $25,000, rather than the free food he was expecting. However, Jaigirdar did not let himself get too excited– he first was focused on ensuring that the email was not a scam.  

“I was researching at first to see if it was a scam, or if the winner was already declared. When I couldn’t find any of that, I thought maybe it was legit,” Jaigirdar said.  

A short two weeks later, Jaigirdar finally was presented with the check at the Philly Pretzel Factory headquarters in Bensalem, PA. He had the chance to tour the facility with his family and was shown how the pretzels were made. Additionally, he was able to speak with the company’s CEO, Dan DiZio.  

DiZio’s knack for entrepreneurship began when he was only 11, selling soft pretzels around his neighborhood. After graduating college, he began Philly Pretzel factory with his friend Len Lehman in 1998. Today, they serve over 145 locations across the country. 

“He did whatever he thought was best for his company, and I was pretty inspired by it. This was the same brand I’ve been familiar with ever since elementary school, and I’m blessed that they gave me this opportunity,” Jaigirdar said.  

Philly Pretzel Factory is focused on “The experience of better,” as their website puts it. But the experience of better is not limited to the high-quality food they sell— for years the company has been giving back to local communities, as reflected in the 25^th anniversary celebration. This makes Jaigirdar a perfect recipient for the grand prize of the promotion, because he plans on donating a large sum of his winnings to his local Bengali mosque in Northeast Philadelphia that is next-door to his home, one that has been a part of his life ever since he was a child.  

“That mosque was my first exposure to faith. I grew up with that mosque,” Jaigirdar said. 

The mosque has become more populated over the last few years, and they are now undergoing a renovation. Jaigirdar will be donating in order to help out with the building expenses. 

Jaigirdar began his life at Drexel studying engineering, until he found he was more interested in other paths. He urges other Drexel students to enter sweepstakes and contests such as what he won. 

Philadelphia mayoral candidates Cherelle Parker and David Oh participated in an “Our Vote, Our Future” forum led by the Urban Affairs Coalition on Oct. 26. 

The forum was in anticipation of the upcoming election on Nov. 7 that will decide Philadelphia’s 100th mayor. Held at Temple University’s Liacouras Center, the forum featured questions selected by the Urban Affairs Coalition, as well as questions submitted from event registrants and community participants. The event was moderated by Andrea Lawful-Sanders, a radio host at WURD. 

The forum was structured with two 45 minute sessions for each candidate to answer questions. Candidates were faced with questions that were related to some of the biggest issues the city is facing, such as gun violence, opioid use and a public education crisis. 

Both Parker and Oh were in support of police officers and stated they will work together with the Police Commissioner to address some of the city’s problems. 

Parker said she will take the PIE approach when it comes to law enforcement in the city — a trilateral focus on crime prevention, intervention and enforcement. 

“Part of that plan [was] I wanted officers on the street riding bikes, walking, getting to know the community that they are sworn to protect and serve not just as a tool to address public safety, but we also have real reasons and a need to rebuild trust between the community and law enforcement,” said Parker. 

Parker claimed that the news had only been only talking about certain aspects of her law enforcement plan like her support of stop-and-frisk, as opposed to other components like anti-violence funding and community building. 

Oh was concerned with the shortage of police officers and said that “when [people] cannot count on 911 and when they hesitate to call the police, or the police are not around or at their service, that indicates to them that they’re not cared for, that they’re neglected, that they’re disregarded.” 

Part of Oh’s plan is to hire more police officers from the National Guard, military, or immigrant communities. Oh also thinks that barriers like debt should not be a problem for people to become officers, and wanted ways for that debt to be paid off upon being hired. Oh emphasized that the standards for training officers should not be lowered and instead should be enhanced.

Both candidates expressed support for workforce development and more vocational training opportunities. Oh in particular was in support of vocational and career training being offered at every school. 

Oh also talked about the opioid crisis in Kensington, and how he would “enforce the law.” 

