Who Ya Gonna Call. Pen and ink. Originally published in the Daily Pennsylvanian on April 19, 2007.
Hey Day was an annual rite of passage to mark the “moving up” of the junior class to senior-hood. Every spring, the juniors would march down Locust Walk brandishing canes while sporting red T-shirts and fake straw hats. Over time, it morphed into what one blogger called a “one-way food fight,” with the outgoing senior class pelting the juniors with flour, condiments, chocolate syrup, and — for some sadistic seniors — even beer bottles and bodily fluids. (As that blogger pointed out, walking around in Hey Day gear was basically like having a bullseye on your back for the day.)
The administration threatened to cancel the centuries-old tradition altogether after the previous year’s celebration resulted in a junior being sent to the hospital with an egg in his eye. After various talks between the administration and the junior and senior class boards, a “Save Hey Day” campaign was launched. Seniors who wanted to participate in the festivities were required to sign an anti-hazing petition, and pledged to throw only administration-approved items — streamers and marshmallows. Campus police would be stationed around the area to deal with any offenders.
In the end (as expected), some seniors still found ways to bend the rules (including throwing marshmallows coated in ketchup and hot sauce), but there were no serious incidents and more importantly, Hey Day was saved for future classes.
Good thing the Stay Puft Man is fictional!
(Side note: I got the most unique reaction to this cartoon… Someone anonymously left a marshmallow replica of the Stay Puft man on a plate outside my door to have as a snack (!) during finals week… At least someone found it entertaining!)
This is a scan of the original drawing prior to publication. More about my stint at the DP here.