Guest Opinion | Working together to save Hey Day

The 76-year history of Hey Day, an unparalleled tradition unique to Penn, has marked the progression of juniors to seniors for generations of alumni.

With the tradition undergoing substantial changes over the past four years, a widespread debate over the future of Hey Day has rightfully and unfortunately emerged. Never before has so much time and effort gone into preserving Penn's most celebrated and exciting tradition.

With Hey Day quickly approaching, planning has been completed, publicity has been conducted, and consequences have been communicated -- the future of Hey Day is now in our hands.

Since last May, the Junior and Senior Class Boards have been advocating for Hey Day. Joined by administrators from the offices of the President and Provost, VPUL and Public Safety, the Hey Day Working Group examined a wide range of possibilities and potential actions.

Based on student feedback, surveys and focus groups, we have worked together to preserve and improve a day that many seniors and alumni consider to be the best of their undergraduate experience. These improvements were made while ensuring that the most memorable parts of the tradition were maintained.

This Friday, the junior class will sport red shirts along with bamboo canes and Styrofoam hats. They will enjoy a picnic on Hill Square, a procession through campus and be declared seniors by President Amy Gutmann at the steps of College Hall. With the entire junior class joining together to celebrate their newly obtained status, April 20, 2007 will always be remembered as an incredible day.

To help ensure that all future Penn students have an equally exciting and cherished experience, a tradition has been created to formally involve seniors in Hey Day while discouraging destructive behavior.

Hey Deja Vu, the new senior component of Hey Day, has been established with two primary goals: to improve both the safety and experience of the event.

As seniors strongly expressed their desire to participate in the Hey Day tradition, Hey Deja Vu will encourage them to take part in honoring the juniors on Hey Day, but their involvement is intended and expected to be supportive, not destructive.

This week, seniors are encouraged to sign a pledge acknowledging that hazing is unacceptable and committing to only using the items provided to them at the Hey Deja Vu BBQ.

By signing this pledge, seniors will be taking a stand against irresponsible behavior, which in years past has led to students sustaining injuries and, in a few cases, requiring hospitalization. Those that commit to conducting themselves in a safe and responsible manner are invited to enjoy a performance by the Kenn Kweder Band in Wynn Commons, where they will also receive a Hey Deja Vu T-shirt and free food.

Over the past few years, many of us have personally observed how the irresponsible and destructive actions of others have physically hurt fellow classmates.

Actions of the recent past cannot be repeated if Hey Day is to continue as a treasured Penn tradition. The throwing of eggs and other substances on juniors during the procession will damage property, destroy the tradition and, worst of all, endanger the health and safety of fellow students.

On behalf of the University administration, thousands of underclassmen and countless alumni, we ask for juniors to responsibly participate in Hey Day and for seniors to actively participate in Hey Deja Vu. We have been given a final chance to preserve Hey Day, and we must not squander the opportunity.

The consequences are worth considering, as a destructive Hey Day will lead to punitive alterations to the Class of 2007's Senior Week and permanent changes to Hey Day for future classes.

With great anticipation, the Penn community will celebrate Hey Day for the University's 252nd graduating class.

This Friday, the 251st class will determine if they will be the last.

Billy Moore, Meredith Seidel, Matt Klapper, Pierre Gooding, Andrew Kaplan, Puneet Singh, Brett Perlmutter and Arthur Gardner Smith are past and current class presidents for 2003 - 2010, respectively.

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