“The government created the problem in Kensington and the government will have to invest, to bring back your community that it destroyed. And so, I will put money into Kensington to replace that drug economy with restaurants, and with arts and with innovation. And with small businesses, we have to rebuild the community that was destroyed,” said Oh.

Parker reiterated her stance against safe injection sites and instead advocated for “long term” care. 

Another topic that came up was addressing poorly resourced public schools and community organizations. Both Oh and Parker acknowledged that there are not enough resources or enrichment opportunities available for youth.  

As Oh stated, “The schools have to have a level of equity. We cannot have schools that are so dramatically different. That people can actually tell that my school is not as good as that school because what does that say about me and my neighborhood, my community.” 

“How about we figure out a strategic plan? That could potentially be fun year round opportunities…Instead of a whole two months off to have to endure what we call the summer slide, how about it’s two weeks here, three weeks there, so that we have a consistent range of year round academic opportunities…” said Parker. 

“I want to focus on long-term care, treatment and housing. We have to do it in conjunction with the community, the existing community leaders, Councilwoman Quinones Sanchez, all the elected officials who are in that region, we all have to come together with local, state and federal government,” said Parker. 

To watch the full mayoral forum, visit WURD’s Facebook page where it is available. 

An increasing college student mental health crisis demands attention be given to the various services available on Drexel University’s campus. There are several student organizations that focus on supporting peers’ mental health, but with limited resources, their efforts are not enough to curb the rising prevalence and severity of mental health issues. With increased exposure and efforts to support student organizations, they can be better suited to help advocate for student mental health. 

There are a wide range of issues that a growing percentage of college students face. According to the Healthy Minds Study, a national survey of college student mental health, 41 percent of college students suffered from major depression to some extent, while 36 percent dealt with varying levels of anxiety during the 2022 to 2023 academic year. In comparison, levels of depression and anxiety were lower for the 2018-2019 academic year, before the COVID-19 pandemic: 36 percent and 31 percent respectively. 

The missions for organizations such as Drexel Active Minds, National Alliance on Mental Illness On Campus (NAMI) Drexel University and Stress and Anxiety Management for Medical Professionals are centered around supporting students’ mental health. The majority of other related clubs, including Neurodragons (a group for neurodivergent and neurotypical students), Queer Student Union, Psi Chi Honor Society (the international honor society in psychology), and Students of Color in Psychology do not solely focus on mental health but continue to make an effort to provide a supportive community for all students. 

Board members of these groups mentioned several issues that Drexel students struggle with. The most prevalent were burnout and stress, particularly in regards to keeping up with the pace of the quarter system. 

“Drexel as a university gives its students very little breathing room so stress and overworking is… an issue,” said E Berlin, a fifth year game design and production major and president of Queer Student Union.

Other issues mentioned were depression, anxiety, social media dependence, low self esteem, relationships, financial strains, social injustice, loneliness, sleep difficulties and suicidal ideation. 

“A negative self concept… especially in our age, can really determine a lot of things because when people are experiencing a very low self esteem, that really affects the way that we see the world and affects the opportunities that we feel we deserve or the relationships we feel we deserve,” said the head of the Psi Chi newsletter, Corinne Farley-DiMaio, a senior studying psychology and minoring in criminal justice and computer crime. 

Student organizations host a variety of events and activities to try to combat these issues and build a greater sense of community.

Many clubs host informational sessions. These can include a wide range of topics from how to deal with burnout, time management or struggles with identity.

“A really notable event we had was with the Women in Computing Society club on campus where we really talked about just women in the work place and what mental health issues kind of come with that as well,” said Fuad Hoque, a third year psychology student and president of NAMI on Campus Drexel University. 

The goal of many organizations is to provide a safe space for students to talk, reduce stigma and redirect students to the appropriate resources. 

