Editorial | Preserving tradition

Tomorrow - for the few students who don't know - is Hey Day, the traditional "moving up" day for juniors.

And, in the past, it's also been the traditional "get stuff thrown at you" day for juniors.

While this year's crop of juniors weren't even at Penn in 2006, when a then-junior was sent to the hospital after being hit in the eye with an egg, the Ghost of Hey Days Past should still be present tomorrow. Hey Day 2006 was preceded by a few years of gradually worsening hazing - including seniors tossing fish heads dunked in urine - and was followed by administrators (quite rightly) seriously contemplating canceling the event, despite its storied 70-plus-year tradition at Penn. And while it's easy for students to consider 2006 eons ago, it's still a recent memory for administrators who were also here in 2006.

From an administrative and logistical standpoint, everything that is likely possible has been done to make Hey Day accommodating and safe. This includes moving the celebration back to a Friday and the introduction of the senior's Final Toast as an incentive for seniors to Just Say No to chucking vile things at the soon-to-be seniors.

But ultimately it's not up to any class board or administrators to set the tone for Hey Day - it's up to the current junior and senior classes. Cancellation or modification of this fantastic tradition could be right back on the table if a few students decide to throw caution - and condiments - to the wind and intentionally haze or otherwise act out.

Hey Day is a tradition that's bigger than one or two classes, and we owe it to future Penn students to preserve the day.

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