The Auburn Family celebrates the tradition of Hey Day this year with a new online twist to extend the reach of community.
Hey Day has been a part of Auburn’s campus since the 1940s, specifically after World War II. The veterans did not receive a warm welcome upon their return, so the Student Veterans Association formed what became known as "Hey Day" in which people hand out name tags and greet their classmates by name.
Cassie Atchley, junior in biosystems engineering, is this year’s director of Hey Day.
“It’s a great day to build the Auburn community and the family and to make connections that will go beyond this day,” Atchley said.
The director of Hey Day is a position in the SGA Cabinet. Atchley said that the Auburn Family has always been a constant for her, so she wanted the opportunity to give back.
“The Auburn Family is a community that has always been there for me and has really built me and made me the person I am,” Atchley said. “ Hey Day is a great event that fosters that family and community."
This year, the goal for Hey Day was to hand out 12,000 name tags, which is 2,000 more than last year. In addition to the in-person name tags, the new online aspect has been introduced. Asim Ali, the director of Auburn Online, said he liked the idea of making Hey Day more inclusive.
“The Auburn Family and our on-campus experience make Auburn special for students," Ali said. "Virtual Hey Day is one of many ways Auburn Online aims to bring the family connection and unique experience to our online students as well."
Students enrolled in online classes can click on a link and connect to their peers. There are two iPads set up, one on the Green Space and one on the Haley Concourse, allowing anyone to join the online conversation.
Besides handing out name tags, there were many activities going on — games and food on the Green Space, photos from the Glomerata and even a special visit from Nova, one of Auburn's famed eagles. Volunteers were running around trying to maintain all the different stations, one of whom was Karson Fair, this year’s Miss Auburn.
Fair spent a lot of time helping out on the Green Space this year. She expressed how much Hey Day meant to her and why she felt it was important to the school.
“I love Hey Day because I really feel it brings the Auburn community together,” Fair said. “Also, Auburn is big on tradition, so that’s something that’s really important to the student body, and I think a lot of students look forward to that."
Throughout the day during their breaks, students spent time together outside eating, playing games and saying hey. Jack Tenbrunsel, sophomore in professional flight, described his opinion on Hey Day.
“It’s a wonderful day to surprise people and make them think you know their name when you’re actually just reading their name tag,” Tenbrunsel said. “After that, you’ve officially formed a bond."
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