More Opportunities for Dragons After Dark Events in 2026

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More Opportunities for Dragons After Dark Events in 2026

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Drexel University student organizations will have more opportunities and funding to host late-night events in 2026 and beyond, thanks to a revamped version of the Dragons After Dark program. Any student organization will be able to apply for up to $1,000 for events held between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m. on Thursday, Friday or Saturday night by filling out a form and following a few guidelines.

"Dragons After Dark is our late-night alcohol alternative programming," said Student Organization Resource Center Director Jen Tifone. "We're really hopeful and excited to get this off the ground this year, make a meaningful impact and create a fun late-night atmosphere on campus. We know that college students in this age group are drinking far less than previous generations, but I think it's important that we provide and normalize fun experiences that don't have to include alcohol, while also educating students about how to make safe choices."

Dragons After Dark (DAD), which is funded by the Student Activity Fee, has had several different iterations over the approximately 10 years it has existed, first starting out as a student organization itself that would host late-night events. During the pandemic, it became a committee within the Campus Activities Board (CAB). Ultimately, event requirements changed, and CAB needed to host about 10 events each quarter, all ending at midnight or later. It became too much for the student-run organization, and DAD moved to Student Life.

"We liked having that extra money and extra ability to plan events, but it just didn't make sense for us and our members, so we ended up separating," said CAB Vice President Mina Plotkin, accounting '27 from the Bennett S. LeBow College of Business. "DAD is great, and I'm really happy with what they've done with it."

Now, there is a set amount of money annually for student organizations to apply for and use. When planning the event, organization leaders can simply check a box when filling out their event form to designate it for Dragons After Dark. Events have to be open to all students, so they must be held in spaces on campus that all students can access. They also need to promote students' health, whether it's mental health, sexual health or substance abuse health. For example, CAB's Midnight Breakfast events help students destress and soothe their minds during busy exam periods.

Events will be eligible for more money depending on when they are during the week; for example, an event hosted from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Saturday is in higher demand than one from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. on a Thursday, so Tifone and her team want to incentivize those days.

"When you're filling out the event form, you do need to have all your purchases in order because the amount you signal on the Excel spreadsheet is the amount they put in your account," Plotkin said. "It's a little bit different than how events are normally structured for regular student clubs."

Plotkin said students planning DAD events should keep a few things in mind, like keeping events close to the residence halls to incentivize students to attend. Students also need to factor public safety into their DAD funding requests, because Drexel Public Safety is required to keep the building open during the event. Finally, remember that most buildings are locked after hours, so if you have supplies elsewhere on campus, make sure to grab them before your event starts, or you'll have to wait for Drexel Public Safety to come unlock the door.

Tifone said the goal is to have at least one Dragons After Dark event per week, and CAB and the AERO SAE, a student organization focused on aeronautics, have already hosted a few events, like model plane building. Plotkin said CAB's goal is to put on three DAD events per quarter, and will bring back Midnight Breakfast in the fall, as well as a screening of "Rocky Horror Picture Show."

"Any event can be a DAD event, as long as it fits the bill of being some kind of helpful, healthy event," Plotkin said. "If you're a club that doesn't have the funding right now to do an event during daytime, but you could make it happen at night, it can be done. I really hope students use this funding."