The University recently finalized its policies for Hey Day — a Penn tradition in which the juniors officially become seniors — with revamped measures to increase campus-wide safety.
This year, “Hey Safe” teams, which are much like the FlingSafe program developed five years ago to promote safety at Spring Fling, will be available to respond to any student safety issue, according to Associate Vice Provost for Student Affairs Ajay Nair.
Additionally, Class of 2010 President Arthur Gardner Smith, a Wharton senior, said there will be increased staff monitoring this year’s event, in order to decrease response time to any reported incident.
Another change to last year’s policies, Smith added, is a slightly different Hey Day Pledge, an no hazing agreement all students must sign before participating which has been met with mixed student responses over the past several years.
Outlining “community service hours and the withholding of graduation rights” as potential punishments for hazing, this year’s Pledge “has stepped up in terms of repercussions,” Smith said. “Administrators are really cracking down this year on taking those offenses seriously and backing those consequences up with action.”
Students who do not sign the pledge cannot participate in Hey Day.
Though such policies may seem harsh to those who have never partaken in Hey Day, administrators insist increased security is necessary to preserve the tradition.
According to Vice President of Public Safety Maureen Rush, last year’s Hey Day saw some injuries as a result of high levels of intoxication as well as the relatively new, unofficial tradition of seniors throwing food at juniors during the procession.
“People had to be hospitalized,” Rush said of the incidents. “Hot sauce went into a young woman’s eye, and her parents were very concerned. People slip on the sidewalks because there’s so much ketchup on the ground.”
The costs of Hey Day hazing, Rush added, include not just the risk of injury but economic expenses as well.
Facilities and Real Estate Services spokeswoman Jen Rizzi wrote in an e-mail that FRES typically employs 26 employees for more than 200 hours during Hey Day cleanup.
In the face of such issues, Smith said, the new Hey Day policies aim to “make sure that there are future Hey Days to come … We want to make sure we come up with whatever is necessary to make sure everyone enjoys the same event.”
Undergraduate Assembly President-elect Matt Amalfitano, a College junior, agreed that these new policies promote safety and inclusiveness.
“When we’re walking down Locust Walk when we’re sober, we slip,” he said. “Imagine when we walk down it with condiments and we’re tipsy. People could get really hurt.”
Ultimately, Amalfitano added, he hopes that students, by complying with these safety guidelines, will maintain the tradition as “one of those types of traditions where the entire class comes together.”
Class of 2011 President Adam Behrens, a College junior, is “extremely optimistic” that with the safety precautions, Hey Day will turn out well.
Several students had more ambivalent attitudes toward tighter policies.
“It’s a voluntary event,” College senior Benji Brooke said, “and everyone knows food is thrown — and you’re boozing out so there’s always a chance of injury … My personal opinion is there’s not that much to worry about.”
Though College senior Gabriella Garcia said she does not plan to participate in the typical hazing activities, she understands safety measures are necessary even though they may seem “uncool.”
