Dragons Welcomed to Campus for New Year

Dragons Welcomed to Campus for New Year

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During Drexel University's 2025 edition of Welcome Week, the incoming class of students attended dozens of events designed to get them settled in and involved on campus. On Sept. 13, things kicked off with Move-in Day as students and their families hauled belongings into residence halls and got introduced to Philadelphia and University City. From then until classes started on Sept. 22, there was no shortage of opportunities to get to know their peers, colleges, schools and new community.

Monday, Sept. 15

Students kicked off Welcome Week with breakfast at the Daskalakis Athletic Center (DAC). President Antonio Merlo, PhD, who began his tenure on July 1, welcomed the incoming class for both his and their first year at Drexel.

"For the past two months, my thoughts were all about today and about how we can welcome these amazing students to our campus and our community and make sure they get to fulfill and experience everything this University stands for ... We are starting this journey together," Merlo said. "It is such a pleasure to be ... welcoming you all for the beginning of what I am sure is going to be a remarkable journey."

Afterwards, students streamed back out of the DAC onto Lancaster Walk, where inflatable obstacle courses and activities like axe throwing awaited them for "Monday Funday." Throughout the day, the main objective of most events was to get students acquainted with campus and its resources, with library tours, Ready. Set. College! workshops, property registration and various meet-and-greets. With Move-In Weekend behind them, students dove into making friends at events like Canvas and Conversation in the Gateway Garden.

Tuesday, Sept. 16

Next up for new students: getting to know their colleges and schools. Tuesday featured block parties, carnivals, fairs and general festive vibes around campus as Drexel's incoming students learned about student organizations, resources and professors in their majors.

The Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design hosted a block party by the URBN Center, while the College of Engineering had games on Race Street Lawn and the College of Arts and Sciences (CoAS) hosted a carnival in the James Creese Student Center.

"I learned about so many different things I could be a part of that I wouldn't have known even existed," said new CoAS student Karah Blunt.

As always, there were snacks galore, plus free T-shirts so students could rep their new school. Later in the day, students got acquainted with Drexel's sports teams at the Vidas Athletic Center's Bounce-a-Palooza and field hockey game; elsewhere, there were cookouts, movie nights and bingo.

Wednesday, Sept. 17

On a blustery, grey day in Philadelphia, students were welcomed indoors for workshops, scavenger hunts, Quizzo and more. They attended drawing, dance and performing arts events to test their talents and learn how to get involved, and learned about the Drexel Collections with a scavenger hunt around campus that ended in the Pearlstein Gallery.

The Pennoni Honors College brought the block party inside Bentley Hall, welcoming students with tote bags, notebooks and more snacks. Students also celebrated the 199th birthday of Drexel's founder, Anthony J. Drexel himself, with a party in the Paul Peck Alumni Center complete with ice cream and plenty of Drexel trivia. Alumni mingled with new students, sharing their Drexel experiences with the newest generation of Dragons. The party didn't stop in the evening, as students gathered in Main Building for the Fall Ball! hosted by the Campus Activities Board (CAB).

Thursday, Sept. 18

The sun came back out on Thursday, so students ventured back outside for more activities including an opportunity to paint vinyl records with the Dragon Concert Series (which hosts DragonFly, an student-run concert every fall), stops along Lancaster Walk to learn about sustainability on campus and the ins and outs of co-op, tie-dye opportunities and more. Students continued to learn about resources available to them with an open house at the McGonigal Academic Resource Center (ARC), where they met tutors, academic coaches and representatives from the Undergraduate Research and Enrichment Programs (UREP) and other organizations.

In the evening, students stayed outside during the Night on the Row, during which Drexel's 30 fraternities and sororities opened their doors to prospective members. Current members mingled with students interested in joining a chapter during the block party.

Friday, Sept. 19

Even as classes crept closer, Dragons kept socializing and preparing for the year ahead with ice cream socials, property registration with Drexel University Public Safety and more sessions of Ready. Set. College! The Drexel University Emergency Management Services (DUEMS) hosted a Touch-a-Truck event on Lancaster Walk; nearby, DUPD officers helped students register their bikes and other valuable items.

Later, students flocked to the Drexel University Recreation Center for the Club Sports Expo to learn about the 38 teams at the university and how to join. Dragons also attended a Glow Party on Race Lawn for roller skating, laser tag and more.