“Active Minds advocates for student mental health by educating them about the resources available to all of us both at Drexel and outside of college. We try to dispel some of the myths and stigmas surrounding mental illnesses and mental health treatment at our meetings and teach attendees how to recognize the signs of a mental health crisis. Sometimes it’s hard for us to know when we need help, and when we do, we don’t know where to start. Understanding how to recognize our own mental health needs is an important skill for everyone to develop,” said Soumya Vavilala, a senior majoring in biology with an epidemiology minor and co-president of Active Minds. 

Psychoeducational interventions were found to be minimally effective on their own according to the American Counsel on Education. This does not mean that clubs should get rid of these sessions, but that they alone are not effective in changing student behavior or preventing issues in the future. 

Something else that affects a student’s mental health is their sense of belonging. Almost every board member of their respective clubs explained that they first joined their organization to find people who were interested in the same things or who shared similar experiences. 

As a first generation medical student in her family, Sidney Lampert, a second year medical student in Drexel’s College of Medicine and co-president of SAMMP, felt like she was missing guidance on how to navigate the struggles of medical school: “Networking is really helpful when you have the options. I didn’t and I still don’t. So if I can give back in any way and try to relieve stress and help others in any way and give them the resources that helped me, that is 100 percent a reason to do it and be a part of an organization like this.” 

Specifically for Sophie Gordon, a fifth year business and engineering student and vice president of  Neurodragons, she wanted to find people that related to her experiences as an individual on the autism spectrum. 

According to the Healthy Minds Study, 42 percent of students received support for their mental health from a friend who wasn’t a roommate, demonstrating the importance of making connections to comfortably talk about mental health issues. 

The solution to improving mental health needs to involve a team effort: “In general always prioritize a team-based way of getting things done,” said Lampert.

One option could be a mentorship program, which Psi Chi used to have: “Getting the mentorship program going again and getting that momentum… if that could be central part of Psi Chi again I think that would be great…because I had a mentor… and that really helped me,” said Farley-DiMaio.

Emerging research shows that mentoring might be helpful in improving mental health, specifically in reducing distress and depression. 

For solutions among students and other organizations, many of the club leaders wished to increase turnout. Additionally, they want other clubs to continue the discussion of mental health and create inviting spaces for peer support to improve mental health.

“The biggest thing that [others] can be doing is listening, above all else,” said Hoque. “At the end of the day we are all people… as long as there are people, there is going to be mental health to be discussed.” 

Additionally, students mentioned how the Drexel administration can help student organizations expand their efforts. This included increasing support for student organizations either through financial, training or networking means. 

Lampert mentioned that the budget SAMMP receives from Drexel is limited and can only go so far in supporting their activities. 

Additionally, Farley expressed that in the past, Psi Chi has wanted to host various events around mental health and mental health disorders, but they cannot talk about sensitive topics without the proper training and qualifications. 

According to the American Counsel on Education and the Journalist’s Resource, skill-training interventions are one of the methods with the most evidence supporting positive mental health effects. 

By helping student organizations, the university can help students reach more peers to foster a better community where people are comfortable talking about mental health. This would also help them provide more in-depth activities, such as working with professionals and offering more direct access to services. 

Interventions lead by professionals with exercises can be very effective, especially when offered multiple times, according to the American Cousel on Education.

In line with this, SAMMP offers events where physicians will come and talk to members about mental health and stress management. Additionally, SAMMP is trying to connect with Labakcare, a Philadelphia non-profit that works to improve awareness of health issues and provide free care. 

Also, members of Active Minds “try to invite mental health professionals to speak at… events because meeting the clinicians you might encounter when seeking help can make the process less scary,” said Vavilala. 

The students additionally expressed a need to improve Drexel services. For instance, Gordon suggested improving Disability Services and the process of applying for accommodations. 

“I also have ADHD. I barely remember homework deadlines and each quarter I have to reapply for all of my Disability Service accommodations. It’s really hard to remember all of that,” said Gordon.

