If there’s anything that will get college students pumped up about their school, students pumped up about their school, it’s a fight song. Students chant it at athletic events, and most can probably recite it — with gusto — years after graduation.
But as recently as five years ago, Drexel students had no such song of their own. They didn’t even have an annual homecoming affair. These two traditions, part of Drexel student life since the ’30s, had dwindled after the ’70s and nearly faded away.
The Drexel fight song and homecoming were mostly forgotten after the University lost its football team in 1973, and school spirit waned in the years afterward.
Then, in 2006, Drexel’s archivist discovered the long-lost lyrics to the Drexel Fight Song in the University’s archives. The fight song, first sung in 1938, was once an integral part of sports games. This academic year marks its 75th anniversary.
The following year, a new interest in fostering community by administrators and a group of students prompted Drexel’s Student Affairs office to create a Spirit Committee to revive and promote class spirit among alumni, students and athletics. The committee set to work organizing a relaunch of the Drexel Fight Song.
“No one except the University archivist seemed to be champi- oning the efforts of the rich history and pride of the institution,” says Richard Kopp, director of Student Leadership Development and Traditions, who served on the Spirit Committee as the then- associate director of Alumni Relations.
Since the song was reintroduced six years ago, Kopp has taught it to the 3,000-plus incoming freshmen at every student orientation.
But first, the song required some lyrical updates. “Drexel Tech” became “Drexel U.,” to recognize the renaming of The Drexel Institute of Technology in 1970. “March down the field, boys” was replaced with “Fight on for Drexel” to remove references to the football field and to include both men’s and women’s sports.
The original version of the Drexel Fight Song, which was published inside the Drexel Marching Song booklet (above), was written by Todd Groo ’41 and Pi Kappa Phi member Gay V. Piercy ’39, and Kopp is track- ing down their descendants to share the song with them. He has also created a contest for students to submit video performances of the song that could eventually be developed into a montage.
Homecoming has made a comeback, too. The current generation of Drexel students has had the opportunity to attend homecoming every year, which can’t be said of their immediate predecessors. The event at Drexel dates back to at least 1934, and homecoming kings and queens were first crowned in 1951. In those days, fraternities created papier- mâché dragons and a dance was held for current and past students.
In 1996, Drexel’s Campus Activities Board introduced “DragonFest,” but the celebration’s concerts, block parties, picnics and annual Crystal Ball gala didn’t get a lot of notice.
The homecoming tradition didn’t truly return to campus until 2009. The Campus Activities Board partnered with Drexel’s departments of Student Affairs, Alumni Relations, Athletics and the traditions pro- gram to create a combination of a week’s worth of festivities, including a Homecoming Dance Party, for current students and alumni — all of which culminate with a big basketball game.
Now that Drexel is caught up on its traditions, Kopp says he hopes to create a special tour that would highlight Drexel history, traditions and
campus features shared by the students of today and yesterday.
FIGHT SONG LYRICS
Fight on for Drexel,
We’ve got the stuff we need to win this game
We’re gonna fight on for Drexel,
Take the Dragon on to fame.
Fight on for Drexel,
The gold and blue is on another spree.
We’re gonna fight, fight, fight, fight for Drexel U,
On to victory! (Four “D” yell and repeat chorus.)
“Four ‘D’ Yell” Chant
D-D-D-D
R-R-R-R
E-E-E-E
X-EL-X-EL
DREX-EL
DREX-EL
Fight–Team–Fight!!!
