U. may move Hey Day start out of Quad

A decades-old tradition may end next week if the annual Hey Day march to College Hall starts at Superblock instead of the Quadrangle's Junior Balcony. Newly elected senior class board president Brandt McKee said yesterday "it is my understanding" that the "official congregation" for Hey Day will assemble next Friday at 2:30 p.m. in Superblock, where juniors will follow the band down Locust Walk to College Hall. McKee said the proposed change came out of a meeting the new board had Friday with Assistant Director of Student Life Activities Albert Moore. Moore could not be reached for comment last night. McKee said he could not remember who proposed the site change or what was said during the rest of the meeting, but he stressed he is unsure whether the move to Superblock has been definitely decided. McKee said he and the other members of the board plan to speak with various University officials in the next two days "to find out what the University wants to happen inside or outside of the Quad." Both Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrisson and Director of Student Life Activities Fran Walker said last night they had not heard about the proposed change. But Walker said she knew Moore planned to talk to the board about some possible changes for the event because of problems last year. Juniors last year picked up and then dropped President Sheldon Hackney and poured beer on him during the event. Walker, who said she had not heard specifically that this year's Hey Day procession would begin at Superblock, suggested student safety might be a factor if such a decision is made. Walker said many juniors at past Hey Day celebrations have drunk excessively in the Quad and then crossed busy Spruce Street. She said Locust Walk would provide a much safer route since juniors would not have to stop traffic or cross any streets. "That would be a better way of managing those people who have come with too much to drink," she said. "It would just be a more controllable event, allowing people to have their tradition at the same time." College representative Joy Richter, who attended the meeting with Moore, called the possibility of a site change "debatable." "At this point, we are not sure of the events for Hey Day," she said. "We would like to see the Quad remain the starting point." Vice President Valerie Thompson agreed with Richter that some uncertainty remains, but she said the move to Superblock could happen.

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