With over 100 volunteers distributing more than 5,000 name tags at 10 name tag stations across campus, SGA hosted its annual Hey Day event Wednesday, Oct. 7.
From 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. on the Greenspace, SGA provided food and entertainment like student singers, the eagles, Tiger Paws and Aubie.
Hey Day is one of Auburn University’s oldest traditions, dating back to World War II, according to Layton Dyess, assistant director for Hey Day and junior in elementary education. Hey Day originally began to welcome back students who had fought in the war.
Spreading the “Hey Day cheer” across campus and showcasing Auburn’s friendly atmosphere are some of this year’s goals, Layton said.
“Even though it’s kind of centrally located at the Greenspace, you can’t escape campus without getting a name tag," Dyess said. "That’s our goal."
Though the entertainment for each Hey Day stays similar, every year the theme is different, according to Jacob Coley, assistant director for Hey Day and sophomore in biomedical sciences. This year's theme is "Saying Hey Beyond Today."
“It’s all kind of about depth and making a friend on Hey Day,” Coley said. “We want people to come into Hey Day and meet somebody new and have some deep conversations and allow that to carry over beyond Oct. 7. That’s the goal this year.”
SGA raised $3,600 in donations in addition to t-shirt sales to purchase food for about 7,000 students, according to Jacob Tofani, director of Hey Day and sophomore in industrial and systems engineering.
He said he hopes the event will encourage new relationships.
“We have conversation cards on all the tables,” Tofani said. “Hopefully that will get students talking around to each other. We’d really like people to make new friends and actually have meaningful relationships past Hey Day.”
Taylor Middleton, junior in general high school science education, said as a transfer student, Hey Day is a new way to meet others.
“When you come in as a transfer student, everyone kind of has their group of friends and stuff, so when you come to Hey Day you get to kind of meet new people too,” Middleton said.
Tara Mayhan, senior in mechanical engineering, said Hey Day demonstrates the community feel of campus.
“I can say as a senior, I’m going to miss it,” Mayhan said. “It’s an atmosphere you don’t get other places.”
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