From canes to condiments

Juniors celebrate Hey Day by walking down Locust Walk, while the seniors dump flour, condiments and syrup on them.

It was their turn to play, and play they did.

Decked out in bright red T-shirts with straw hats and canes, the Class of 2009 followed in the footsteps of 76 classes before them to celebrate Hey Day and officially become seniors last Tuesday.

The juniors marked the event with a picnic on Hill College Field before making the traditional march down Locust Walk, lined with seniors clutching everything from streamers and silly putty to eggs, fish and Windex and ready to throw it all at the newest reincarnations of themselves.

Stopping at College Hall, they were addressed by Penn President Amy Gutmann, College junior and class president Brett Perlmutter and Wharton senior and class president Puneet Singh.

The day of the event this year - a Tuesday rather than a Friday - raised criticism among some juniors.

"It sucks that it's on the last day of classes," said College junior Christen Littman, who wasn't able to take part in the processional because she had class.

Some juniors suggested moving the event to the first day of Reading Days or postponing it until later in the afternoon after most classes are finished. But due to changes in the academic calendar, Tuesday was the only day without any scheduling conflicts.

"It didn't affect turnout as much as it made students have to juggle more," said Perlmutter, who estimated that at least 2,100 juniors participated.

While the juniors were experiencing their rite of passage, seniors had a chance to reminisce with their own celebration. This year marked the second annual Hey Deja Vu, an event for seniors who signed pledges to throw only University-sanctioned items - streamers and silly putty - at juniors. In return, they received a free "Saving Hey Day" T-shirt at a barbecue in Perelman Quadragle.

A total of around 1,400 seniors signed the pledge, double the number from last year, according to Singh.

"I think every senior would agree that they had liked having stuff thrown on them," said College senior Chris Faralli.

Wharton junior Evan Feinberg agreed. "Seniors should be able to throw whatever they want - you only get one Hey Day."

Pelting items at juniors has only grown to be a tradition of Hey Day in the past five years, Perlmutter said.

This year's event proved to be messier than last year's, though it still was a notch down from previous years that prompted the creation of Hey Deja Vu. Some juniors were glad.

"I don't really mind not getting fish and eggs thrown at me," said Engineering junior Allison Capone.

There were a total of seven Hey Day-related incidents this year, compared to eight last year, according to Jared Hupp of the Division of Public Safety. Six were alcohol related and one involved a minor injury. Four students were sent to the emergency room at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where they were treated and released, according to Vice President of Communications Lori Doyle.

"Having Hey Day on a Tuesday rather than a Friday may have resulted in safer behavior," said Doyle, who described this year's event as "messy but generally safe."

"The spirit of Hey Day exists apart from ketchup and mustard," said Perlmutter, adding that the class board will solicit feedback on the event to improve it for future years.

Comments (16)

From ir(08): if you don't want stuff thrown on you, don't take your "turn to play" THIS is the problem with throwing stuff on Hey Day. In 2002, NO junior needed to skip Hey Day to avoid having food thrown on them. No junior avoided Hey Day at all. Anything that causes anyone to not want to participate is, by definition, a bad thing. Pretend for a second that somehow, all the seniors were spirited away to an undisclosed location, but everything else happened: would you have wanted to skip it because no one threw condiments on you? Doubt it. And, oh, Judy Rodin, yet another unforeseen consequence of closing the Palladium. No good has come of that at all.

I found this website one Hey Day put together by a member of the class of 2006: http://www.archives.upenn.edu/histy/features/traditions/heyday/timeline.html Assuming its acccurate (and I take exception to the suggestion that this latest "tradition" started in 2002 since I was a senior that year and do not recall any use of condiments that year - the DP archives seem to indicate the practice started in 2003), this tradition dates back to 1916. The tradition has evolved over the years but the basics have remained in tact - the day marked the start of the junior's reign as seniors and the celebration was generally civilized. The contribution of the past 5 classes - condiments. Not a new award, song, cheer, parade route, piece of symbolic clothing, gift to the school, or anything else that you might expect of students who are supposedly some of the mostly intellectually gifted in the country but instead, ketchup, mustard, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream. Bathing in condiments. That is what, unfortunately, these recent classes will most likely be remembered for "contributing" to this almost century old tradition that is supposed to mark one of the final steps towards adulthood. Have these students no self-respect? No shame? No appreciation for this tradition or what asses they make themselve out to be with this behavior?

The 2003 class started it and the class that should be held responsible for this nonsense. Considering this weekend is the 5 year reunion a bunch of people should show up and pelt the class of 2003 with food. (Considering no one did it to us while we were juniors it would only be fair.)

