With plans to release a demo this summer, Starworks Studios, a Drexel University student-run game design studio, has been developing Boast Guards for their senior project. Along with their previously released game, Timeworks, their latest game has been accepted to the Pennsylvania TooManyGames convention held from June 27 to 29.

Inspired by Overcooked, a popular couch co-op cooking game, Boast Guards is about working as a team of lifeguards to save people on a beach and complete other objectives while facing different obstacles. Starting on Day One, players pick their characters and work together to complete a simple objective. At the end of each day, players can select an upgrade for their characters for specific skills. 

Thomas Ludin, a fifth-year game design and production student and one of the four founders of Starworks Studios, explained the considerations of player experiences behind the details of the game: “We combined different types of swimmers, so like a frat bro, a pro swimmer, casual swimmer, and a heavy swimmer… There’s a lot of thought and mechanics that go into them, in terms of team cooperation of like, ‘Okay, I’m gonna be really fast in the water but slow on the sand, and you’re going to be really fast on the sand but slow in the water.’” 

As the days progress in the game, leading up to Day Seven, the difficulty continues to increase: “Maybe Day One, you have to save two swimmers and Day Seven, you have to save 20 and two whales and dodge a tornado. It gets pretty hectic.”  

As a team of six College of Computing and Informatics students and 10 game design and production students, Starworks Studios spent about a year developing Boast Guards.  

The game idea surfaced at a pitch night, where team members pitch game ideas for their next project. Three ideas were selected and then prototyped from June to August of 2024. From there, the team selected one game to move forward with for their senior project, keeping in mind their current capabilities and the timelines associated with the project requirements. 

As Starworks Studios’ marketer, Ludin explained the importance of design for Boast Guards, “Something that was extremely important to us was the marketability and the readability of these projects. So somebody could look at this game and be like, ‘Okay, that’s a beach, that’s a lifeguard,’ or somebody could look at this game and be like, ‘That reminds me of Overcooked,’ or somebody could just look at this game and kind of understand the general gist of what’s happening.” 

Following the demo release this summer, Starworks Studios hopes to gain a publisher to help them with funding, marketing and increasing the game’s size before releasing the full version. 

“We’ve never had a publisher before, which is why it’s kind of a heavy feat. It’s not super standard for people our age to find a publisher,” Ludin stated. “Typically you have to be in the industry, but we’ve went ahead and we’ve started scouting.” 

For all of their projects, Starworks Studios has been working through Drexel’s Entrepreneurial Game Studio. EGS then helps them with outreach, increasing accessibility to events like Philly Tech Week and opportunities to present at the Franklin Institute. Starworks Studios has also previously received $19,000 from Drexel’s entrepreneurial grant for the release of Timeworks and has been accepted to numerous gaming conventions, such as TooManyGames and MAGFest. Earlier this year, they received an Honorable Mention for Best Student Game at GDC’s Independent Games Festival. 

After bringing materials to a convention, including tables, chairs, banners and character decorations, the students work to take advantage of the networking opportunities, hoping to expand their outreach to other developers and gamers. By showcasing the game and allowing others to come into the booth and play, they hope to attract more players. 

Since the founding of the team during Ludin’s sophomore year, Starworks Studios has grown from a group of four friends to a team of 16 students, all juggling multiple meetings a week while taking classes or on co-op. 

Following their passion project Timeworks, they developed Boned for six months as part of their junior workshop.  

Following those projects, Ludin described the process of creating Boast Guards per school requirements: “The main thing that we were looking forward to is that it would intertwine our Drexel curriculum with game design, and then in retrospect, the main thing that we kind of found annoying was that it intertwined our classes with this. So realistically, we’re very proud of all the work that we’ve done on these projects, but also Timeworks was… food for the soul… whereas Boned and Boast Guards, we kind of felt… a little bit of restriction because of Drexel’s expectations and requirements from an academia standpoint.” 

As graduating seniors, the Starworks Studios team is taking a break during June to rest and re-evaluate their plans moving forward: “Realistically, I think that we all want to be a part of this designing games from a passion perspective… So I think that it’s super important to just kind of grow our portfolio and our resumes… and keep the train chugging from a passion perspective, working on projects that we want to work on, not projects that we need to do homework for.”

Since some members are moving or starting full-time jobs, the team hopes to participate in incubator game jams, in which the group would have 48 hours to a week to create a small game, to keep honing skills and creativity for prototypes. 

For those starting on the same path, Ludin emphasized the importance of networking early on and continuously: “Definitely join EGS, get involved, meet people, you know, like you’re never gonna regret doing those things; you might regret not doing those things.” 

“I’m proud to say that I’ve gone to Drexel,” Ludin reflected. “I’m proud to say that I’ve connected with people that are also on Steam or also gotten publishers, or also gotten these awards and I’m just really proud of what we’ve done.” 

To be notified when Boast Guards is released, add the game to your wishlist on Steam.

With plans to release a demo this summer, Starworks Studios, a Drexel University student-run game design studio, has been developing Boast Guards for their senior project. Along with their previously released game, Timeworks, their latest game has been accepted to the Pennsylvania TooManyGames convention held from June 27 to 29.

