Just say 'Hey!'

Auburn’s Hey Day is more than just a campus tradition — it’s a timeless greeting that’s been passed down for generations.

“Hey Day is such a cool event,” said Owen Beaverstock, Auburn’s Student Government Association (SGA) president. “It’s the first thing I volunteered for when I was a freshman.”

The annual Hey Day event first began in 1947 to welcome back World War II soldiers, when the SGA pushed for a day to unite campus.  

Nearly 80 years later, Hey Day has grown into a beloved custom of handing out nametags and encouraging everyone to say “hey” to each other. 

For Miss Auburn Riley Parman, it means more than just simply saying ‘hello.’

“I get so excited about it because I love talking to strangers,” joked Parman. “You’re engaging in real conversation that reinforces the values of the Auburn Family and brings us all together.”

DID YOU KNOW? Auburn’s Hey Day dates back to the end of World War II, when millions of veterans attended college on the G.I. Bill.

DID YOU KNOW? Auburn’s Hey Day dates back to the end of World War II, when millions of veterans attended college on the G.I. Bill.

Today, almost eighty years later, the Hey Day tradition is still going strong and even available to watch on livestream thanks to the Auburn Alumni Association.

Today, almost eighty years later, the Hey Day tradition is still going strong and even available to watch on livestream thanks to the Auburn Alumni Association.

Today, almost eighty years later, the Hey Day tradition is still going strong and even available to watch on livestream thanks to the Auburn Alumni Association.

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The 78th Hey Day will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 15, and will include live music, food, t-shirts, a Social at Hey Day Market and other activities.

Parham said it’s a simple concept that can have a big impact.

“You could be the only one who speaks to that person this week or asks how their day is going,” she said. “You can change someone's week for the better.”

Marking a milestone as the first in their families to attend Auburn, both Beaverstock and Parman consider it an incredible privilege to serve the student body.

Born in Mobile, Alabama, Beaverstock grew up in a military family.  His sights were set on attending the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, only to change his mind after a recruitment visit to the Plains.

“You can feel how welcoming Auburn is, and I knew right then that's where I wanted to go,” he remembered.

Parman, a Kansas City, Missouri native, had been looking at colleges in the Northeast when a cousin recommended she tour Auburn.

“It was a Saturday, the town was peaceful, birds were chirping, the sun was shining,” she recalled. “I applied on the way home and committed as soon as I was accepted.”

JUST BEING RILEY: As 2025-26 Miss Auburn, Riley Parman is part of the War Eagle Girls and Plainsmen, the College of Human Sciences’ Hunger Solutions Institute, Delta Delta Delta, and Phi Beta Delta. She also is a recipient of the Spirit of IQLA Endowed Scholarship and a Global Studies Medallion.

JUST BEING RILEY: As 2025-26 Miss Auburn, Riley Parman is part of the War Eagle Girls and Plainsmen, the College of Human Sciences’ Hunger Solutions Institute, Delta Delta Delta, and Phi Beta Delta. She also is a recipient of the Spirit of IQLA Endowed Scholarship and a Global Studies Medallion.

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In their respective roles, Beaverstock and Parman are spearheading important change across campus.

Parman, a global studies major in the College of Human Sciences, said her role as 2025-26 Miss Auburn is like having a full-time job.  She has a dedicated marketing team and serves as the “official hostess” of the university, a tradition that dates back to 1934.

“We do the ‘Empower Her’ women's leadership dinner, we read to kids in schools and engage with community members and civic leaders,” she said.

A hunger studies minor, Parman’s passion revolves around finding community-based solutions to complex problems, like food insecurity and access to adequate education.  She encourages her peers to become involved in niche activities that they care about.

“A lot of the cool things we get to do revolve around my platform, which is encouraging students to leverage the university resources that pairs them with their passions to better serve our campus, our community and the world,” said Parman.    

Already in her short tenure, Parman and her team have started an endowed scholarship for future Miss Auburns, and made outreach visits to the Auburn Bee Center, E.W. Fisheries Center and the AU Singers.

“You get to shine a light on just how broad and diverse Auburn is as a campus,” she said.

BIGTIME BEAVERSTOCK: Auburn SGA President Owen Beaverstock is part of the Auburn Honors College and Sigma Nu Fraternity. He also spent last summer interning for U.S. senator and former Auburn Football head coach Tommy Tuberville.

BIGTIME BEAVERSTOCK: Auburn SGA President Owen Beaverstock is part of the Auburn Honors College and Sigma Nu Fraternity. He also spent last summer interning for U.S. senator and former Auburn Football head coach Tommy Tuberville.

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Like Parman, Beaverstock himself serves as an advocate for students, attending every Auburn Board of Trustees meeting as a non-voting member.

A double major in business and political science in the Harbert College of Business, Beaverstock was elected in February to lead SGA. Since then, he has worked tirelessly to bring about upgrades in security, safety and affordable housing.

“It’s very unique to Auburn and an incredible opportunity to sit down with the Board [of Trustees] and talk to them about certain issues,” he said.

Under Beaverstock’s leadership, funding has been secured for 10 new security shuttle drivers and a 24/7 security presence on campus. He’s also working with the City of Auburn to have a three-way traffic stop light installed at the crosswalk on Magnolia Avenue, between 320 West Mag apartments and the Ginn Concourse, to address student pedestrian safety concerns.

Most recently, trustees backed Beaverstock and SGA’s concept to build a new, larger student dormitory on the Cambridge Hall property.  The board voted unanimously to demolish the existing structure and construct a six-story, 680-bed residence hall featuring community and exterior recreation spaces and a storm shelter.

“We think that's a huge win for our students and a great spot, too,” he said.

Beaverstock, who is eyeing a career in finance or government relations, said his advice to younger peers is to get plugged in — and early.

“One of the coolest things we do is called the Expansion (EXP) Branch of SGA,” he said. “You can volunteer for Hey Day, CREED Day or shaker distribution for football games. In the spring, we’ll have an application window for those who want to serve a year-round role within SGA.”

Just like their post-war era predecessors, both Beaverstock and Parman will be leading the charge this week at Hey Day — greeting everyone with a spirit that is not afraid.

“It just shows the human touch that makes Auburn so special,” said Parman.