The City of Brotherly Love

The LOVE sculpture draws tourists from around the world. The iconic slanted "O" immediately brings to mind a city with a Greek name, deep historical roots, and a diverse metropolis that so often receives derision from those who do not know her.

In fact, the name Philadelphia is a combination of two Greek words that mean "love" and "brother" and is where the nickname, "the city of brotherly love" comes from. The name, chosen by our founder, William Penn, does not always seem accurate for our city. Philadelphia still faces challenges and struggles as it has done throughout its history. However, to see only the negative side of things is to miss the rich history of civic engagement that still exists in the city today.

I challenge you to dig into the history of Philadelphia, including the politics and movements that shaped this city. Philadelphia briefly served as the nation's capital and at one time was the most populous city in the country.

I also challenge you to research the exciting projects and organizations that currently reside in our city. How would you get involved? What do you stand for? We are a city that thrives on the participation of our residents. To truly embody the city of brotherly love is to take action. Here at Drexel University, our goal is to become the most civically engaged campus in the country, and with a setting like Philadelphia, our students have multiple opportunities to engage in their passions.

Our strength is in our diversity, in our outspokenness, in our feisty nature to fight for what we believe in. And that comes from an overall love for our fellow citizens of this city, and our belief that each person is equal. This is at the heart of the city, symbolized by the LOVE sculpture.

So get involved. Visit a museum. Show up to that meeting you have always been curious about. And while you're here, go snap a picture by the LOVE sculpture.