Inspired by Overcooked, a popular couch co-op cooking game, Boast Guards is about working as a team of lifeguards to save people on a beach and complete other objectives while facing different obstacles. Starting on Day One, players pick their characters and work together to complete a simple objective. At the end of each day, players can select an upgrade for their characters for specific skills. 

Thomas Ludin, a fifth-year game design and production student and one of the four founders of Starworks Studios, explained the considerations of player experiences behind the details of the game: “We combined different types of swimmers, so like a frat bro, a pro swimmer, casual swimmer, and a heavy swimmer… There’s a lot of thought and mechanics that go into them, in terms of team cooperation of like, ‘Okay, I’m gonna be really fast in the water but slow on the sand, and you’re going to be really fast on the sand but slow in the water.’” 

As the days progress in the game, leading up to Day Seven, the difficulty continues to increase: “Maybe Day One, you have to save two swimmers and Day Seven, you have to save 20 and two whales and dodge a tornado. It gets pretty hectic.”  

As a team of six College of Computing and Informatics students and 10 game design and production students, Starworks Studios spent about a year developing Boast Guards.  

The game idea surfaced at a pitch night, where team members pitch game ideas for their next project. Three ideas were selected and then prototyped from June to August of 2024. From there, the team selected one game to move forward with for their senior project, keeping in mind their current capabilities and the timelines associated with the project requirements. 

As Starworks Studios’ marketer, Ludin explained the importance of design for Boast Guards, “Something that was extremely important to us was the marketability and the readability of these projects. So somebody could look at this game and be like, ‘Okay, that’s a beach, that’s a lifeguard,’ or somebody could look at this game and be like, ‘That reminds me of Overcooked,’ or somebody could just look at this game and kind of understand the general gist of what’s happening.” 

Following the demo release this summer, Starworks Studios hopes to gain a publisher to help them with funding, marketing and increasing the game’s size before releasing the full version. 

“We’ve never had a publisher before, which is why it’s kind of a heavy feat. It’s not super standard for people our age to find a publisher,” Ludin stated. “Typically you have to be in the industry, but we’ve went ahead and we’ve started scouting.” 

For all of their projects, Starworks Studios has been working through Drexel’s Entrepreneurial Game Studio. EGS then helps them with outreach, increasing accessibility to events like Philly Tech Week and opportunities to present at the Franklin Institute. Starworks Studios has also previously received $19,000 from Drexel’s entrepreneurial grant for the release of Timeworks and has been accepted to numerous gaming conventions, such as TooManyGames and MAGFest. Earlier this year, they received an Honorable Mention for Best Student Game at GDC’s Independent Games Festival. 

After bringing materials to a convention, including tables, chairs, banners and character decorations, the students work to take advantage of the networking opportunities, hoping to expand their outreach to other developers and gamers. By showcasing the game and allowing others to come into the booth and play, they hope to attract more players. 

Since the founding of the team during Ludin’s sophomore year, Starworks Studios has grown from a group of four friends to a team of 16 students, all juggling multiple meetings a week while taking classes or on co-op. 

Following their passion project Timeworks, they developed Boned for six months as part of their junior workshop.  

Following those projects, Ludin described the process of creating Boast Guards per school requirements: “The main thing that we were looking forward to is that it would intertwine our Drexel curriculum with game design, and then in retrospect, the main thing that we kind of found annoying was that it intertwined our classes with this. So realistically, we’re very proud of all the work that we’ve done on these projects, but also Timeworks was… food for the soul… whereas Boned and Boast Guards, we kind of felt… a little bit of restriction because of Drexel’s expectations and requirements from an academia standpoint.” 

As graduating seniors, the Starworks Studios team is taking a break during June to rest and re-evaluate their plans moving forward: “Realistically, I think that we all want to be a part of this designing games from a passion perspective… So I think that it’s super important to just kind of grow our portfolio and our resumes… and keep the train chugging from a passion perspective, working on projects that we want to work on, not projects that we need to do homework for.”

Since some members are moving or starting full-time jobs, the team hopes to participate in incubator game jams, in which the group would have 48 hours to a week to create a small game, to keep honing skills and creativity for prototypes. 

For those starting on the same path, Ludin emphasized the importance of networking early on and continuously: “Definitely join EGS, get involved, meet people, you know, like you’re never gonna regret doing those things; you might regret not doing those things.” 

“I’m proud to say that I’ve gone to Drexel,” Ludin reflected. “I’m proud to say that I’ve connected with people that are also on Steam or also gotten publishers, or also gotten these awards and I’m just really proud of what we’ve done.” 

To be notified when Boast Guards is released, add the game to your wishlist on Steam.

With plans to release a demo this summer, Starworks Studios, a Drexel University student-run game design studio, has been developing Boast Guards for their senior project. Along with their previously released game, Timeworks, their latest game has been accepted to the Pennsylvania TooManyGames convention held from June 27 to 29.

