We hear the word terrorist and shiver. We hear the words white supremacy and groan. But we never hear both together.

Terrorism, by definition, is the unlawful use of violence or intimidation in the pursuit of a political goal. When we think terrorism we usually think 9/11 or more recently, ISIS. White supremacy, on the other hand, is a racist belief that the white race is superior to all other races. When we think white supremacy we think of the Ku Klux Klan or lately, of Charlottesville.

The recent violence in Charlottesville, Virginia gathered hundreds of white supremacists from different groups such as the KKK, Alt-right, neo-Confederate and neo-Nazi members. Although differing in name, the groups all shared core beliefs of pre-existing white-supremacy, uniting them into chanting “blood and soil” throughout the streets of Charlottesville. “Blood and soil” is a 19th-century German nationalist term used during the Nazi regime that connects the ethnicity of an individual to the territory of their country. In other words, they are saying the immigrants and non-whites of this country do not belong on American soil.

The protesters unraveled a paralyzing wave of terror throughout our country proclaiming that the racist beliefs that once founded our nation should still remain in the country’s ideology. The horrifying protest injured 19 civilians and killed one 32-year-old woman. Most people would agree  that the protest was both morally and lawfully wrong. But unlike other immoral crimes, this crime was an act of terror against our country. With the political goal of segregating our country, white supremacy is well alive in the United States and white supremacists are terrorists themselves. It’s about time our nation starts viewing them as such.

Families and individuals from all around the world have immigrated to the United States and were met with open arms from our country. Now, we welcome them with uncertainty while fully armed. Xenophobia has always been discretely present within the U.S.; it’s natural for individuals to feel hesitant about foreigners. Donald Trump’s continuous xenophobic rhetoric during his campaign and his presidency defied the social norm against attacking foreigners, making bigotry more socially acceptable than it was before. If the president was attacking Mexicans by saying: “They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists,” why can’t the Average Joe publically say that about the next foreigner?

For as long as he’s been in politics, President Trump’s stance on radical Islamic terrorism has been extreme. Both before and during his presidency, Trump continuously pointed at radical Islam as a major security threat to the U.S. In December 2015, Trump called for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.”

With this bigotry, it is perceived that foreigners are a threat to our country, especially a terroristic threat. Even with all the extensive background checks during immigration, these immigrants are still speculated to be terrorists simply because they are not American. What we fail to recognize is that the biggest form of terror lies within our own borders.

In October 2015, Trump, in fact, called terrorism by its name. “These are radical Islamic terrorists…To solve a problem, you have to be able to state what the problem is, or at least say the name.”

Many have criticized his statement today as hypocritical, especially after the Charlottesville protest. Although famous for being blunt, Trump was uncannily silent after the protest by failing to state the problem and call it by its name. White supremacy is the problem and terrorism is the name.

Between January 2008 and the end of 2016, there have been 201 terrorist incidents tracked on U.S. soil. Of these cases, 115 have been by right-wing extremists while 63 cases have been by Islamic extremists, according to The Nation Institute’s Investigative Fund and The Center for Investigative Reporting’s Reveal. Right-wing extremist attacks consisted of almost twice as many attacks as Islamic terrorism did.

Back in May, Trump froze $10 million in grants directed towards combating domestic terrorism. More than 30 organizations were given funding during Barack Obama’s presidency but the grants were put on hold when the Trump Administration took office.

The majority of our focus has been on radical Islamic terrorism within the past years. Since 2008, the government succeeded in interrupting the majority of Islamic extremist incidents with 76 percent of plots being dead-ended with a huge investment of government resources. With right-wing extremism, only 35 percent of incidents were interrupted with the majority of cases resulting in death, injuries or damage to property.

Acclaimed journalist David Neiwart told Huffington Post in June 2017 that right-wing extremists were “mostly men” and “almost purely white.” Different groups within right-wing extremism express “gradations of white supremacy” consisting of different variations while all holding onto the same racist ideological foundation.

But our media never seems to label these attacks as terrorism. The incidents are downplayed as mental illnesses or not given enough recognition. If domestic right-wing extremism is such a threat to our country, why do we constantly overlook it?

There is a consistent notion of “us” vs. “them.” “Them” is always the so-called terrorists: the Muslims, the immigrants, the Non-Americans. “Us” is always America: the hard-working middle class, the White-Americans, the ones born on this soil. It’s hard to label white supremacists as terrorists when they’re us … not them. Terroristic white supremacy beliefs reside within the men and women who teach at schools, work at grocery stores, hike with their families and march with their ideologies.

That’s not to say that radical Islamic terrorism is negligent, now that white supremacy is in the picture. We need to be aware that white supremacy is terrorism, not just an ideology. We need to start treating and condemning it as such.

The public needs to recognize that terrorists of any type and their beliefs are not us and not American. Regardless of religion or race, a person’s character is what separates an individual from “us” and “them.”

