A Q&A With Drexel Spidey
It’s no normal day on Drexel University’s campus in the Spider-Verse.
There’s a light rain that’s been coming and going all day, and most faculty, staff and students are hurrying to their next class or appointment rather than lingering outside in the Korman Quad. From the north, crossing next to the Pearlstein Building, a suited figure appears. It’s Drexel Spidey, and he’s come to spread Spidey cheer across the University City Campus, though he usually does so when there’s better weather. He gets a few sidelong glances, but no one stops to give him a high-five or take pictures with him, which is out of the ordinary. Maybe it’s the weather, or maybe, since it’s only a few days before Halloween, they just think he’s in a “costume.”
But it’s no matter to Spidey. He’s in the same good spirits, strutting and dancing around like he always does when he visits campus.
Q: Why do you like to represent Drexel?
A: I could do this off campus, but I feel like Drexel’s community is so much better than any other community that I’m currently involved in just because [of the students]. … Adults wouldn’t really be entertained by someone in a Spider-Man suit. They just think it’s some annoying kid who doesn’t know what he’s doing. But I seem to be more accepted around people my age, so whenever someone on campus sees me in the suit, they’ll entertain it, they’ll shout at me, but adults, unless they’re with their kids, won’t even say a thing. So, I like to be referred to as Drexel Spidey so people know I’m from Drexel, and that I do this at Drexel and nowhere else.
Q: Do you ever go around as Spidey off campus?
A: I go off campus sometimes. Like, I walk around my actual neighborhood in the costume just because I know there are a lot of kids in my neighborhood and they all want pictures. That’s the whole thing with being Drexel Spidey: You’ve got to be able to put on the suit, even when there’s not a special occasion going on. You’ve got to put it on for the random-est of days and not even have any expectations.
Q: Do you enjoy being the center of attention and taking photos with people?
A: I love performing. I love making people’s days. So, those go hand-in-hand to me. I don’t care how I’m seen by people as long as there’s good coming out of it and I’m not being represented in a bad way.
I dance. I love acting. … I learned a lot of my dance moves from a hip-hop dance class I recently took in the spring term. I learned a lot of cool moves from that class. It was a free elective for me because animation majors don’t have to take any dance classes unfortunately.
Q: What would you say is the goal of doing this?
A: I want to make people’s day. I love spreading good energy and making people laugh — it’s what I do. Whenever I’m in this suit, everybody’s face automatically lights up like, “Hey! Picture? Hi Spider-Man!” That’s all I ever want from people, is just to make sure they’re having a good time and getting a good laugh at someone dressed in a Spider-Man costume, since I’m not awesome enough to actually spin webs.
Q: Do you plan to take this further than a college thing?
A: I love acting and I do hope that one day I can be in an actual Spider-Man film. … That’s my goal right now. I also perform with my friend who raps. He will perform and I’m there by his side dancing in the Spider-Man suit. It’s a good gimmick, everybody loves it. I’m pretty much his hype man, so this suit just adds onto it.
In terms of animation, I am working on a personal project right now with visual effects, trying to integrate my actual person with my [computer-generated Spider-Man] character so I can animate doing stuff that I can’t do in real life.
Q: Do you ever plan on revealing your identity?
A: I don’t know when I want to unmask myself. There’s a good amount of people who already know who I am because everybody my freshman year was just going around and telling their friends that their friend is Spider-Man, the one dancing on campus. So, I doubt that any of the underclassmen know who I am. I just try to keep the circle small. But one day I do plan on just like going, “Hey, I’m the guy that’s been dancing around as Spider-Man.”
Q: Do you think or hope, or would you be appalled, if someone took over the Drexel Spidey namesake when you graduate?
A: I’ve thought about that very vaguely. I think I definitely will keep my own suit. But in terms of being Drexel Spidey, I think I’m going to have to pass the baton to another person who wants to hop in the suit and do more with the account. … Another underclassman who has the same mentality as I do is going to be hard to find, just because you have to take time to hop in the suit and be nice to people on campus and you have to like being the center of attention. Not a lot of people like doing that, or people just think it’s stupid. Finding a person to replace me will be difficult, but I definitely don’t mind handing it to the right person.
Q: Is there anything else you’d want people to know about you as a student or as Drexel Spidey?
A: I am here on a full scholarship. I worked my ass off in high school.
As a student, my background is not what most people would expect it to be. I come from, I guess, a struggling background. But I’m able to take those experiences from growing up to appreciate what I have now and cherish the good things I have in my life and where I come from, to know that I never want to be in that position again. It motivates me to work harder and do my best to keep a positive mentality and spread positive vibes as much as I can to the community, which is what inspires Drexel Spidey.