Inspired by Overcooked, a popular couch co-op cooking game, Boast Guards is about working as a team of lifeguards to save people on a beach and complete other objectives while facing different obstacles. Starting on Day One, players pick their characters and work together to complete a simple objective. At the end of each day, players can select an upgrade for their characters for specific skills. 

Thomas Ludin, a fifth-year game design and production student and one of the four founders of Starworks Studios, explained the considerations of player experiences behind the details of the game: “We combined different types of swimmers, so like a frat bro, a pro swimmer, casual swimmer, and a heavy swimmer… There’s a lot of thought and mechanics that go into them, in terms of team cooperation of like, ‘Okay, I’m gonna be really fast in the water but slow on the sand, and you’re going to be really fast on the sand but slow in the water.’” 

As the days progress in the game, leading up to Day Seven, the difficulty continues to increase: “Maybe Day One, you have to save two swimmers and Day Seven, you have to save 20 and two whales and dodge a tornado. It gets pretty hectic.”  

As a team of six College of Computing and Informatics students and 10 game design and production students, Starworks Studios spent about a year developing Boast Guards.  

The game idea surfaced at a pitch night, where team members pitch game ideas for their next project. Three ideas were selected and then prototyped from June to August of 2024. From there, the team selected one game to move forward with for their senior project, keeping in mind their current capabilities and the timelines associated with the project requirements. 

As Starworks Studios’ marketer, Ludin explained the importance of design for Boast Guards, “Something that was extremely important to us was the marketability and the readability of these projects. So somebody could look at this game and be like, ‘Okay, that’s a beach, that’s a lifeguard,’ or somebody could look at this game and be like, ‘That reminds me of Overcooked,’ or somebody could just look at this game and kind of understand the general gist of what’s happening.” 

Following the demo release this summer, Starworks Studios hopes to gain a publisher to help them with funding, marketing and increasing the game’s size before releasing the full version. 

“We’ve never had a publisher before, which is why it’s kind of a heavy feat. It’s not super standard for people our age to find a publisher,” Ludin stated. “Typically you have to be in the industry, but we’ve went ahead and we’ve started scouting.” 

For all of their projects, Starworks Studios has been working through Drexel’s Entrepreneurial Game Studio. EGS then helps them with outreach, increasing accessibility to events like Philly Tech Week and opportunities to present at the Franklin Institute. Starworks Studios has also previously received $19,000 from Drexel’s entrepreneurial grant for the release of Timeworks and has been accepted to numerous gaming conventions, such as TooManyGames and MAGFest. Earlier this year, they received an Honorable Mention for Best Student Game at GDC’s Independent Games Festival. 

After bringing materials to a convention, including tables, chairs, banners and character decorations, the students work to take advantage of the networking opportunities, hoping to expand their outreach to other developers and gamers. By showcasing the game and allowing others to come into the booth and play, they hope to attract more players. 

Since the founding of the team during Ludin’s sophomore year, Starworks Studios has grown from a group of four friends to a team of 16 students, all juggling multiple meetings a week while taking classes or on co-op. 

Following their passion project Timeworks, they developed Boned for six months as part of their junior workshop.  

Following those projects, Ludin described the process of creating Boast Guards per school requirements: “The main thing that we were looking forward to is that it would intertwine our Drexel curriculum with game design, and then in retrospect, the main thing that we kind of found annoying was that it intertwined our classes with this. So realistically, we’re very proud of all the work that we’ve done on these projects, but also Timeworks was… food for the soul… whereas Boned and Boast Guards, we kind of felt… a little bit of restriction because of Drexel’s expectations and requirements from an academia standpoint.” 

As graduating seniors, the Starworks Studios team is taking a break during June to rest and re-evaluate their plans moving forward: “Realistically, I think that we all want to be a part of this designing games from a passion perspective… So I think that it’s super important to just kind of grow our portfolio and our resumes… and keep the train chugging from a passion perspective, working on projects that we want to work on, not projects that we need to do homework for.”

Since some members are moving or starting full-time jobs, the team hopes to participate in incubator game jams, in which the group would have 48 hours to a week to create a small game, to keep honing skills and creativity for prototypes. 

For those starting on the same path, Ludin emphasized the importance of networking early on and continuously: “Definitely join EGS, get involved, meet people, you know, like you’re never gonna regret doing those things; you might regret not doing those things.” 

“I’m proud to say that I’ve gone to Drexel,” Ludin reflected. “I’m proud to say that I’ve connected with people that are also on Steam or also gotten publishers, or also gotten these awards and I’m just really proud of what we’ve done.” 

To be notified when Boast Guards is released, add the game to your wishlist on Steam.

With plans to release a demo this summer, Starworks Studios, a Drexel University student-run game design studio, has been developing Boast Guards for their senior project. Along with their previously released game, Timeworks, their latest game has been accepted to the Pennsylvania TooManyGames convention held from June 27 to 29.

Inspired by Overcooked, a popular couch co-op cooking game, Boast Guards is about working as a team of lifeguards to save people on a beach and complete other objectives while facing different obstacles. Starting on Day One, players pick their characters and work together to complete a simple objective. At the end of each day, players can select an upgrade for their characters for specific skills. 