Photograph Courtesy of Morgan Wallace

An estimated 600 Drexel students came together to celebrate Holi, the Hindu festival of colors,  at Drexel Park April 29.

The event was hosted by the Drexel Indian Undergraduate Student Association in collaboration with the Campus Activities Board and PRAGATHI, Drexel’s Indian Graduate Student Association.

Millions around the globe celebrate Holi every year by dancing under a cloud of colored powder to honor youth, fertility and love. Holi is widely known for its vivid colors, but this holiday is an ancient secular celebration that draws on various Hindu mythologies that date back before the 7th century.

Holika Dahan, another Hindu tradition, is held during the first night to celebrate the triumph of good versus evil. The night celebrates the Hindu god Vishnu’s victory over the devil Holika. Prayer rituals are often performed on this night.

The second day is known as Rangwali Holi, a carnival of colors. During this celebration, people throw fistfuls of colored powder at one another in an energetic chase. The unique celebration comes from a love story involving the Hindu god Krishna and his lover Radha. According to the legend, Krishna loved Radha but was upset about their different skin colors. Taking his mother’s advice, Krishna playfully painted Radha’s face the same color as his own, leading to the colorful celebration we have now. Today, lovers often celebrate Holi by coloring their faces the same, continuing Krishna and Radha’s everlasting romance.  

This year, Holi began the evening of March 12 and ended in the evening of March 13. Due to logistics surrounding the quarter system, Holi was celebrated at Drexel past this date.

Drexel’s Holi celebration started at 11 a.m. Students waited in line to grab the first packets of color, eagerly huddled around four color stations.

Within an hour, the air was filled with powders of red, blue, yellow, pink, green and orange. Participants were covered in color from head to toe. A game of tag with colored powder spread throughout the park where everyone seemed to be “it.”

The four main powder colors, known as gulal, all have symbolic meanings: red is the color for fertility and love, blue for the god Krishna, yellow for turmeric and its medicinal uses, green for spring and new beginnings.

“I came in with completely clean clothes and left covered in color without an inch to spare and, quite honestly, I couldn’t have been happier to do so. The colors were vivid; the people were vivid; the entire experience was just so vivid,” Riju Patra, a freshman biological sciences major, said.

DISHA has hosted the Holi event at Drexel for more than 10 years, but this year was the first time the organization collaborated with CAB. Together, the organizations hoped to bring a more diverse crowd of participants. They encouraged both Indian and non-Indian students to attend.

Nikeetha Chikkala, a sophomore finance and business analytics major, took part in promoting and designing the event in DISHA. Chikkala believes that the festival plays an integral part in making Drexel a more culturally diverse and integrated community.

“Holi is important because it brings an aspect of India to Drexel. Drexel is such a multicultural university, which leads to some things getting diluted out by the different organizations,” she said. “We try our best to bring the Indian culture to Drexel.”

Shortly after passing out colored powder, Bollywood music blared from speakers shifting the celebration from a chase in color to a dance in color. Rhythmic vibrations from a dhol, a double sided traditional Indian barrel drum, echoed throughout the park.

Five pools filled with water spread around the park but were soon filled with color from the powdered participants. Students chanted as friends carried friends into the pools to be cleaned of the excessive powder covering their bodies.

Around 1 p.m. the crowd lined up for lunch, exhausted from the uninterrupted festivities.

Hungry students amassed in a lengthy line stretching to the end of Drexel Park, all eager to try the aloo roll, paneer roll and rose lassi menu.  

“I don’t really get that many opportunities to experience Indian culture. Today I got to experience both Indian culture and Indian food — two in one!” Neil Eelman, a sophomore electrical engineering major, said.

After lunch, the rejuvenated crowd jumped back into the celebrations after picking up newly dispersed packets of color. The festivities lasted until 3 p.m.

This year drew many returning participants based on last year’s success. Sowmya Jasti, a sophomore psychology major, returned from last year and talked about her experience.

“I love the familial aspect. I love that I can rub a little red or blue on anyone’s face. I really think it brings Drexel students a lot closer together — it’s a little piece of India that everyone can enjoy,” Jasti said.

Pranali Jagasia, a sophomore communications major, compared her Holi 2016 experience to that of this year, “This year was far more crowded, diverse and fun. I saw so many non-South Asian people. It’s always amazing to see other people enjoy your culture. There was no time during the whole event that was empty or lifeless. We had people dancing right up until the last song.”

The festival helped bring South Asians back to their traditional roots regardless of being situated hundreds, or even thousands, of miles away from home.

“Some of these students are international students and they feel so homesick. It brings back the nostalgic feeling that makes them feel good and feel home which is ultimately what DISHA hopes to instill in all students,” commented Chikkala.

Members of DISHA work together year-round to spread an awareness of Indian culture and heritage among the Drexel community and to help ensure a homey atmosphere for Indian students at Drexel. The organizations collaborate to host signature quarterly events welcoming both the Indian and non-Indian community. In the fall, the organization hosts Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights with an abundance of food, dance and music in Main Building. The winter is signified with the festival of Lohri around a bonfire and with cups of hot chai in Race Lawn. The colorful celebration of Holi marks the end of winter and beginning of spring in Drexel Park. The year is concluded with a summer Cricket Tournament in Buckley Field honoring Indian sports on India’s Republic Day.

