Hurst Day, one the most favorite traditions of all Mercyhurst students, took place on Sept. 12, with the excitement of the entire community.

After a thrilling success last year, the students hold a lot of expectations for Hurst Day and none were disappointed. Hospitality Management major Jacki Miller had very positive feedback about the scavenger hunt compared to last year.

“It is much more organized with the scavenger hunt. The clues make more sense. Because I joined the Hurst Day last year, now I know what to expect and how to prepare. We are all excited for the activities and I think many more people attended Hurst Day this year than last year.”

Similar to Miller’s opinion, junior Sports Medicine major Rachel McKenna, said she had a lot more fun this year. There were more games; the bounce houses were spread out decently. The infrastructure was bigger, and the food was amazing.

“The steak dinner was the same but it is still amazing. Last year Egan was packed and the line was started all the way from Preston. This year, they also opened the Laker for dinner and everything is much more organized,” said McKenna.

Not only did the upperclassmen enjoy Hurst Day, but also the freshmen shared many terrific experiences about this tradition. Many shared that Hurst Day is a great opportunity to connect faculties and students.

Lincoln Ogden, a Sports Management major, said, “The best part of Hurst Day to me is gathering around and hanging out with professors and friends.”

“It’s great to join the new tradition and seeing president Michael T. Victor also hanging out with us and getting all classes canceled,” Ogden’s classmate, Brett Conrad, Public Health major, said.

However, not all classes were canceled on Hurst Day and some teams still had practice. Brandon Hagerdon said he could not enjoy Hurst Day entirely because he had a meeting and football practice afterward.

Most of the iMU class that I have interviewed really enjoyed Hurst Day and they do not want to change anything about this amazing tradition. I personally feel the same way as these students.

Hurst Day was a great event to bring the community together, tighten our friendships and make some new ones. I can feel the Laker spirit run through my chest the entire time and I believe Hurst Day means a lot more than just a day off. It is definitely a tradition that can unite and fire up the school spirit in every Mercyhurst student.