<p>Ah, how the scav hunt polarizes. The polarization was less evident in my day, where there were probably a lot more "antisocial nerds" running around on campus than now. Seems like the polarization has amplified a bit.</p>
<p>I'm hoping in the years ahead U of C can begin some traditions that unify a bit more! A Hey Day-like activity (a la Penn) or a Class Day speaker or something could be nice.</p>
<p>Also of note, Pierce may be demolished soon:</p>
<p>I dunno. Scav is absolutely unique and un-homogenized, something really special. Every college in the world has some sort of Spring Fling, which is all Hey Day is. (I think Chicago has one, too, already.) And Class Day speakers? Unifying? Give me a break! Who the heck cares? Chicago’s faculty Class Day speakers do a perfectly fine job. (My kids found Class Day itself, which seemed to have been turned over to some sort of inter-fraternity council to plan, just about as divisive as anything.)</p>
<p>In Scav and Kuvia (not to mention the Lascivious Ball and the Latke-Hamantash debate), Chicago has some traditions that actually reflect its unique character, and aren’t the equivalent of the shops and restaurants that populate every mall in the country. Students should be proud of that, even if they don’t particularly want to participate, but they should think about participating, too.</p>
<p>Hmm I dunno JHS - I don’t know if keeping scav hunt (and kuvia, the debate, etc.) would rule out starting other traditions. </p>
<p>When I was at Penn for post-college study, I thought the events like Hey Day and Spring Fling just seemed like a lot of fun - it seemed like at least 80% of the student body were involved and having a good time. The one thing I missed at UChicago is we didn’t really have anything like that, at least when I was there.</p>
<p>There was a summer concert with somewhat esoteric bands that some people really enjoyed, and others just avoided. The graduation speakers were debated, mainly because they tended to be professors opining on various research topics, which was interesting, but not necessarily class-bonding. (Also, keep in mind I meant Class Day as a separate event from the graduation speaker - which has traditionally been a UChicago professor. I meant Class Day akin to what happens at Princeton, where the Class Day speech is a separate event from graduation.)</p>
<p>I actually didn’t even know UChicago had a Class Day - we didn’t when I was there. I’d imagine, though, that there are a range of more light hearted speakers that would appeal to a bulk of the class - folks like Stephen Colbert and his cohort. Along with the appropriately thought-provoking graduation speaker, a light-hearted but meaningful class day speech could be a worthwhile event, no? </p>
<p>Again, as this is reflective of the larger conversation about the College itself, I certainly think that events such as Scav and Kuvia should be maintained and strengthened. At the same time, the introduction of other class-based traditions might not need to emerge at the expense of the older traditions, and could allow for the creation of a richer panoply of events and traditions for each class to enjoy.</p>
<p>Class Day has a faculty/administration speaker doing academic stand-up. I think they call it something like The Remains Of Education. (Playing off the formal, serious welcoming address given to all entering students during O-week by a different famous professor every year, The Aims Of Education.)</p>
<p>(Further proof that, despite their different reputations, there is actually plenty of overlap between the Penn and Chicago student bodies. This guy, who thinks he is part of the “silent majority” at Penn, would probably feel simply part of the majority at Chicago. And, given that, he and his buddies might even deign to show up at the Chicago version of Spring Fling, because they wouldn’t feel excluded by it.)</p>