Holi has inspired imitations of the colorful festival around the world. Internationally, Holi has been adopted outside of the traditional celebration. An annual music festival in London called the Holi Festival of Colors adapts Holi in a colorful outdoor concert. The Color Run, a globally prominent 5K race celebrated with powdered color, also draws its inspiration from Holi.

The essence of any festival is to take a break from the daily routine of life. In the midst of a hectic midterms week, the ebullient festival of colors gave Drexel students an opportunity to ease stress by sharing a united feeling of joy, brotherhood, and color.

Photograph Courtesy of Morgan Wallace

An estimated 600 Drexel students came together to celebrate Holi, the Hindu festival of colors,  at Drexel Park April 29.

The event was hosted by the Drexel Indian Undergraduate Student Association in collaboration with the Campus Activities Board and PRAGATHI, Drexel’s Indian Graduate Student Association.

Millions around the globe celebrate Holi every year by dancing under a cloud of colored powder to honor youth, fertility and love. Holi is widely known for its vivid colors, but this holiday is an ancient secular celebration that draws on various Hindu mythologies that date back before the 7th century.

Holika Dahan, another Hindu tradition, is held during the first night to celebrate the triumph of good versus evil. The night celebrates the Hindu god Vishnu’s victory over the devil Holika. Prayer rituals are often performed on this night.

The second day is known as Rangwali Holi, a carnival of colors. During this celebration, people throw fistfuls of colored powder at one another in an energetic chase. The unique celebration comes from a love story involving the Hindu god Krishna and his lover Radha. According to the legend, Krishna loved Radha but was upset about their different skin colors. Taking his mother’s advice, Krishna playfully painted Radha’s face the same color as his own, leading to the colorful celebration we have now. Today, lovers often celebrate Holi by coloring their faces the same, continuing Krishna and Radha’s everlasting romance.  

This year, Holi began the evening of March 12 and ended in the evening of March 13. Due to logistics surrounding the quarter system, Holi was celebrated at Drexel past this date.

Drexel’s Holi celebration started at 11 a.m. Students waited in line to grab the first packets of color, eagerly huddled around four color stations.

Within an hour, the air was filled with powders of red, blue, yellow, pink, green and orange. Participants were covered in color from head to toe. A game of tag with colored powder spread throughout the park where everyone seemed to be “it.”

The four main powder colors, known as gulal, all have symbolic meanings: red is the color for fertility and love, blue for the god Krishna, yellow for turmeric and its medicinal uses, green for spring and new beginnings.

“I came in with completely clean clothes and left covered in color without an inch to spare and, quite honestly, I couldn’t have been happier to do so. The colors were vivid; the people were vivid; the entire experience was just so vivid,” Riju Patra, a freshman biological sciences major, said.

DISHA has hosted the Holi event at Drexel for more than 10 years, but this year was the first time the organization collaborated with CAB. Together, the organizations hoped to bring a more diverse crowd of participants. They encouraged both Indian and non-Indian students to attend.

Nikeetha Chikkala, a sophomore finance and business analytics major, took part in promoting and designing the event in DISHA. Chikkala believes that the festival plays an integral part in making Drexel a more culturally diverse and integrated community.

“Holi is important because it brings an aspect of India to Drexel. Drexel is such a multicultural university, which leads to some things getting diluted out by the different organizations,” she said. “We try our best to bring the Indian culture to Drexel.”

Shortly after passing out colored powder, Bollywood music blared from speakers shifting the celebration from a chase in color to a dance in color. Rhythmic vibrations from a dhol, a double sided traditional Indian barrel drum, echoed throughout the park.

Five pools filled with water spread around the park but were soon filled with color from the powdered participants. Students chanted as friends carried friends into the pools to be cleaned of the excessive powder covering their bodies.

Around 1 p.m. the crowd lined up for lunch, exhausted from the uninterrupted festivities.

Hungry students amassed in a lengthy line stretching to the end of Drexel Park, all eager to try the aloo roll, paneer roll and rose lassi menu.  

“I don’t really get that many opportunities to experience Indian culture. Today I got to experience both Indian culture and Indian food — two in one!” Neil Eelman, a sophomore electrical engineering major, said.

After lunch, the rejuvenated crowd jumped back into the celebrations after picking up newly dispersed packets of color. The festivities lasted until 3 p.m.

This year drew many returning participants based on last year’s success. Sowmya Jasti, a sophomore psychology major, returned from last year and talked about her experience.

“I love the familial aspect. I love that I can rub a little red or blue on anyone’s face. I really think it brings Drexel students a lot closer together — it’s a little piece of India that everyone can enjoy,” Jasti said.

