New Drexel University president Antonio Merlot has denied claims that he is in fact a massive dweeb. Many people have looked to him being named after a unique kind of wine as one of the main sources of suspicion of his dweeby-ness. His long history of being an academic also has drawn concerns that he might actually be looking to improve the educational experience of students here at Drexel. Students also noticed that he served as Penn’s water polo coach for several years. All of this makes his claim that he is not a dweeb hard to believe.
Alexander Lukashenko, a Drexel student, when asked, described his fears around Merlot: “I just worry that he will make Drexel more focused on academics, learning, and the student experience. Like with Jawn and Dennis we knew that he had our best interests at heart by giving all our land to real estate developers. This new guy? He might actually care about learning, and that would suck.”
Water polo, commonly played by people with far too much time, money, or often both, was another red flag for students. “He just seems like he might not like squash enough. That really is such a core part of Drexel’s identity, liking squash is critical, I would hate to lose that.” said Drexel student Vald Aldrich.
While only time will tell if Merlot is a dweeb, one thing is for sure: the students are fearful that he might be focused on the wrong thing, education.
Drexel’s storied history as a corporate entity is at risk. For years students have counted on new construction for defense contractors and biomedical firms to disrupt day to day life. If the programs of giving away green space to Lockheed Martin stop, students might be able to focus on studies and college life, a devastating blow to Drexel’s core identity.