Tales From an Alum

If you ever meet a Drexel alum, ask them about their co-op job and what co-op cycle they were on. I guarantee that it doesn't matter when they graduated...it could be 40 years ago, it could be 5 years ago, they will start talking about it like it was yesterday. They can also give you some kind of story about the Main Building.

As a Drexel alum who completed both my undergraduate degree (with the 5-year co-op, spring/summer cycle, specifically) and graduate degree and as a 26-year employee in Admissions working in the Main Building, I feel like I have a unique perspective. I often say the one consistency at Drexel is change. Drexel has always been an innovative university and because of that, I feel like we were always ahead of the times with technology. Those alum from 36 years ago, they can talk about their Macintosh computer that was first required back in 1984. Some students and staff still have Apple computers; no matter what their degree or department, you know that everyone has some kind of computer.

I recently met with a high school student and her aunt who is a Drexel business alum from the late 80's. The student's aunt was parking her car. I told her to meet us by Matheson Hall, the former home of Drexel's LeBow College of Business. Matheson Hall is long gone now, but the new business building, Gerry C. LeBow Hall, is in the exact same location on Market Street and now has a Starbucks and a lot more ladies' restrooms.

We have added many new buildings since I graduated and there are many new and exciting majors and activities going on around campus.

Drexel's original building, the Main Building, is known for its Great Court and the Waterboy statue. Tradition has it that engineering students rub his toe for good luck on their exams. Alumni from the 90s and before remember it as a place with the large two-story paper "court drops," which advertised events around campus, especially Greek Rush. In 2000, alumni remember that Main Building was rented out by Comedy Central for a huge party during the 2000 Republican National Convention. Yes, notable figures like Jon Stewart and the guys from Southpark were walking all around Drexel's first building! In 2007, Drexel hosted another milestone that alumni still talk about...the Democratic Debate for the 2008 Presidential election in our Main Auditorium. Yes, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Joe Biden were all there and were all using the offices of the Main Building for their private dressing rooms.

We have added many new buildings since I graduated and there are many new and exciting majors and activities going on around campus. But these are just some of the things that will always connect Drexel alumni.