Pranali Jagasia, a sophomore communications major, compared her Holi 2016 experience to that of this year, “This year was far more crowded, diverse and fun. I saw so many non-South Asian people. It’s always amazing to see other people enjoy your culture. There was no time during the whole event that was empty or lifeless. We had people dancing right up until the last song.”

The festival helped bring South Asians back to their traditional roots regardless of being situated hundreds, or even thousands, of miles away from home.

“Some of these students are international students and they feel so homesick. It brings back the nostalgic feeling that makes them feel good and feel home which is ultimately what DISHA hopes to instill in all students,” commented Chikkala.

Members of DISHA work together year-round to spread an awareness of Indian culture and heritage among the Drexel community and to help ensure a homey atmosphere for Indian students at Drexel. The organizations collaborate to host signature quarterly events welcoming both the Indian and non-Indian community. In the fall, the organization hosts Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights with an abundance of food, dance and music in Main Building. The winter is signified with the festival of Lohri around a bonfire and with cups of hot chai in Race Lawn. The colorful celebration of Holi marks the end of winter and beginning of spring in Drexel Park. The year is concluded with a summer Cricket Tournament in Buckley Field honoring Indian sports on India’s Republic Day.

Holi has inspired imitations of the colorful festival around the world. Internationally, Holi has been adopted outside of the traditional celebration. An annual music festival in London called the Holi Festival of Colors adapts Holi in a colorful outdoor concert. The Color Run, a globally prominent 5K race celebrated with powdered color, also draws its inspiration from Holi.

The essence of any festival is to take a break from the daily routine of life. In the midst of a hectic midterms week, the ebullient festival of colors gave Drexel students an opportunity to ease stress by sharing a united feeling of joy, brotherhood, and color.

Photo Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

World renowned designer and technologist John Maeda will speak at Drexel University’s Class of 2017 commencement June 13.

Maeda is currently Global Head of Computational Design and Development at Automattic, a web development corporation established in 2005. Automattic strives to make publishing accessible to everyone regardless of income, language or location. Most notable for its development of WordPress.com, Automattic is also the company behind several websites such as Polldaddy, Simplenote, Jetpack, Longreads and more.  

Throughout his career, Maeda has been committed to bridging the gap between programming and art, helping businesses and creative artists push the limits in their markets and fields. For over a decade, Maeda has been a powerful advocate of the educational movement to transform STEM — science, technology, education and mathematics, to STEAM — science, technology, education, art and mathematics.

In 2008, Maeda was named one of 75 most influential people of the 21st century by Esquire Magazine. In 2010, Forbes Magazine called him the “Steve Jobs of academia.”

“Maeda is to design what Warren Buffet is to finance,” Wired Magazine stated in a recent article covering Maeda.

Globally recognized for his many accomplishments, Maeda is a recipient of numerous awards including the White House’s National Design Award, the Tribeca Film Festival’s Disruptive Innovation Award for STEM to STEAM, the Tokyo Type Director’s Club Prize, the Blouin Foundation’s Creative Leadership Award, the AIGA Medal, the Raymond Loewy Foundation Prize and the Mainichi Design Prize.

Recognizing Maeda’s innovation, Drexel will award him the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters. Honorary degrees such as DHL are given to nationally or globally recognized scholars, entrepreneurs, artists and inventors.

Prior to his position at Automattic, Maeda advised startup businesses on the impact of design as a design partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers , a venture capital firm in Silicon Valley. Before KPCB, Maeda served as the president of Rhode Island School of Design. Maeda began his career as a Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab professor.  The Museum of Modern Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Cartier Foundation in Paris all have his work in their permanent collections.

Maeda has a diverse educational background holding bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT, an MBA from Arizona State University and a Ph.D. from the University of Tsukuba in Japan.

Maeda is additionally a globally recognized speaker and author. His books include “The Laws of Simplicity,” “Creative Code” and “Redesigning Leadership.” Maeda has appeared as a speaker all around the world including Switzerland, Beijing, Brazil and New York. His TED Talks have received over 2 million views to this day.

“John Maeda is an engaging, international TED Talk veteran whose life’s work should be an inspiration for all Drexel graduates,” said Drexel University president, John A. Fry. “Maeda knows that the greatest advances do not come from having all the answers, but from asking the right questions,” Fry continued.

The 2017 commencement is set for June 13 at 7:30 p.m. — a change from last year’s Saturday morning commencement in an attempt to ease any logistical concerns about arriving early. Returning to last year’s location, the commencement will be under the lights of Citizens Bank Park.

The larger school and college ceremonies will be held at the Mann Center on the Tuesday night before commencement, a change from last year’s Convention Center location. There will also be more individual celebrations for smaller schools and colleges than there were last year.

“In so many ways, commencement is the crown jewel of a university,” said Subir Sahu, vice president and dean of Student Life. “That’s where you celebrate the great accomplishments of your students.”

In fall 2016, Drexel University Provost M. Brian Blake altered the institution’s add/drop policy, reducing the amount of time students had to add, drop and withdraw from courses.

