Class Boards of 2008 and 2009 | Protecting a tradition

As spring comes into full bloom and talks of graduation can be heard, tomorrow will mark another change for the University of Pennsylvania.

In the afternoon, the 253rd Graduating Class will march from Hill Field to the Quad, up the stairs to the Junior Balcony and down Locust Walk to the steps of College Hall.

Dressed in red shirts and styrofoam hats, with bamboo canes in hand, these students will officially be pronounced seniors by President Gutmann in the continuation of a great Penn tradition.

Hey Day has truly been the backbone of the collective Penn experience since 1916.

However, over the past few years, this historic tradition has changed in spirit.

By throwing projectiles like eggs at their classmates, some Penn students have created an unsafe environment for the event, causing several juniors to be seriously hurt and in some cases, hospitalized.

Recognizing that these behaviors threatened the tradition of Hey Day, last year the 2007 and 2008 Class Boards developed a plan with University administrators to preserve the tradition.

Part of the solution included the creation of Hey Deja vu, an event that involves seniors in a safe and constructive way.

The result was that Hey Day 2007 was the cleanest and safest Hey Day in recent memory, an accomplishment recognized even by national news outlets such as The Associated Press.

More importantly, this success ensured the sustainability of the tradition for future classes at Penn.

Following in the success of Hey Day 2007, we hope to continue the Hey Deja vu event for the Class of 2008.

This year's Hey Deja vu will take place tomorrow, from 1-3 p.m. in Wynn Commons. The event will feature a free barbeque, free Senior Class T-shirts and a live performance by Kenn Kweder. Seniors will also receive their choice of streamers or silly string to responsibly participate in Hey Day.

To enjoy this event, seniors simply need to sign the Hey Day pledge, which states that they will only throw University-sanctioned items to assure the continued safety of all students.

By signing the pledge, seniors are taking a stand against the irresponsible and dangerous actions of past Hey Days.

By signing the pledge, seniors are supporting the safety of their classmates and peers.

By signing the pledge, seniors are defending the Hey Day tradition for countless classes to come.

The Hey Day pledge is available online at penn08.com until midnight tonight.

Seniors can also sign the pledge in-person at Hey Deja vu tomorrow.

We all agree on the goals for Hey Day 2008 - enjoying a longstanding Penn tradition while ensuring the safety of our classmates.

Last year's seniors acted on those goals by taking part in Hey Deja vu in large numbers. This increased the safety of the event and allowed the Class of 2008 to join generations of Penn alumni in the celebration of Hey Day.

Tomorrow, we ask that our senior class, the Class of 2008, behave responsibly to pass on the same opportunity to future classes at Penn.

Puneet Singh is a Wharton student and Senior Class president, and Ash Bhumbla is a College student and Senior Class vice president. Brett Perlmutter is a College student and president of the Junior Class, and Anthony Maggio is a College student and vice president of the Junior Class.

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