Almost all of the board members suggested expanding outreach for Drexel’s Counseling Center. 

“Drexel can promote their counseling center. Informing professors about the stress students have from taking rigorous classes and spreading the word about resources students can utilize to manage their stress and mental health better would be really useful,” said Prasanna Varadhan, a psychology major and neuroscience minor and president of SOCPSY.

According to the Healthy Minds Study, 15 percent of students seeking mental health care did not receive care because they did not know where to go. 

Overall, student organizations put in their best efforts to offer opportunities to support student mental health but larger-scale efforts from the university to form a collective front against mental health issues are needed. 

This article is part of a grant awarded to The Triangle from the Solutions Journalism Network investigating student mental health at Drexel University. 

In the chaos of Drexel University’s quarter system, it can be difficult to navigate the array of resources available, so here are a few that we think are the most important. 

One of the most popular hubs for studying and collaboration, the Korman Center contains the Academic Resource Center, the premier destination for any sort of academic and/or tutoring help. The ARC offers tutoring for biology, chemistry, math and physics. Taught by Drexel students who received an A or B in introductory level classes they already took, these tutoring services are a good option for a student who needs another person to review with, is stuck on a homework assignment, needs help reviewing for a test or simply wants to hone their study skills to be successful. 

Biology tutoring generally provides selective services for many of the introductory level BIO 100 classes. Chemistry tutoring is most popular for the General Chemistry sequence, but it is also utilized for 200 level classes like Organic Chemistry, or other notoriously difficult courses. The Math Resource Center, also led by students proficient in the skills needed to succeed in math classes, offers both remote and in-person tutoring services. Intro-level physics classes are covered by tutoring as well.

Another huge benefit of the ARC is the Drexel Writing Center. Scheduled appointments can be made to provide “individualized support for any task—assignments, personal statements, scholarly articles for publication and personal projects—from brainstorming to final revision,” according to their website. 

The newest addition to the ARC is the Academic Center for Engineers. It is a supplementary resource specifically designed to support first and second year courses for engineering, business and first-year exploratory studies STEM majors. In addition to assisting with Python, ACE provides Drexel Registration support, which is helpful for a first-year student struggling to navigate the daunting task of course registration. Tutoring and support is held either online or in-person, and tutors are students who have exemplified academic excellence in the disciplines they tutor. This resource can be found at Korman Center Room 105D. 

Beyond tutoring, the Creese Student Center contains the Center for Learning and Academic Success Services. In addition to subject tutoring, CLASS aims to provide students with resources to succeed in remote environments, general academic success and academic coaching for self-reliant learning. One of the most popular resources at CLASS are the Peer and Professional Academic Coaching programs. 

For students in the College of Computing & Informatics, there are a few other specialized resources available. First, located on the 10th floor of 3675 Market Street, the CCI Learning Center contains academic resources and consulting services for students. CCI also offers office hours to students through the Cyber Learning Center, with teaching assistants readily available for any questions or concerns. 

Beyond academic resources, Drexel offers a wide range of support services for the diverse student groups on campus. As your first stop, Drexel Central has any and all information that you might need about financial aid, billing and registration. Located on the ground floor of the Main Building, Drexel Central can be reached either in person or by phone at (215) 895-1600. 

Need medical assistance and realize that your family physician is too far? The Drexel Student Health Center employs a range of doctors and nurse practitioners from the Drexel College of Medicine to provide a wide range of services, including allergy shots, immunizations and treatment for injuries “in a confidential environment,” according to their website. 

Drexel has historically boasted a strong international student population and as such has a variety of International Student & Scholar Services, including emergency information and resources for immigration, traveling, legal services, visa and working forms. 

College is hard, but identifying the resources to help you succeed early on is instrumental to success in any discipline. 

As incoming freshmen, new Drexel University students must learn to navigate various student portals, which can be overwhelming with many different websites all starting with the word “Drexel.”