The add/drop period ended after Week 1 this term, rather than extending to the end of Week 2 as in years past, and the withdrawal period was finished after Week 7 rather than continuing to the end of Week 8.

According to N. John DiNardo, senior vice provost for academic affairs, this policy shift was made in an attempt to increase student achievement, as previously, students who enrolled in a class up to towards the end of Week 2 had already missed 20 percent of the class’s content.

He said that the university’s research had found that students who were adding courses later into the term were not doing as well as students who were enrolled into the course from the beginning of the term. fall quarter 2016 marked the first time the policy was in effect.

Many students felt as if the new policy hindered rather than helped the student body. Cindy Chau, a sophomore international business and marketing major, dropped Managerial Accounting Foundations during Week 1 due to an overall heavy course load.

Chau opposes the new policy change and said it created additional stress for her.

“Having the drop [period] altered didn’t let me think about whether or not I liked the teacher, the class workload, the class topic or anything else that pertains to the class as a whole,” she said. “I would rather make up 20 percent of the material for a class I thoroughly enjoy than have to make a quick judgment about a class that I could be wrong about later.”

Like many students, Chau favored the old policy, “The new policy just created unnecessary stress that shouldn’t be given to students during the very first week of the term,” she said. “I don’t agree with the new changes at all.”

Anthony Leone, a sophomore mechanical engineering major in the NROTC program said he thought the new policy might need to be adjusted to account for students best interests.

“I understand the concern for students entering a course too late into the term, but one week is a very short period of time. Even at Drexel, it’s impossible to determine whether or not you need to add or drop a course,” he said.

Dena Habboush, a senior biological sciences major, dropped an online Science Writing class the day before the one-week add/drop deadline and replaced the course with another Science Writing class taught by a different professor.

Like Chau, Habboush felt as if the new policy negatively impacted her. As a pre-med, she monitors her GPA closely and said that it often depends on both the courses she takes and the professors she takes them with.

“There have been so many times where I had taken a course and regretted my decision. Sometimes it took me two weeks to realize that I did not enjoy that class, but I was previously able to drop the class without it being too late,” she said.

“Now I feel like you have to be 100 percent sure that the classes you register for are the classes you are going to take for the rest of the term because no one wants a [withdrawal] on their transcript,” she continued.

Habboush expressed a strong preference for the previous policy.

“In the past three years I have been at this school I have never once fallen behind because I added a course ‘too late.’ I was always able to catch up whether it’s reading the lectures that I had missed, or completing/making up missed assignments or quizzes,” she said.

The majority of students were hesitant about the policy change in the beginning of the term. As the term comes to an end, the feeling of uncertainty still widely remains among the student body.

David Malaletti/Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

President Barack Obama visited Philadelphia Tuesday, Sept. 13 to endorse Hillary Clinton as inheritor of his presidential legacy. The party that wins Pennsylvania will clinch 20 electoral votes, and in the last presidential election Obama won them by only about 5 percent over 2012 Republican candidate Mitt Romney. As a result, Pennsylvania is being watched closely as a battleground state, and Clinton strategically chose to have her most powerful advocate campaign to the state on her behalf.

Having the sitting president attempt to sway voters in her favor proved to be an effective way of drawing in spectators, as a crowd of nearly 6,000 people assembled at Eakins Oval in front of the Philadelphia Art Museum. Many waited under the scalding sun for hours before doors opened to improve their chances of seeing the President.

Swarthmore College student Patrick Houston introduced Obama to an enthusiastic crowd, which applauded as the president arrived on stage.

Obama discussed his successful administration, a valuable asset to Clinton’s campaign with his rising poll numbers.

“America is stronger and more prosperous than when we started out on this journey together,” Obama said.

“And gas is two dollars a gallon!” he said after an audience member shouted the gas price, “I didn’t even — thank you for reminding me. Thanks, Obama!” the President responded, eliciting laughter from the crowd.

After finally settling in with the audience, Obama geared his speech towards campaigning for the democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton.

“I believe there has never been a man or woman more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as our President,” Obama stated, hoping to reassure nervous democrats about Clinton’s capability as commander-in-chief.

Obama recounted working with and against Clinton in the 2008 presidential election as a “tough fight.” He praised her vigilance and persistence, claiming that she was a fierce competitor always one step behind him.

“Every time I thought I had that race won — It was like going up the ‘Rocky Steps.’ I was about to celebrate, and then I look and she’s right there,” he explained.

The President then mentioned Clinton’s experience as Secretary of State under his presidency, emphasizing that Clinton would make a more than suitable commander-in-chief.

“I had a front row seat. I watched her intelligence. I watched her judgment. I watched her discipline…and she worked hard, tirelessly…Because she had never forgotten what she was fighting for — to make sure every child has the same opportunities as her granddaughter and her daughters and your kids.”

Obama commented on Clinton’s character, suggesting that she is more emotional than her publically perceived impassive disposition.

