As Penn students continue to petition for the University to suspend operations during the Super Bowl parade on Thursday, institutions across the city are announcing closures in light of the celebrations.
Drexel University, located blocks away from Penn at 31st and Chestnut streets, has announced it will suspend normal operations and classes.
"The Eagles demonstrated what ambition, grit and teamwork are all about. The team united the city, lifted everyone’s spirits and made us proud," Drexel President John Fry wrote in an email sent out to students at 11 a.m. this morning. "Now, it is on to the victory parade honoring the Eagles on Thursday."
Fry, who served for seven years as the executive vice president of Penn before he left in 2002, added that the University would be suspending classes and normal operations "due to safety and traffic concerns surrounding the large crowds expected for the parade."
Drexel is not alone. The Community College of Philadelphia will also be closing, reported the Philadelphia Inquirer. Temple University and the University of the Arts have also announced they will suspend operations and cancel classes.
All Philadelphia public and parochial schools also announced that they will close, as will all courts and Philadelphia Courts offices.
The public Philadelphia City Council meeting has been canceled, and anyone with jury duty will not have to attend.
After a historic win for the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday night, chaos erupted throughout the city in honor of the first ever victory claimed by the Eagles. This Thursday, celebration will continue as Philadelphians join together in a city parade to signify this moment.
Penn "will be open for normal operations" during the parade, University spokesperson Steve MacCarthy wrote in an email to The Daily Pennsylvanian on Monday, prompting a student-led petition — one which has already garnered thousands of signatures — calling for Penn President Amy Gutmann to suspend University operations.
While the parade is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. on Thursday, City-enforced parking restrictions on the parade route will go into effect at 6 p.m. Wednesday and will remain in force until late Thursday evening.
SEPTA has also announced service changes. According to a SEPTA press release, SEPTA will offer free rides on certain lines during the parade through a partnership with Independence Blue Cross. Regional Rail will also follow a limited schedule that day.
Additionally, the City indicated that while roads will hopefully be open by late Thursday evening, there is a chance roads will still be closed early Friday morning.
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