After receiving a user ID and creating a password, your first stop is DrexelOne at one.drexel.edu. After authentication, you will see many different boxes and tabs that you can click through. 

The Welcome Page holds various information to see at a glance or access quickly. This includes the Student Checklist, which lists items that you need to complete or else your account may be put on academic hold, and My Success Team, which displays the contact information for advisors specifically assigned to you. 

The next tab is Academics. It is essential for registering for classes and ensuring you are on track to graduate. It also has links to library resources, research opportunities and your transcript.

Under the Registration box, the DegreeWorks Graduation Requirements is an important site that tracks completed and outstanding courses required to obtain your degree. Information unique to you is at the top, including your program, GPA and academic standing. As you scroll down, the list of requirements is broken down into several sections, including requirements for general education, your major, the Honors program, co-op and any minors you add. As the official checklist for your credit requirements, it is important to check DegreeWorks when creating a plan of study or preparing to register for your next term of courses.

Be sure to explore the other tabs in DrexelOne as they cover every aspect that you may need to alter during your time here. Here is a brief description of the most important uses of each tab: 

• Billing + Financial Aid: pay tuition and view scholarships
• Co-op + Career Services: upload your resume and search for co-ops 
• Employee (only available if you are working at the university or have work-study funding): record your hours working
• Campus + Community: view housing and dining information 

Another important site to access is Drexel Learn (aka Blackboard Learn) at learn.drexel.edu. This is where you access all of your current courses and grades. After selecting the Courses tab on the left, you will see that each class for the term has its own box to open up the page for that course. Each professor sets up the page in their own way, so it is important to figure out where the syllabus, course materials and assignments will be stored for each class. 

Within Drexel Learn, the Calendar tab is useful for seeing when assignments are due in relation to each other across all courses. Additionally, the Grades tab provides a quick view of your overall grade for each course and the grades you received on the last couple of assignments. Your full grade breakdown can be viewed after clicking the “View all work” link. 

There are many other Drexel websites that will be useful throughout your time here, but DrexelOne and Drexel Learn are two of the most important sites for your success as a student. If you have questions, go to ask.drexel.edu to see frequently asked questions or to submit a new one. You can also email any questions to your academic advisor. 

Public transportation is a huge perk that comes with living in a city. It grants you independence and the freedom to roam as you please. There are some parts of Philadelphia’s public transportation system that you can only learn through experience, so here are my words of wisdom to help you get started with navigating SEPTA.

Drexel Buses

• The Dragon Shuttle takes you from Nesbitt Hall to Center City.
• Powelton/Spring Garden Shuttle: from Nesbitt to Vidas Fields. If you live in the Powelton/Mantua area, this bus will probably get you home.
• Both shuttles can stop at more intersections than listed on the site, but you have to ask the driver or pull the rope at the top of the windows to indicate that a stop has been requested. See the Drexel Shuttles’ website for times and more stops.

SEPTA + SEPTA Card

• SEPTA stands for South Eastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority.
• You can pay for any SEPTA transportation with the SEPTA card. Paying for subway, trolley or bus with cash is $2.50, but it’s $2 with a refillable SEPTA card.
• A refillable SEPTA card can be purchased for $5 from the payment stations located in most subway and underground trolley stations. It can be refilled at these physical stations, or in the SEPTA app once registered to an account. 
• You get a “free transfer” within 2 hours of first scanning your card on the subway trolley and bus.
• Dunkin Donuts has “transit Tuesdays,” where you get $1 medium coffee if you present your SEPTA card.
• The SEPTA app is where you can check departure and arrival times for all SEPTA vehicles and reload your SEPTA card.
• The best navigation hack I have learned is that, to get from point A to point B, first put your destination into your maps app and set it to the transit option. It will tell you what route to take and what stop to get off at. Once you know what line to take, you can find departure and arrival times for that line within the SEPTA app.