“She’ll listen to people and she will keep her cool, and she treats everyone with respect…No matter how many times people knock her down and mess with her, she does not quit,” he said.

Saranya Khurana, a senior biology major, reflected on how hearing Obama endorse Clinton alleviated some of her concerns for the coming election.

“Hearing the President talk made me feel better about the election because both candidates have been mudslinging and negatively campaigning but Obama kept it really light while pointing out Trump’s flaws while focusing on Hillary’s strengths,” Khurana, explained.

Obama shifted the speech towards Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, mocking him as a fake “champion of working people.” Obama emphasized the parlous consequences in Trump’s recent actions. He particularly highlighted Trump’s praise for Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

“Think about what’s happened to the Republican party…They used to be opposed to Russia and authoritarianism,” he said.

Obama dismissed Trump as an inaccurate representation of America’s values and beliefs, calling Trump’s vision for America a “divided crime scene” compared to Reagan’s American vision as “a shining city on a hill.” He emphasized how Trump epitomized misdirected rage this country feels.

“He’s betting that if he scares enough people, he might just scare up enough votes to win this election,” Obama said.

“The speech also clarified for me all the reasons that Donald Trump can’t win the election, which made me think about how important it is for everyone to vote in November. I made sure to double-check that I was registered to vote in PA after the speech,” Wright stated.

“Don’t boo — vote!” Obama exclaimed after audience members booed at the mention of Trump. Throughout the performance he emphasized how crucial it was for all eligible Americans to vote.

Obama attacked Trump’s legitimacy, questioning how his character would enable him to be commander-in-chief. He highlighted how Trump refused to release any tax returns, and mentioned the Trump Foundation’s fraudulent behavior: taking money donated to the charity and then buying a “six-foot tall painting of himself.”

“At the end of the speech I was honestly left wondering why we were still debating between Trump and Clinton. The more suitable answer is too obvious,” Wright continued

“We cannot afford to suddenly treat this like a reality show,” Obama explained. “Democracy is not a spectator sport. You don’t tweet in your vote. America is not about ‘yes, he will,’ it’s about ‘yes, we can.’”

“Obama made the audience feel that every vote counted — and it does. Most of my friends are voting for Hillary and the ones voting for Trump are just doing it because they hate Hillary. I think college students were extremely excited about Bernie and seem less so about the election now that Bernie is out of the running. I don’t think the importance in voting is lost on anyone. I think most people are arranging their absentee ballots or are registered to vote in Drexel,” Khurana explained.

“I need you to work as hard for Hillary as you did for me,” Obama concluded over a crowd chanting, “yes we can.”

The deadline to register before the Nov. 8 election is Oct. 11. Registration is a free and simple process and can be done through the mail or online at www.pavoterservices.state.pa.us.

Photo courtesy Amelia Fisher

Amelia Fisher is a junior global studies major with a concentration in global health, science and sustainability and minors in Spanish, public health, and science, technology and society. Since March 2016, she has been working as a co-op for UConnect, a nonprofit organization that strives to help local residents effectively utilize Philadelphia’s social services.

This interview has been condensed and edited for style.

Triangle Talks: Can you explain what UConnect is?

Amelia Fisher: Sure. So, West Philadelphia was characterized as a promise zone by President Obama, meaning that it’s a territory in the U.S. that’s in extreme poverty. The label “promise zone” is meant to increase the social service and hopefully the employment in these areas.

UConnect provides a type of referral service to Philadelphia community members that connects them with different kinds of resources. We train navigators to work one-on-one with community members to set goals and prioritize their needs. For example, some might be looking for a low-income house but may not know where to start. We help them look at market prices or government subsidized houses. We have a resource guide filled with a list of different resources under domains like housing, public benefits, employment, healthcare and more.

Basically, if someone comes in completely lost about a certain problem, we try to ease their confusion and steer them in the right direction by referring them to the correct resources available in the area. That doesn’t mean UConnect is exclusive to low-income community members. Our service tends to predominantly serve the underprivileged because they need it the most, but the organization’s service is open to all community members.

TT: When did you become involved there?

AF: I joined UConnect through my part-time co-op that began in March 2016. I’m UConnect’s first co-op, so it’s very exciting to help expand UConnect’s staff. After my spring/summer coop, I will be returning to UConnect this Fall as a Drexel Community Scholar, which is a program based out of the Lindy Center and I will continue to support UConnect as a part-time staff member.

TT: What have you been doing at your co-op?

AF: I helped develop UConnect by editing the resource guide and adding on to the guide to make it more user-friendly for navigators. I also helped develop outreach for UConnect in the neighborhood by passing out flyers at places like festivals and local restaurants. I’ve also worked as a navigator and a trainer for navigators. Overall, since there are only a few UConnect staff members, I have been very involved in every aspect of UConnect’s development.

TT: What would you like to see accomplished with UConnect?