[QUOTE id="33f30b7d-b150-4cb2-a8be-5086f57f9063"]The 2003 class started it and the class that should be held responsible for this nonsense. Considering this weekend is the 5 year reunion a bunch of people should show up and pelt the class of 2003 with food. (Considering no one did it to us while we were juniors it would only be fair.)[/QUOTE] ...why stoop to their level? It would be nice, however, if their class president would write a letter in the DP next year shortly before Hey Day admitting what a cancer their childish behavior has become on the tradition and beseeching the students not to continue behaving, as they did, like 4 year olds.

I was one of many seniors who showed up to the Hey Deja Vu event between 1-3pm, when it was supposed to be open...there were no more t-shirts and the BBQ was over. If the University is going to bribe us with apparel and food to throw politically-correct items (no condiments!), then they better have enough for everyone. They didn't hold up their end of the deal, so a lot of seniors backed out too.

[QUOTE id="f88d9296-c681-4f8b-82e4-8cd5898cc2f7"]I was one of many seniors who showed up to the Hey Deja Vu event between 1-3pm, when it was supposed to be open...there were no more t-shirts and the BBQ was over. If the University is going to bribe us with apparel and food to throw politically-correct items (no condiments!), then they better have enough for everyone. They didn't hold up their end of the deal, so a lot of seniors backed out too.[/QUOTE] Here's an idea: why not act like a human being and not throw anything, like nearly ever Senior class before you, you nitwit! You are complaining about not receiving free food and a t-shirt for not doing something you shouldn't be doing anyway. The world outside of college and your coddling parents will treat you quite harshly, you grown-up baby.

Traditions evolve, you old-ass man.

fyi - EVERY YEAR BEFORE US HAS THROWN STUFF ON THE JUNIORS!!!! if you don't believe me, read last year's hullabaloo about it...seriously...get our facts right and as someone who had EVERYTHING under the sun thrown on them last year (and this year because i got in the cross fire), it's AMAZING - literally hey day last year and this year were two of the BEST DAYS OF MY LIFE. if you don't want stuff thrown on you, don't take your "turn to play"

[QUOTE id="ad7bcc49-b762-4c3f-994f-5cc9d542a8b9"]Traditions evolve, you old-ass man.[/QUOTE]....you don't have to be an "old-ass man" to realize something stupid. You idiots have jeapordized a very old tradition at a historical institution because of your selfishness....

I actually hope Hey Dey does get cancelled --- these "kids" look like asses more and more each year. It a shame how much the current students don't know about Penn -- as far back as Hey Dey 2002 this wasn't happening. What ever happened to just getting drunk out of your mind that day? If people really want to know how it started, here you go. What is that frat on the corner of 36th and the Walk (not the Castle)? Anywho, they actually started with their Seniors pelting their juniors, and whoever was caught in the cross fire. The first year people were pissed --- this was basically a bunch of guys in a not so cool frat doing something that most people kind of percieved as loser-ish. It's not a tradition -- it's just a recent epidemic started by some dorky guys trying to look cool.

That's funny that you say that because 16 years ago when I became a senior, we didn't have anything thrown at us. So check your facts.

hey ir(08) senior: get your facts straight. i was class of 2002 and no one threw anything my year or any year before. it was enough to just get drunk. no one needed - or wanted - crap thrown on them. and when we were seniors, none of us threw anything at hey deja vu. we hung out at the palladium and got drunk like everyone before us. throwing condiments and whatever other crap gets thrown can only be considered a tradition if four years now qualifies as tradition. grow up.

Its really sad even more pathetic how the students over the past 5-6 years have ruined what used to be a great tradition with their juvenile antics.

Honestly, as a current senior (as of last Tues), I don't think I heard one then junior (i.e. my peers) complain about having stuff thrown on them. The alums seem to be the people with the biggest issue, but this is a tradition to US, since we've seen/heard about it since we were freshmen. What may seem 'sad', 'pathetic', etc really isn't, it's a lot of fun and something I hope to see continue. I'll do my part next year so that the juniors can have as good of a time as I did.

[QUOTE id="8a40b207-d281-4200-b460-feb655d0724f"]Honestly, as a current senior (as of last Tues), I don't think I heard one then junior (i.e. my peers) complain about having stuff thrown on them. The alums seem to be the people with the biggest issue, but this is a tradition to US, since we've seen/heard about it since we were freshmen. What may seem 'sad', 'pathetic', etc really isn't, it's a lot of fun and something I hope to see continue. I'll do my part next year so that the juniors can have as good of a time as I did.[/QUOTE]....these are not "old" alums that are disconcerted with the immaturity of the last few classes. What you are doing is showing total disrespect for an age old tradition and the immaturity of the senior classes (and juniors that enjoy it) these last few years boggles my mind. You don't start a NEW tradition and change an ancient one because its "fun" to do so. You RESPECT it and find another day and another event to create a new and idiotic one separate and apart from the one that should have been passed on with some sense of pride and responsibility. SOMETIMES its not about "fun" and acting like a "moron". Sometimes you just do the right thing.....

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