Music and a manual bull ride coaxed juniors out Saturday afternoon to socialize and unite with classmates.
For three hours on the field outside Hamilton College House, approximately 350 students participated in the first-ever Junior Jubilee. The first 300 juniors in attendance also received a T-shirt made especially for the event.
College junior Stefanie Williams admitted that, while she "wanted the T-shirt," she did think that the Junior Jubilee helped to create a positive identity for the class.
Many juniors felt that events like the Junior Jubilee give them a chance to reconnect with classmates that they might not have seen since freshman or sophomore year.
"You get to see a lot of people you normally wouldn't hang out with," College junior Matt Ufberg said. Wharton junior Eugene Kim agreed, saying that the event allowed his classmates to "see people [they] wouldn't usually see."
The afternoon featured a performance by Mission Failed, a local rock band popular with many Penn students. As the day progressed, juniors gathered to form a sizable audience, dancing and cheering on the musicians, who have acquired a following after playing at various parties around campus.
The group covered some well-known rock songs, including hits by Weezer and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, in addition to their original compositions.
Engineering junior Liz Palmer declared herself a fan.
"I came for the band," she said. "It was a cool idea to get the class to come out."
Across the field, brave juniors stepped up to face the mechanical bull. Students who chose to accept the challenge held onto the bull for as long as their leg muscles would allow them, while their friends and peers cheered them on from the sidelines.
While the annual Sophomore Skimmer is traditionally a big draw, there are virtually no other yearly events comparable to Skimmer for other classes.
Junior Class President and College student Pierre Gooding felt that the Junior Jubilee would boost class spirit and promote class unity.
"It will be a good chance for a lot of juniors to come together," Gooding said. "We want the juniors to be unified -- that's our main goal."
Asked if they would attend future class events similar to the Junior Jubilee, the juniors responded affirmatively.
"I go to every class event," College junior Shirley Xue said, adding that she likes that the Class of 2006 holds many bonding activities.
Gooding said that the class board has many plans to keep the juniors busy and happy in the coming year. Among ideas for future events are a dodgeball competition, in which juniors will battle fellow class members to secure a spot on the team that will then face off against Penn's other classes in a tournament.
