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Never underestimate the power of free food and a trivia contest to convince graduate or professional students to brave the below-freezing temperatures to attend a campus event in the dead of winter. That’s what Winterfest is all about. It’s an opportunity for students to take a break from classes, labs, and exams, enjoy each other's company, and chow down on some quality vittles.
“I saw there was going to be trivia and free food. That’s very important because this time of year, I’m so busy with school, I don’t have as much time to meal prep,” said Olivia Fountaine ‘27PA. “It reminds me of undergrad where we had events like this every week, so it’s fun to come out with my classmates and have the opportunity to take a couple of hours off from school.”
Trivia and food were also the main attractions for Patrick Giraudo ‘27PA. Let’s be honest, grad school can be mentally and emotionally taxing – a surprise meal is a morale booster too.
“Our class likes trivia. We’re so busy studying all the time that any excuse to take a little break is welcome, especially if there is free food,” he said. “Free food is so important to graduate students. This is dinner tonight, and it saves me a lot of time making dinner when I get home.”
The Winterfest tradition began in 2017 when it was called the Dean’s Winterfest at what was then Salus University, before its merger with Drexel University, which was finalized in July 2025. It’s traditionally been held in the winter, although the pandemic threw a wrench into the event for a few years. It came out of that as Springfest and was moved to the Spring, but has re-emerged as a winter event.
This year’s event, held Feb. 5 at the Hafter Student Community Center, drew a nice crowd, despite it being just two weeks after another winter event, the first-ever Drexel University Homecoming celebrated at the Elkins Park campus. The Homecoming festivities drew a large and enthusiastic crowd, which did nothing to dampen the spirits of the Winterfest attendees.
Richard Medina ‘29OD, a student ambassador on the Elkins Park campus, was involved in the planning of this year’s Winterfest, and he was pleased with the vibe from those attending.
“I feel like I have a welcoming personality for other students coming in to keep the community inclusive. That’s the thing I really liked about my interview here. The ambassadors were some of the people who convinced me to come here,” said Medina. “After a hard day of classes and exams, free food really brings people together. I’m having a great time.”