Thomas Ludin, a fifth-year game design and production student and one of the four founders of Starworks Studios, explained the considerations of player experiences behind the details of the game: “We combined different types of swimmers, so like a frat bro, a pro swimmer, casual swimmer, and a heavy swimmer… There’s a lot of thought and mechanics that go into them, in terms of team cooperation of like, ‘Okay, I’m gonna be really fast in the water but slow on the sand, and you’re going to be really fast on the sand but slow in the water.’” 

As the days progress in the game, leading up to Day Seven, the difficulty continues to increase: “Maybe Day One, you have to save two swimmers and Day Seven, you have to save 20 and two whales and dodge a tornado. It gets pretty hectic.”  

As a team of six College of Computing and Informatics students and 10 game design and production students, Starworks Studios spent about a year developing Boast Guards.  

The game idea surfaced at a pitch night, where team members pitch game ideas for their next project. Three ideas were selected and then prototyped from June to August of 2024. From there, the team selected one game to move forward with for their senior project, keeping in mind their current capabilities and the timelines associated with the project requirements. 

As Starworks Studios’ marketer, Ludin explained the importance of design for Boast Guards, “Something that was extremely important to us was the marketability and the readability of these projects. So somebody could look at this game and be like, ‘Okay, that’s a beach, that’s a lifeguard,’ or somebody could look at this game and be like, ‘That reminds me of Overcooked,’ or somebody could just look at this game and kind of understand the general gist of what’s happening.” 

Following the demo release this summer, Starworks Studios hopes to gain a publisher to help them with funding, marketing and increasing the game’s size before releasing the full version. 

“We’ve never had a publisher before, which is why it’s kind of a heavy feat. It’s not super standard for people our age to find a publisher,” Ludin stated. “Typically you have to be in the industry, but we’ve went ahead and we’ve started scouting.” 

For all of their projects, Starworks Studios has been working through Drexel’s Entrepreneurial Game Studio. EGS then helps them with outreach, increasing accessibility to events like Philly Tech Week and opportunities to present at the Franklin Institute. Starworks Studios has also previously received $19,000 from Drexel’s entrepreneurial grant for the release of Timeworks and has been accepted to numerous gaming conventions, such as TooManyGames and MAGFest. Earlier this year, they received an Honorable Mention for Best Student Game at GDC’s Independent Games Festival. 

After bringing materials to a convention, including tables, chairs, banners and character decorations, the students work to take advantage of the networking opportunities, hoping to expand their outreach to other developers and gamers. By showcasing the game and allowing others to come into the booth and play, they hope to attract more players. 

Since the founding of the team during Ludin’s sophomore year, Starworks Studios has grown from a group of four friends to a team of 16 students, all juggling multiple meetings a week while taking classes or on co-op. 

Following their passion project Timeworks, they developed Boned for six months as part of their junior workshop.  

Following those projects, Ludin described the process of creating Boast Guards per school requirements: “The main thing that we were looking forward to is that it would intertwine our Drexel curriculum with game design, and then in retrospect, the main thing that we kind of found annoying was that it intertwined our classes with this. So realistically, we’re very proud of all the work that we’ve done on these projects, but also Timeworks was… food for the soul… whereas Boned and Boast Guards, we kind of felt… a little bit of restriction because of Drexel’s expectations and requirements from an academia standpoint.” 

As graduating seniors, the Starworks Studios team is taking a break during June to rest and re-evaluate their plans moving forward: “Realistically, I think that we all want to be a part of this designing games from a passion perspective… So I think that it’s super important to just kind of grow our portfolio and our resumes… and keep the train chugging from a passion perspective, working on projects that we want to work on, not projects that we need to do homework for.”

Since some members are moving or starting full-time jobs, the team hopes to participate in incubator game jams, in which the group would have 48 hours to a week to create a small game, to keep honing skills and creativity for prototypes. 

For those starting on the same path, Ludin emphasized the importance of networking early on and continuously: “Definitely join EGS, get involved, meet people, you know, like you’re never gonna regret doing those things; you might regret not doing those things.” 

“I’m proud to say that I’ve gone to Drexel,” Ludin reflected. “I’m proud to say that I’ve connected with people that are also on Steam or also gotten publishers, or also gotten these awards and I’m just really proud of what we’ve done.” 

To be notified when Boast Guards is released, add the game to your wishlist on Steam.

On May 20, progressive Democrat and incumbent Larry Krasner secured the party’s nomination for district attorney of Philadelphia, making a third four-year term likely. He defeated the former Municipal Court judge and U.S. Army veteran Pat Dugan, who received 35.6 percent of votes. With the Republican Party not fielding a candidate, Krasner is set to appear on the ballot unopposed in November.

Although Drexel University has been ranked as the fourth most liberal college in Pennsylvania, student views on campus varied. Necati Aslan, president of Drexel Democrats and Krasner voter, told the Triangle that “Dugan had money, but we had people.”  

