The year has just begun, but the Class of 2008 has already started discussing the last day of school.
The junior class board and members of the administration met yesterday afternoon to begin brainstorming and planning this year's Hey Day.
The spring tradition, during which juniors march through campus and are officially declared seniors by the president, has come under scrutiny in the past several years. Seniors have begun throwing food and other objects at the juniors as they march, leaving the foam hats, canes and red shirts traditionally sported by juniors coated in condiments. The new, aggressive twist on the old tradition has caused some injuries and property damage.
Administrators said in the spring that the event could be changed or canceled as a result.
However, when administrators met with students for the first time yesterday, they said there was a "clean slate of possibilities."
"Nothing was decided in advance," said Vice Provost for University Life Valerie Swain-Cade McCoullum.
And students and administrators left the meeting optimistic about preserving Hey Day.
"I think, for the first time ever, we're coming out on the same page," class board member and Wharton junior Jason Mischel said. "It was very evident that all parties involved are committed to the continuing of Hey Day."
The class board met with Cade and other administrators from the VPUL office.
Junior class President Puneet Singh said there will be a meeting for the entire class next Wednesday to get juniors' input.
In the next few weeks, juniors and seniors will also have the chance to fill out a survey to find out what students want and expect to see at this year's Hey Day.
Singh said that by the end of October the class board hopes to have compiled statistical data from the surveys.
"It lets us finally quantify what people are thinking," he said.
He added that there will be a series of town-hall meetings with students and administrators.
"Right now, our goal is just to make things transparent," Singh said. "The goal is that no student is left in the dark."
He said that by November, the board hopes to present a proposal with concrete plans for Hey Day to the administration.
"It's really going to be a student-led initiative," Mischel said. "We really want to work from the bottom up."
The administrators present agreed that they do not want "projectiles" - or anything that would cause injury - thrown during the annual tradition.
Last year, a student went to the hospital after being hit in the eye with an egg, according to officials from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
Throughout the year, the junior class board will analyze its findings and make decisions at its regular meetings in order to preserve the Hey Day tradition.
Mischel added that he was "pleasantly surprised" with the outcome of yesterday's meeting.
"I think yesterday I expected fighting for Hey Day, but I realized that isn't really necessary," he said. "We want to have a long-term, viable solution."
