Director of Student Life Fran Walker remembers what Hey Day was like over 30 years ago.
When she first arrived at Penn in 1974, there was no drinking, no mustard and no hat-biting.
But since that year -- and since even before, at its inception in 1916 -- Hey Day has changed substantially.
What now exists as Hey Deja Vu used to be a "moving-up" celebration for all classes.
In fact, the drinking and object-hurling traditions which administrators now say threaten the existence of Hey Day have only arisen over the past two decades.
"In it's pure form," Walker said, Hey Day is a "celebration of what [juniors] have been able to accomplish over the past three years. That's really the tradition we should be celebrating."
Hey Deja Vu started about 10 years ago, when the seniors would sit and drink outside of the Palladium -- a bar where the ARCH building currently stands -- as the juniors marched down Locust Walk.
Casey Ryan, assistant director of classes and reunions for the Penn Alumni Association, said that the seniors started making blue "Hey Deja Vu" T-shirts to watch the procession in.
The seniors used to "congratulate [the juniors] and laugh at them," he said.
The tradition of throwing things at the juniors began on a whim two years ago, Ryan said.
"There were some idiots who thought it would be fun to throw stuff," Walker added.
Ryan said seniors began by throwing water balloons, but this later escalated into hurling mustard, ketchup and syrup, among other substances.
Ella Schwartz, who graduated in 2003, remembers shaving cream and some silly string at her Hey Day.
"What used to be the celebration of the juniors has turned into a big food fight, and the seniors have fun at the expense of the juniors," Walker said. "Some people consider that hazing."
Such changes to traditions can arise from seemingly minor events. As for the hat biting, Walker said that in 1993, "somebody decided to take a bite out of someone else's hat, and then everyone else started doing it, and then a tradition was born."
Ryan, who graduated in 1995, remembers the hat-biting when the tradition was in its second year.
"Everyone just went up to anyone they knew, recognized or saw and bit their hat," he said. "If your hat survived, you probably kept it. I think I still have mine somewhere."
And while the past 10 years have produced the Hey Day that students recognize today, traditions leading up to it have existed for almost a century.
In 1916, Hey Day consisted of a formal ceremony in Irvine Auditorium.
The Parade of Classes was introduced in 1937, and the Junior Cane march started as part of "Junior Week" in 1965.
Beginning in the mid-'70s, Hey Day began to mark the rise of the juniors as the new senior class.
In 1981, the senior class awards became separate from Hey Day.
The food-throwing seems to be cementing itself as the newest in the line of changes, and from an administrative point of view, it isn't entirely welcome.
University President Amy Gutmann implied earlier this week that officials may try to suppress the event if what Gutmann called "hazing" continues, and leaders of the junior and senior classes have sent e-mails encouraging members of the classes to tone the offending behavior down this year.
But not all past victims of Hey Deja Vu object to the practice.
College senior Spencer Scharff remembers his Hey Day.
"Cool whip, mustard, and ketchup were placed one me. People were being quite civil," he said.
And in spite of all the changes, Walker said the essence of the tradition holds.
"It's a wonderful thing to stand on the steps of College Hall and see 2,000 juniors in red shirts and hats and canes on a beautiful sunny day come down Locust Walk," Walker said.
Hey Day schedule - From 12 to 3 p.m. there will be a junior class picnic on College Green, featuring food and music - Beginning at around 3:25 p.m., the junior class will depart from Hill Square for its traditional cane march - From 3:25 to 4 p.m., the class will march across campus, finishing at the steps of College Hall - At 4 p.m., University President Amy Gutmann will address the junior class from the steps of College Hall
