By: Maddie King/
Beanies. The Gauntlet. Boot Camp. Roundup. Fry Like Bacon. Tug of War.
For any student who has ever participated in freshmen orientation at Howard Payne University, these words bring back memories of what students now know as Daze of Payne.
Daze of Payne is a week full of fun events aimed to initiate freshmen into the Howard Payne community.
The interest meetings for Daze of Payne are on August 27 and 28 at 9 p.m. The weeklong event begins on September 2 and runs through September 6. Freshmen are encouraged to participate in this exciting event.
Daze of Payne is a longtime tradition. Although it has been called many different names throughout the years such as “Bootcamp” or “Roundup,” its purpose has remained the same–to welcome freshmen to HPU and help them get to know the upperclassmen. This tradition is over 100 years old and it is an important part of the HPU experience.
Daze of Payne is something that many alumni remember fondly and reminisce about when they think about their HPU experience.
HPU Board of Trustees member Jane Collette, ‘81, said that she loved going through Daze of Payne.
“When I was a freshman, it was called ‘Roundup’. Probably 95% of the students participated, so that was really neat. It was like we were all going through the same things, so we could relate to each other,” said Collette.
As Collette looked back on her time as a freshman, she was glad that Roundup was a part of that year and was grateful for the community that it brought.
During Daze of Payne, each freshman is paired off with an upperclassman that becomes their big brother or sister for the week. These pairings are meant to do most events together and to allow the freshmen to get to know upperclassmen and build community. The freshmen are classified as “Littles” and get to connect to HPU through these events and experiences.
Rylie Burden, sophomore jurisprudence and Guy D. Newman Honors Academy major from Nederland said, “The tradition of Daze of Payne was an exciting experience not only for myself, but for all those participating. I believe Daze of Payne is a fundamental part of the freshmen experience.”
Many students feel that Daze of Payne is one of the best experiences of their freshman year. They get to meet new people and immerse themselves in all Howard Payne has to offer.
“As a freshman, I was excited to get involved, and hearing about Daze of Payne and the history and tradition it held, I was even more excited to be a part of carrying that tradition on,” said Georgia Simmons, senior kinesiology major from Bogota. “My freshman experience was a blast. I made connections and memories that I still hold dear to my heart.”
Daze of Payne is a vital part of HPU, as it welcomes new students to the family, where they can gain connections that will last a lifetime.
“I think it is important for students to participate in this HPU tradition, not only because it has been around so long, but also because it gives students an opportunity to make new friendships,” said Simmons. “Daze of Payne gives a sense of community, and you are given the chance to see the heartbeat of Howard Payne, which is the people and community in it.”
Yellow Jacket Editor, Maddie King