Walk into any student event at Drexel and you’ll be hit with a deja vu like you just walked into a brick wall. You’ll think, “Hey, why is this so familiar?” Oh that’s right, because it’s filled with the same 400 or so people that attend every other event. For a student body that’s supposed to be nearly 16,000 undergraduate students strong, you would never be able to tell by the small group of familiar faces. But why? There’s certainly no shortage of complaints about how Drexel has no school spirit or that there’s nothing to do around here, so why aren’t these students getting involved on campus?
Most would be quick to blame the co-op program for our fractured student body, or the 10-week quarter system for going too quickly to enjoy college life. But there’s a deeper issue than that; it’s ingrained into Drexel’s culture to be apathetic towards Drexel, and it’s ”cool” to be uninvolved.
Nearly every Drexel student knows at least one other that couldn’t care less about the University or the city of Philadelphia. Perhaps they’re one of the many wallflowers in your class, browsing Reddit or Facebook or even playing games in the middle of the lecture. Maybe they’re your roommate or acquaintance.
We have but one question for these people: why are you here?
If you’re not involved in student life or extracurriculars, you’re missing out on a huge part of what the university you are paying for has to offer. Complaining about the lack of whatever you think that the school is missing isn’t going to make it happen. The student body isn’t going to spontaneously explode with life and passion, it needs to be shaped by the students themselves. Sure the administration can play a role in easing that shaping, but the brunt of work falls on us.
Frankly, we don’t think Drexel students are up to the challenge. They might be able to focus their ambition on their careers and personal aspirations, but making Drexel a better place by being involved? That’s probably too tall an order. For a long time, things seemed to go down this path of diminishing interest, but it sincerely doesn’t have to continue.
Drexel students have too often resigned themselves to existing in a boring and uncaring environment and thinking there’s nothing they’re going to do about it. But this isn’t the case. It’s never too late to get involved and put yourself out there. You can spark the spirit in others that you wish to see here. There are countless opportunities and now is the time to explore opportunities and interests in a safe environment in a way you may not be able to in the future. Don’t let it pass you by! You may just find a community of interests and people that you love.