Drexel Shaft

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The smokestack structure on Amtrak property that has become a symbol of getting "shafted" by Drexel University

The Drexel Shaft is a term used by students of Drexel University in Philadelphia to express unfavorable treatment of the university's administration. To receive "The Drexel Shaft," is to have been screwed over or "shafted" by professors, financial aid administrators, and the like.

The term's origin stems from numerous landmarks on or near the campus itself as well as items used on campus. While it is unclear when The Drexel Shaft became part of the student body's lexicon, alumni have had different experiences on what The Drexel Shaft actually is as an object. In the early 1970s, the Drexel Shaft was a scepter carried by the university president during the graduation ceremonies. In the 1990s, it was considered to be the "Flame of Knowledge," a fountain once located in the Quad, which was recently moved to the lawn of North Hall.

Currently, The Drexel Shaft is the name given to a smokestack in the railyards near campus. It was a part of a steam power plant built in November of 1929 by the Pennsylvania Railroad. It provided steam for heating and auxiliary power to all railroad facilities in the 30th Street Station area. It is octagonal and is about 200 feet high and is visible from the Drexel's University City Campus.

Nonetheless, the phallic nature of all these objects given the "Drexel Shaft" title over the years has contributed to the term's continual use in student informal dialogue.

[edit] See also

Benchmark (surveying)

Philadelphia Portal

[edit] External links

Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 39.9586° -75.1850°
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