Aslan was impressed by the incumbent’s dedication to exonerating the innocent and lowered sentencing, particularly as the city’s murder rate reached a 10-year low last year, setting a 50-year record for largest single-year decrease. Aslan disapproved of Dugan’s disbelief in the crime statistics, calling it “very Trumpian.” The billionaire class also supported Dugan, Necati said, another hallmark of the current presidential administration. 

A sophomore game design major who voted for Dugan did not describe his choice at the polls as a vote against Krasner. From his experience, many Dugan supporters were spiteful of Krasner’s progressive policies. 

However, this Westphal student believed that both candidates were progressive and Dugan falsely portrayed himself as more centrist to appease moderate voters. Dugan’s platform emphasized employing diversionary programs for minor crimes, community policing and accountability for prosecutors.

Krasner has been criticized as averse to prosecuting gun charges, though recently instituted a unit targeting repeat gun offenders. The importance of this issue decided the student’s vote against the more progressive candidate, despite self-identifying as a progressive. “Having illegal weapons on the street is not positive for the community,” he said. 

In the past year, progressive district attorneys have been voted out and replaced by tougher-on-crime candidates in liberal counties, including Portland and Los Angeles. While Philadelphia invites comparison as the bluest county in its respective state, Krasner’s victory bucked this trend. 

The Westphal student said he is happy to see a good fight between two “pretty progressive people.” Aslan views Krasner as a great reformer and is looking forward to his third term. 

Dugan congratulated Krasner, saying “For the sake of our neighborhoods, our families, and the soul of this city, I truly hope he succeeds.” 

On May 20, progressive Democrat and incumbent Larry Krasner secured the party’s nomination for district attorney of Philadelphia, making a third four-year term likely. He defeated the former Municipal Court judge and U.S. Army veteran Pat Dugan, who received 35.6 percent of votes. With the Republican Party not fielding a candidate, Krasner is set to appear on the ballot unopposed in November.

Although Drexel University has been ranked as the fourth most liberal college in Pennsylvania, student views on campus varied. Necati Aslan, president of Drexel Democrats and Krasner voter, told the Triangle that “Dugan had money, but we had people.”  

Aslan was impressed by the incumbent’s dedication to exonerating the innocent and lowered sentencing, particularly as the city’s murder rate reached a 10-year low last year, setting a 50-year record for largest single-year decrease. Aslan disapproved of Dugan’s disbelief in the crime statistics, calling it “very Trumpian.” The billionaire class also supported Dugan, Necati said, another hallmark of the current presidential administration. 

A sophomore game design major who voted for Dugan did not describe his choice at the polls as a vote against Krasner. From his experience, many Dugan supporters were spiteful of Krasner’s progressive policies. 

However, this Westphal student believed that both candidates were progressive and Dugan falsely portrayed himself as more centrist to appease moderate voters. Dugan’s platform emphasized employing diversionary programs for minor crimes, community policing and accountability for prosecutors.

Krasner has been criticized as averse to prosecuting gun charges, though recently instituted a unit targeting repeat gun offenders. The importance of this issue decided the student’s vote against the more progressive candidate, despite self-identifying as a progressive. “Having illegal weapons on the street is not positive for the community,” he said. 

In the past year, progressive district attorneys have been voted out and replaced by tougher-on-crime candidates in liberal counties, including Portland and Los Angeles. While Philadelphia invites comparison as the bluest county in its respective state, Krasner’s victory bucked this trend. 

The Westphal student said he is happy to see a good fight between two “pretty progressive people.” Aslan views Krasner as a great reformer and is looking forward to his third term. 

Dugan congratulated Krasner, saying “For the sake of our neighborhoods, our families, and the soul of this city, I truly hope he succeeds.” 

On May 20, progressive Democrat and incumbent Larry Krasner secured the party’s nomination for district attorney of Philadelphia, making a third four-year term likely. He defeated the former Municipal Court judge and U.S. Army veteran Pat Dugan, who received 35.6 percent of votes. With the Republican Party not fielding a candidate, Krasner is set to appear on the ballot unopposed in November.

Although Drexel University has been ranked as the fourth most liberal college in Pennsylvania, student views on campus varied. Necati Aslan, president of Drexel Democrats and Krasner voter, told the Triangle that “Dugan had money, but we had people.”  

Aslan was impressed by the incumbent’s dedication to exonerating the innocent and lowered sentencing, particularly as the city’s murder rate reached a 10-year low last year, setting a 50-year record for largest single-year decrease. Aslan disapproved of Dugan’s disbelief in the crime statistics, calling it “very Trumpian.” The billionaire class also supported Dugan, Necati said, another hallmark of the current presidential administration. 

A sophomore game design major who voted for Dugan did not describe his choice at the polls as a vote against Krasner. From his experience, many Dugan supporters were spiteful of Krasner’s progressive policies. 

However, this Westphal student believed that both candidates were progressive and Dugan falsely portrayed himself as more centrist to appease moderate voters. Dugan’s platform emphasized employing diversionary programs for minor crimes, community policing and accountability for prosecutors.

