Ask Drewids what makes our world special, and this is what they’ll say.
A gorgeous canopy of oaks that soars to the sky? Check. Professors instead of teaching assistants? We got ’em. Taco Wednesdays that keep you coming back for more? It’s all here. Read how students, alumni, faculty and staff—not at all biased, of course—feel about life at Drew.
- Endless Possibilities
I always wanted to try theater, but thought going to college was about pursuing a specific career path. Then a friend of mine, a stage manager, encouraged me to audition for Plays in Process, and I got the lead. Being on stage for the first time was a rush. To be an economics major and take on a role in a school play—that's the beauty of Drew.
—Ryo Kuroki, C’08 - The Professors
I had heard teaching assistants were rampant in certain schools, but here even core classes are taught by professors.
—Stephanie Palermo C'98 
Taco Day
It's a bonding experience for the whole school because, well, it's Taco Day and it happens every Wednesday. I would get my taco shells, put some fillings in there, some lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, whatever, then ate them and loved every minute of it.
—Ted Johnsen C'07- The Fall
Walking to class on a chilly autumn day, stopping at your friends' rooms with coffee, the colors, the acorns—even now, when that first cool morning hits, I am transplanted back to campus.
—Lawrence Morris C'94 - Automatic Friends
All I do is show up every September, and I am introduced to absolutely smart, kind, thoughtful, creative people.
—Lillie Edwards, Professor of History and African-American/African Studies 
Wall Street Semester
Lots of people everywhere, screaming numbers, throwing papers—I'd seen a lot of movies showing the New York Stock Exchange, but it was much better in person. There are a lot of Drew alumni on Wall Street, and they were very helpful in pointing me in the right direction. It was a challenge. It was great. And I've been there ever since.
—Miguel Gonzalez C'01, financial advisor, JPMorgan- Drew International Seminars
There's a real initiative here to get people out into the world. I went on the Egypt Drew Service Learning project—my first trip abroad—where we helped a refugee community in Cairo with whatever they needed, whether it was handing out clothes or filing paperwork. I now know I don't want to work for a government agency shoveling papers around. Instead I want to help people improve their circumstances.
—Ben Shedlock, C‘09 - The Honduras Project
It is late afternoon, hot and humid, and the bugs are so loud you can feel them. We're at El Hogar, a Honduran children's home, where dozens of boys point and beam as they identify Drew volunteers who've returned, giggling as they struggle to pronounce English names. Older boys recite information for new ones: “Students from Drew University in Nuevo Jersey, Estados Unidos. They come every year.” “They painted the mural in the Casa de Tigres” (a dormitory). “And the Cancha” (the soccer and basketball court). “No, they built the Cancha.” “And they painted it.” “They do everything!” “I'm going to be like them when I grow up.” I'm filled with pride that I'm associated with the only college that has anything like it.
—Sandra Jamieson, professor of English 
Best-Ever Senior Prank
About a decade ago, I received a call at 5:30 a.m., telling me that all the chairs in the Commons were missing. Initially, I thought they'd be in then-University President Tom Kean’s office in Mead Hall. But after a half day of searching, facilities finally found them on the roof of the Commons. I couldn't believe the effort that went into moving them up there. It was a great prank: it didn’t hurt anyone, it didn't deface anything and it confounded everyone. It showed the spirit and the closeness of the community to pull it off and keep it a secret.
—Tom Evans, chief of public safety- The Commons
We complain about it, make jokes about it, but we all end up there. It's amazing to see how many students come together, fearing finals and eating way too many eggs. It's also the place where my friends and I can just chill out, and keep our Drew friendships strong. It's like sitting down to dinner as a family, one large family of Drewids.
—Michelle Caffrey, senior
