Editorial | A Hey Day for the ages

On Friday, juniors tapped their canes down Locust and happily bit corners off Styrofoam hats as they took part in one of Penn's few truly revered traditions. At the same time, seniors enjoyed drinks and entertainment as they were symbolically welcomed into Penn's alumni community in a new traditional exercise.

With a few exceptions - beyond the expected-but-discouraged condiments squirted at the junior class, a few eggs and rotting fish heads landed on Locust Walk as well - Penn's first attempt at complementing Hey Day festivities for juniors with a 'Final Toast' event for seniors was largely successful. There was a significant downturn in hazing activity compared to last year, indicating a trend of improvement that will some day - hopefully soon - lead to an end of the hazing tradition, one that elicits strong negative reactions from administrators and ambivalence from the junior class.

As most know by this point, the idea that hazing during Hey Day is appropriate and/or tradition goes back only a few years and began as a response to the closing of the Palladium, a popular campus pub. The Final Toast, where seniors could receive three free drinks with ID and a signature on an anti-hazing pledge, proved to be an admirable stand-in to the tradition.

Granted, one good year does not reverse what has become habitual. But with the continuation of the Final Toast, as well as reminders that Hey Day is not a day for hazing, we're hoping this aspect of Hey Day can be eradicated as the celebratory aspect remains.

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