Krasner has been criticized as averse to prosecuting gun charges, though recently instituted a unit targeting repeat gun offenders. The importance of this issue decided the student’s vote against the more progressive candidate, despite self-identifying as a progressive. “Having illegal weapons on the street is not positive for the community,” he said. 

In the past year, progressive district attorneys have been voted out and replaced by tougher-on-crime candidates in liberal counties, including Portland and Los Angeles. While Philadelphia invites comparison as the bluest county in its respective state, Krasner’s victory bucked this trend. 

The Westphal student said he is happy to see a good fight between two “pretty progressive people.” Aslan views Krasner as a great reformer and is looking forward to his third term. 

Dugan congratulated Krasner, saying “For the sake of our neighborhoods, our families, and the soul of this city, I truly hope he succeeds.” 

On May 20, progressive Democrat and incumbent Larry Krasner secured the party’s nomination for district attorney of Philadelphia, making a third four-year term likely. He defeated the former Municipal Court judge and U.S. Army veteran Pat Dugan, who received 35.6 percent of votes. With the Republican Party not fielding a candidate, Krasner is set to appear on the ballot unopposed in November.

Although Drexel University has been ranked as the fourth most liberal college in Pennsylvania, student views on campus varied. Necati Aslan, president of Drexel Democrats and Krasner voter, told the Triangle that “Dugan had money, but we had people.”  

Aslan was impressed by the incumbent’s dedication to exonerating the innocent and lowered sentencing, particularly as the city’s murder rate reached a 10-year low last year, setting a 50-year record for largest single-year decrease. Aslan disapproved of Dugan’s disbelief in the crime statistics, calling it “very Trumpian.” The billionaire class also supported Dugan, Necati said, another hallmark of the current presidential administration. 

A sophomore game design major who voted for Dugan did not describe his choice at the polls as a vote against Krasner. From his experience, many Dugan supporters were spiteful of Krasner’s progressive policies. 

However, this Westphal student believed that both candidates were progressive and Dugan falsely portrayed himself as more centrist to appease moderate voters. Dugan’s platform emphasized employing diversionary programs for minor crimes, community policing and accountability for prosecutors.

Krasner has been criticized as averse to prosecuting gun charges, though recently instituted a unit targeting repeat gun offenders. The importance of this issue decided the student’s vote against the more progressive candidate, despite self-identifying as a progressive. “Having illegal weapons on the street is not positive for the community,” he said. 

In the past year, progressive district attorneys have been voted out and replaced by tougher-on-crime candidates in liberal counties, including Portland and Los Angeles. While Philadelphia invites comparison as the bluest county in its respective state, Krasner’s victory bucked this trend. 

The Westphal student said he is happy to see a good fight between two “pretty progressive people.” Aslan views Krasner as a great reformer and is looking forward to his third term. 

Dugan congratulated Krasner, saying “For the sake of our neighborhoods, our families, and the soul of this city, I truly hope he succeeds.” 

While you may still be recovering from the 2024 general election, Philadelphia’s May 20 primary election is already upon us. Here is a guide to this primary that will tell you the election’s who, what, when and where.

When and Where:

Let us start with when you can vote. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 20. If you get in line before 8 p.m., you are entitled to vote even if you cannot cast your ballot before then. So if you get in line, stay in line until you can vote!

To find out where you will be voting, you can check by going to www.pavoterservices.pa.gov. You must be a registered member of a political party to vote for its candidates in a primary, but registered voters of any affiliation can vote on the ballot questions.

Who is on the ballot?

District Attorney:

The district attorney is the top prosecutor for the city. The DA represents the government in criminal cases and, generally, represents the people of Philadelphia in prosecuting alleged criminals. Philadelphia has the fourth-largest criminal justice system in the country, so this is a critical position that sets the tone for how Philadelphia deals with crime.

Larry Krasner:

The progressive Democratic incumbent is seeking his third consecutive term in office. Krasner’s tenure has been defined by his efforts to reform the Philadelphia criminal justice system, becoming a polarizing figure on the national stage of politics. 

Over his eight years in office, Krasner oversaw a massive spike in violent crime during the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by a precipitous drop in crime. 2024 saw the lowest number of homicides since 2014, and 2025 is on track to see even fewer homicides and violent crime. Krasner highlights this statistic, saying that Philadelphians are “safer and freer” after his eight years in office.

According to Krasner’s website, his platform consists of ending mass incarceration, focusing on serious crimes, standing up for Philadelphians’ rights and liberties and standing up to the Trump administration. 

Patrick Dugan:

A Democratic challenger to Krasner, Dugan is a military veteran and served as a municipal court judge for 17 years. Dugan has received a tougher-on-crime label. While he still has a focus on crime diversion, Dugan promises to seek the maximum penalty for violent offenses.

Dugan similarly wants to reform the criminal justice system in Philadelphia. However, he has promised to be tougher on offenses such as retail theft and violent crimes, saying Krasner has been too lenient. 