AF: UConnect is still growing. My main objective is to get more people to utilize our resources so they can find the connections they need to succeed. Right now, I would like more student volunteers that could dedicate 3-4 hours per week to community members. I think it is important to have Drexel students become more aware of the poverty in Philadelphia and to recognize that the Drexel bubble is not all of Philly. We need to be more conscious of what is around us and how we can bridge the barriers that exist between University City and West Philadelphia.

TT: What was your favorite memory at UConnect?

AF: Every time a community member leaves and says ‘Wow you’ve really helped, and I look forward to our next meeting.’ I think it shows that we really had an A+ meeting, and our program is really helping the community and working well.

TT: What are your post-graduation plans?

AF: Right now, I have an upcoming internship in Beijing from January to June 2017. Both of my parents are currently living there — my father is a psychiatrist for the state department and my mother is a nurse. I’m going to be working in a hospital and helping with philanthropic outreach.

TT: Do you have any long-term goals?

AF: My long-term goal is to pursue a master’s degree in social welfare out west in Berkeley and to ideally work in a hospital setting with people who are not primarily from the area who might be a little confused about navigating the system. I’d like to work as a liaison between doctors and patients and work with the patients even after they leave the hospital as a follow-up and make sure they’re okay.

TT: What sparked your interest in hospital work?

AF: I grew up with chronic asthma and was used to being in a hospital. Sometimes I didn’t know what was really going on. Luckily, my dad is an MD and my mom is a nurse, which made everything easier to understand. But this experience made me think about people who don’t have parents in the healthcare sector and how they need a bridge for what their diagnosis means. Quite often, doctors use unfamiliar medical terminology that can confuse and scare the patient.

UConnect is looking for student volunteers that can devote 3-4 hours per week to community service. If you are interested, please feel free to contact the organization at uconnect@drexel.edu or 215-571-4860.

Photo courtesy Amelia Fisher

On June 7, Drexel University announced it will be implementing a new add/drop policy for all courses. Beginning Fall Term 2016, students will have until the end of Week 1, instead of Week 2, to drop a class. The last day students can withdraw from a course will also shift from the end of Week 8 to the end of Week 7.

After receiving feedback from faculty and advisors, the university administration felt that reducing the add/drop period would be in the best interest of Drexel students.

On Drexel’s 10-week quarter system, if a student enters class in Week 2 they could miss up to 20 percent of the course material. Students entering a course in Week 2 or Week 3 may have a hard time catching up with the missed material. According to the Office of the Provost, the university found that students who were adding courses late were not doing as well as other students. They decided that reducing the add/drop time period would benefit students by helping them start the quarter off strong.

“Most courses introduce concepts early on that are built on throughout the rest of the term. The faculty is very excited about making this happen because they feel as though it is difficult for students to make up this work,” John DiNardo, Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, explained.

Adding and dropping classes have always been linked together. According to the Provost, students who drop a class typically end up adding another class in its place. However, the Office of the Provost did not reach out to any student groups, including their own Dragon24, for consultation before signing this change through.

Some students feel that this policy may affect them more than others. Sravya Koduri, a second year BS/MD student and biology major feels that this policy change will not be beneficial because of the program that she is in. After the add/drop time period, BS/MD students are not allowed to withdraw from any classes. In addition, if the student fails a course, they will be withdrawn from the BS/MD program.

“Changing the add/drop policy really limits my options. I don’t really know what a class consists of until I actually take the class. In most cases, not even until Week 3 or Week 4, after the first exam. With this new policy we [may] sometimes have just one class [during Week 1] to decide if we will succeed in the course. Quite often, this class is just a simple introduction to the teacher, student and course, which seems pretty easy in the moment,” Koduri explained.

If the first class serves only as an introduction to the subject matter, it may not be a sufficient indicator of what a course will be like for the rest of the term. This would cause a problem for students who realize during Week 2 that a certain course isn’t a good fit for them. In that case, they’d either have to withdraw, which is noted on each student’s transcript, or stick it out for the rest of the term and risk failure.

“I think it would be helpful if they changed the add/drop policy based on the number of credits the student took or the type of program he or she was in,” Koduri continued.

In addition, Amit Hadad, a sophomore information systems major, may be adversely affected by the new policy as he observes religious holidays during Fall Term. Hadad had to constantly miss class for major holidays last year, and expects that this will occur in the future as well.

“I know sometimes in Fall Term all the Jewish holidays fall in the first few weeks… and then you are really in trouble,” he said.

For students like Hadad, having a one week add/drop period may become a tough issue. It may be difficult to assess their course load if they are not able to attend the first week of class due to religious or otherwise valid obligations.  

Ben Dalezman, a sophomore finance major feels that one week is not enough time to gauge how suitable a course is for students. “I have had it happen to me three times in my short time at Drexel that a professor for either business reasons or personal reasons missed the whole first week of class. What am I supposed to do then with regard to dropping a class, when I didn’t even meet the professor yet, or go over the syllabus?”

