On May 22, Jefferson Day (J-DAY) took place indoors from 2-4 p.m. The event, which is usually hosted outside, consisted of club booths, performances and a basketball tournament.
J-DAY is a beloved tradition hosted annually by the Student Government Association (SGA) and requires months of preparation to ensure everything runs smoothly on the big day.
“SGA has been preparing for J-DAY since February,” junior SGA Treasurer Landon Huie said. “After around April, about half the SGA is working on J-DAY, and the other half is working on other SGA-related things. We start to make reels and upload information into the J-DAY map. After APs, we’re full throttle trying to get everything done.”
Though J-DAY was moved indoors due to rain, SGA was prepared.
“SGA typically makes two maps: a ‘regular’ map and a ‘rainy day’ map,” Huie said. “I heard from a lot of people that this was the first [indoor] J-DAY in about 8-10 years or possibly more. I’m glad we always make a ‘rainy day’ map regardless if it will rain or not.”
One of the highlights of J-DAY is the variety of food that clubs sell to raise money.
“[My favorite part of J-DAY was] the food,” freshman Meera Bansal said. “It was so different, and I got to try a lot of stuff that I probably wouldn’t be able to try on a regular basis. I got a peach Shirley Temple, dumplings and [tteokbokki], mango sago and churros and popcorn that had Tajin in it.”
J-DAY also includes performances, which allow students to showcase their talent to the student body.
“I thought [the performances] were really good,” Bansal said. “I thought that [the] people doing them were very talented.”
After a long period of planning, the outcome can be the most satisfying part of J-DAY for SGA members.
“My favorite part of J-DAY is actually the set up,” Huie said. “We go months on end planning this event and, at set up, we get to see everything come together. I think that also just being with all the SGA members and seeing our hard work come to life makes me proud as an SGA officer. It’s stressful, [but] very worth it in the end.”