Dugan’s platform consists of localizing the DA’s office into six geographic districts, returning the DA’s office to 100% capacity, holding criminals accountable, investing in community programs to support crime diversion, holding prosecutors responsible and focusing on prosecuting “high-priority” offenders.

City Controller:

The City Controller operates as an independent auditor of the city’s fiscal activities. Their goal is to ensure proper and effective use of city funds.

Christy Brady:

The lone Democrat on the ballot, Brady has been serving as controller since Nov. 2022. Brady’s priorities for the next term are to take down the “underground economy.” This refers to the practice of developers hiring construction crews that are labeled as contractors and paying them in cash under the table. Brady believes this leads to hazardous end products and dangerous work sites. Brady also wants to bring efficiency to the contracting process with the City of Philadelphia. 

Ari Patrinos:

Running unopposed on the Republican ticket, Patrinos has a platform of reducing taxes, cutting superfluous regulations, and supporting small businesses.

Judge of the Superior Court:

The Superior Court is one tier below the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in authority. The Superior Court handles appeals from civil and criminal cases coming from lower courts.

Brandon Neuman:

The lone Democrat, Neuman is a former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives where he authored legislation to increase accessibility to rape kits. Neuman is “highly recommended” by the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

Maria Battista:

Battista, a Republican, is not recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association because she is not a participant in its rating process. There is very little information regarding her platform on her website.

Ann Marie Whitecraft:

A Republican, Whitecraft has served as a Common Pleas judge, supervising Chester County’s treatment courts for drug, recovery, mental health, and veterans’ cases. The Pennsylvania Bar Association “highly recommended” Wheatcraft due to her “excellent character and undisputed integrity.”

Commonwealth Court:

The Commonwealth Court is responsible for cases involving state and local governments and regulatory agencies. Its Judges serve initial 10-year terms, then face a nonpartisan retention vote after that. Judges are eligible for the court until they turn 75 years old.

Stella Tsai:

Tsai is unopposed on the Democratic ballot. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Carey Law School. Tsai is running on a platform of “safeguarding voting rights, immigrant rights, and civil rights.” Tsai comes highly recommended by the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

Matthew Wolford:

A Republican, Wolford’s platform consists of “defending clients against government enforcement actions and helping clients work through complex regulatory challenges and fighting for private property rights.” Wolford was endorsed by the Pennsylvania Republican Party and comes highly recommended by the Pennsylvania Bar Association. 

Joshua Prince:

Prince is a Republican who has made his name by catering to the far-right corner of the party. Prince has been active in litigation aimed at opposing gun regulations. Prince is not recommended by the Pennsylvania Bar Association, as they found he “lacks the depth and breadth of experience and preparation necessary to take on the commanding role of judge on the Commonwealth Court.”

Judge of the Court of Common Pleas:

The Court of Common Pleas serves as a trial court that handles civil and criminal cases. Voters can choose up to nine candidates for this primary. 

Democrat:

• Will Braveman (Recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association)
• Leon A. King II (Recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association)
• Larry Farnese (Recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association)
• Brian Kisielewski (Recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association)
• Irina Ehrlich (Recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association)
• Anthony Stefanski (Recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association)
• Deborah Watson-Stokes (Recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association)
• Sarah Jones ( Recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association)
• Kia Ghee (Recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association)
• Taniesha Henry (Not recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association)

Republican: There are no Republicans on the ballot.

Judge of the Court of the Municipal Court:

There are 27 judges on the Municipal Court. This court is the bottom rung of the city’s justice department, handling minor civil and criminal cases, as well as traffic offenses. Voters can select three candidates on their ballot.

Democrat:

• Sherrie Cohen (Not recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association)
• Amanda Davidson (Recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association)
• Cortez Patton (Not recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association)
• Qawi Abdul-Rahman (Not recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association)
• Shawn Page (Not recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association)

Republican: There are no Republicans on the ballot. 

Ballot Questions:

There are three questions on the ballot this election. If approved, these initiatives will be adopted into Philadelphia’s Home Rule Charter, essentially the city’s constitution.

Question #1: 

“Should the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to create the Office of Homeless Services Ombudsperson to assist residents experiencing homelessness, help provide fair access to essential resources, improve quality of life in the shelter system, investigate client complaints, and provide oversight and recommendations to the City’s providers of homeless services?”

Voting “yes” would implement an ombudsperson – essentially an advocate – to support people experiencing homelessness. The office could investigate the city’s Office of Homeless Services. Positions like this exist in other major cities, including New York City, Washington D.C. and San Diego. 

If a person experiencing homelessness were experiencing inhumane conditions in a shelter, the ombudsperson’s role would be to advocate on their behalf.

Question #2:

“Should the Home Rule Charter be amended to increase the minimum amount that must be appropriated for spending on Housing Trust Fund purposes in the City’s operating budget each year?”

Voting “yes” would allocate more money towards programs designed to build and maintain affordable housing. There is a mechanism in Philadelphia by which developers can navigate relaxed regulations on real estate development so long as they include a certain number of affordable units or make a payment to the city’s Housing Trust Fund. 