Emilia Minhondo, a sophomore biology major also finds fault with the new policy. “For me personally, my labs don’t start until the second week, so if I was doing great in lecture but lab was bringing me down, this new add/drop policy would not suit me,” Minhondo explained.

“It would be great for some students but others may not benefit. Obviously you can’t please everyone because it all depends on what classes you take. For students who take science classes with labs this might be more unfair,” she continued.

Much of the student body feels that the university should have communicated more with the students before implementing this policy. Provost M. Brian Blake encourages students to constantly seek help from Drexel’s advising staff for a smooth transition into the new term.

Students can submit any questions or concerns about the new add/drop policy to the Senior Vice Provost of Academic Affairs, John Dinardo at dinardo@drexel.edu.

A former Drexel University police officer turned himself into authorities July 13 after stealing items from a Drexel student during an on-campus drug bust.

Thirty-seven-year-old Che Brown from Upper Darby has been charged with taking $500 cash and two knives from a student whose room he searched last year.

The charges come from an incident on Jan. 14, 2015. Drexel police searched a student’s room at a university residence hall after receiving a tip-off. The police confiscated $500, two knives, a bag of white powder, cigarette rolling papers and marijuana.

After confiscation, the items were given to Brown for evidence placement and a property receipt write up. Brown allegedly did not log the $500 or the knives and did not put the items into evidence.

The student returned to collect the legal possessions that were confiscated, including the cash and the knives. However, they were missing from evidence, which alerted police to the theft.

A search of the evidence room by Brown’s supervisors revealed $500 in an ibuprofen box in addition to the two knives. However, the student was interviewed a second time, and the denominations of cash bills he described were not the same as those found in the evidence room.After further investigation, police viewed a video tape of the evidence room showing a video of Brown putting back what appeared to be an ibuprofen box and two knives into storage on Jan. 22, 2015. Brown admitted to the theft, but only after he was shown the video of himself replacing the evidence.“My bad, this is all on me,” Brown told his supervisor in reference to the theft.

Philadelphia District Attorney R. Seth Williams reported, “What former Officer Che Brown did was wrong. Stealing is stealing, no matter if it is $5, $50, or $500, and he will now have his day in court.”

A thorough investigation confirmed that Brown had tampered with evidence. As a result he was terminated by Drexel on Feb. 2 2015.

After Brown’s arrest, the Drexel University police department met with the District Attorney’s office to review training and procedures. Drexel University stated that its police, “will not tolerate behavior deviating from adhering to the highest standards of professional integrity.”

Brown was charged with theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, obstructing administration of law and official oppression.

The Student Center of Inclusion and Culture (SCIC), Office of International Programs (OIP), and the Drexel Students Global Advisory Board hosted the Diversity and Inclusion End of the Year Celebration to celebrate the end of the year with its members June 1. The celebration consisted of a buffet style dinner and a collaborative activity between members.

The event started off with a presentation by SCIC Transition Team Managers Noor Jemy, a senior health services administration major, and Christina Bowles, a first year Masters of Public Health student. The purpose of the event was to inform audience members the goals of the SCIC.

The SCIC works with partners and staff within Drexel to bridge the gap between Drexel’s administration and its students. The organization has a prominent role in conducting national and international celebrations throughout the campus. This includes heritage and history months and other events that draw light on different cultural perspectives and lesser known cultural histories. These can be film screenings, cultural celebrations or engaging speakers.

During the month of October, which doubles as LGBT history month, the SCIC works to provide events where the Drexel community can celebrate and recognize the LGBT history and achievements.

The SCIC hosts 120 programs, events, heritage months and student led events each year. The SCIC also worked on many popular events such as the 7th Annual UPenn Powwow and the MLK Day of Dialogue.

The SCIC caters to student groups including interfaith and cultural organizations on campus by advertising, providing space, networking and collaborating with students. One of the most popular events the SCIC was involved in was bringing in Leymah Gbowee, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, to Drexel.

“In terms of coming here, I loved the fact that we were able to hash out what the office does and highlight the fact that we have 120 events coming out of our office specifically. Seeing these faces in collaboration for future ideas with everyone else was the whole point of the event,” Jemy said after Gbowee’s presentation.

The event proceeded with a collaboration icebreaker activity to help the audience get to know each other. Audience members were encouraged to choose one table at the event and get to know everyone at the table in seven minutes and then proceed to the next table. The purpose of this activity was to establish relationships that would allow the conversation to continue past that evening.  

Feyone La, a biomedical engineering major, is a campus-based leader for the Gates Millennium Scholars Program. The Gates Millennium Scholars Program is a scholarship program funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for minority first-generation youth of low income in the US and territories. La told audience members that she often feels separated from the rest of the Drexel community because she is from a different background. To minimize this for herself and other scholars, La formed a campus-based organization in which the SCIC helped students in the Gates Millennium Scholars get together and create a community they could go to for support and help.

“If a student has an idea, they come to us and we will make it reality,” Jemy told audience members to conclude the event.

The SCIC encourages students to contact them for the implementation of any ideas.

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