Subway

• There are two subway lines in Philadelphia. The Market-Frankford line is referred to as the “el” because it is only underground from 40th street to 2nd street, then it is an elevated train. It stops running at about 12:30 a.m. every day. The Broad Street line runs north to south. Temple University and the Philly sports stadiums are two of the more common stops on the BSL.
• The subway is the most frequently used public transportation by Drexel students. It takes you to Center City and towards the Delaware River.
• It runs on a fixed schedule, with different rush hour, evening and weekend hours.
• 15th Street Station has a free interchange concourse that lets you switch from the MFL to BSL.
• Pay attention to the regular BSL versus the BSL express! BSL express has a limited number of stops compared to the regular line, and comes less often.
• When entering a subway station, be mindful of what side of the street you are on. The Eastbound and Westbound MFL subway follow the direction of traffic.
• Most stations have a concourse that allows you to switch from East to Westbound and vice versa.

Trolley

• There is a stop directly on Drexel’s campus, 33rd Street. Between 13th Street and Drexel, all trolleys stop at every stop. Further west from our campus, they split up. Many people living off campus take Line 10 back from Center City because it goes down Lancaster Ave.
• The trolley runs from 13th Street to various parts of West Philadelphia and beyond, with more specific stops throughout Center City compared to the subways. If you want to get to Rittenhouse Square, you would take the trolley from Drexel to 19th Street.

Bus

• Buses can take you to the most specific locations throughout Philadelphia.
• Some more common bus routes run all throughout the night. For example, when the MFL stops running at night, a bus takes over that route.

Regional Rail

• 30th Street Station is the nearest train station to campus.
• Regional Rail trains take you further outside the city. They are faster than the buses but they cost a bit more.

There is a thriving community of sororities and fraternities — collectively referred to as “Greek life” — at Drexel University. Greek life is a great way to cultivate deep friendships, find community and to get involved on campus. There are a few core things you should know about Greek life at Drexel in order to make the most of your experience. 

Fraternities and sororities are single-sex community organizations organized around a set of unifying values. These organizations are often found at multiple universities; a local branch is called a chapter. By joining one of these chapters, one can become part of a tight-knit community where many people say they met their best friends. Additionally, these organizations can help one to find leadership, community service and professional networking opportunities. The goals of each chapter are different. The best ways to decide if you would be a good fit for a certain fraternity or sorority is to read about it (some online resources are listed at the end of this article), speak to members and attend associated events.

The name “Greek life”  references the fact that each organization is typically named with a set of Greek letters, frequently an acronym for a Greek motto, which is usually kept as a secret for members only. This is another core aspect of Greek life: secrecy. Initiation into a Greek life organization is a serious, ceremonial process often called a “ritual.” These rituals — the contents of which are kept secret — are a source of bonding between members and a way to convey the core values and traditions of the organization. Rest assured, these rituals do not involve “hazing,” regarding which Drexel has a zero-tolerance policy.

The recruitment process is slightly different for fraternities and sororities. Fraternities may choose to extend a bid (formal invitation) to someone after multiple visits. Sorority recruitment happens in the fall. After visiting every sorority chapter (usually several times), applicants select their top organizations, and are matched up through a mutual selection process as sororities select their top applicants. There is no guarantee that one will be invited to any chapter, but there will always be more recruitment periods in the future. 

Each organization has different requirements to maintain membership, which may include a minimum GPA score, financial dues, chapter-meeting attendance and community service involvement. Organizations may or may not have houses. Those without houses typically meet in reserved on-campus spaces. The cost of living in a fraternity or sorority house is set annually by Drexel’s Board of Trustees. 

A full list of the Greek life organizations on campus can be found at dragonlink.drexel.edu. A list of organizations with housing can be found at drexel.edu/studentlife/campus-living/. Information about specific organizations can be found on the organization’s website (usually accessible through a simple internet search of its name) or by contacting their president.