This trust fund generated $43 million from 2019 to 2023, and it is used to support families at risk of homelessness and produce and maintain affordable housing. Councilmember Jamie Gauthier proposed this initiative as she alleged that the trust fund was being spent on things other than affordable housing. 

This initiative is opposed by the Parker administration. 

Question #3: “Shall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to provide for the creation of an independent Philadelphia Prison Community Oversight Board and Office of Prison Oversight and to further authorize City Council to determine the composition, powers and duties of the Board and Office?”

Voting “yes” to this initiative will create an oversight board for the Philadelphia prison system, which has been much maligned. The nine-person board would be in charge of increasing transparency and conducting investigations. 

Four of the board members would be appointed by the mayor, four by the City Council president, and one by the city controller. They must be city residents who do not work for the prisons, Sheriff’s Office or the police department, and at least one member must have been previously incarcerated.

Drexel Dining recently announced its partnership with Too Good to Go, an app that connects users with local businesses offering surplus food that goes unsold at the end of the day for heavily discounted prices. By joining the platform and supporting its mission to combat food waste, several Drexel Dining locations now expand the range of University City spots where students and residents can find affordable, sustainable meals.

Founded in Copenhagen in 2016, Too Good to Go has expanded across continents and grown in popularity over the past nine years to over 100 million registered users. The company operates with a model meant to benefit everyone: users enjoy quality food at lower prices, businesses earn revenue from the surplus that would otherwise go to waste and the environment is spared from unnecessary food waste.

As of this month, the following popular Drexel dining spots are live on the app: Chick-fil-A and The Market at Northside Dining Terrace, Pret a Manger and the Starbucks in Gerri C. LeBow Hall. 

The app works by allowing stores and restaurants to release a number of Surprise Bags filled with a mystery selection of unsold but fresh items that would otherwise be discarded at the end of the day. Users can browse the nearby options, reserve a bag when it becomes available, pay through the app and pick it up at a designated time. These bags are typically priced at 25 to 50 percent of the original retail value. In addition to money saved, the app shows users the total positive environmental impact of their saved meals.

In addition to the newly added Drexel Dining locations, a growing number of restaurants and cafes in University City have made their mark on the app. Savas Brick Oven Pizza and Mad Greek’s Pizza on Lancaster Avenue offer daily Surprise Bags, as does Madis Coffee Roasters, a popular cafe further down the street. Other local shops, like Top Hat Coffee Lounge at 32nd and Walnut and T.UNI Tea Cafe at 34th and Walnut, which serves bubble tea, also participate. Breakfast spots such as Schmear It and Bart’s Bagels have become particularly popular among app users.

For many students, Too Good to Go offers a convenient and affordable way to access food, especially while navigating the financial challenges that inevitably come with college life. Its appeal lies in both the enticingly low cost and the simplicity, with portions that can often stretch across multiple meals being only a few taps away.

Madhu Karuppiah, a third-year Biomedical Engineering major, shared her experiences using the app: “I’ve always gotten more than what I paid for, more bang for my buck,” she said. “I always think, if I’m going to spend five dollars to get a cup of coffee, I might as well get more out of it.”

However, the app comes with a degree of unpredictability; you never know what you might receive in your Surprise Bag. Because the contents of each bag depend on the day’s leftover food, users with dietary restrictions may find it hard to rely on the app regularly. While participating businesses provide a short description of what to expect, specifics are not guaranteed.

Savas Brick Oven Pizza, for example, notes: “This bag might include pizza, just side portions, and/or whole dishes depending on what is available!” Top Hat Coffee Lounge writes that their bags may contain “pastries, iced coffee, or a mix of both!” Bart’s Bagels reminds customers to “Embrace the surprise and please remember that specific preferences and variety are not guaranteed!”

“I think there’s a lot of people who think that Too Good to Go is food that’s going bad, but it’s not,” Karuppiah noted. “Maybe the food’s not heated up, but that’s a simple fix.” 

She also shared a positive experience with T.UNI Tea Cafe: “From the bubble tea place, I got three  drinks for $7… it’s awesome because I tried drinks that I would have never tried otherwise for less.”

Milind Sangani, a third-year student majoring in Biological Sciences and a Too Good to Go user, shared that he found the value unmatched but noted the challenge of portion sizes. “My friend told me about Too Good to Go when I was at work, and then we tried it out with Schmear It. They gave me a lot of bagels, about 10, so it was very worth the price. However, since I’m one person, I found that I couldn’t finish them all.”

Both students emphasized the appeal of convenience. “This makes it much easier for people who maybe can’t afford to eat out every day but also want to get a treat every once in a while,” said Karuppiah. 

Sangani agreed, saying, “I like that they’re partnering with places that are conveniently on campus because it helps not having to travel a long distance for cheaper food.”

As the cost of living continues to rise, balancing academics, expenses and daily needs is becoming increasingly difficult for college students. Too Good to Go offers a practical way to stretch the budget while supporting sustainability. Drexel’s partnership is a step towards reducing waste and making good food more accessible to students and community members.