Quaker Days Hosts Shocked to Find Out Their Baby Quakers Aren't Actual Babies

Quaker Days, more commonly known as the week before fling, is finally here! While many potential freshmen roll in hoping to experience all that Penn has to offer, we can’t forget about the people who make this experience possible: the hosts. In February, the Office of Admissions called for 1,000 volunteers to apply to be hosts for the new baby Quakers. These bold and caring Penn students cleaned their rooms, reorganized their drawers, and finally bought air fresheners just so their baby Quakers would feel deceived into enrolling. That's dedication!

One first-time host, Carrie Mundal (C '19), said she was "super excited" to recreate the great adventures she had during her own Quaker Days. We caught up with her after the host training and she shared what she’s doing in preparation for her new baby Quaker. “I bought this new pacifier and everything,” she pointed to her baby-proofed room. “I moved all of my boxes of granola bars and ramen aside so that the new high chair could fit, too. I even put soft covers on all the corners of furniture in my apartment.” She then paused while her friend whispered something in her ear. “Wait, what do you mean they’re not actual babies?”

This odd miscommunication seemed to have occurred across campus, misleading a number of hosts. Later that night, sources told UTB about an incident that happened at the Quad with one host, Lara Samuel (C '20). “He won’t fit!” She was heard yelling from her Class of ’28 dorm room. As it turns out, her new baby Quaker was actually a large young adult and would not sleep in the crib she bought. “I really don’t understand what they’re feeding these kids nowadays,” she said. “I JUST ordered this crib off of Amazon. This is so frustrating!”

The Office of Admissions was called upon by a mob of students and their young adult Quakers. “We really didn’t think people would think these admitted students are children,” they defended themselves. “Yes, we call them baby Quakers, but only because we thought it was cute and would make more people volunteer. Wait, don’t put that in the article.”  

Even though Quaker Days did not turn out as many had planned, hopefully hosts and Admissions can both learn from their mistakes. If anything, we hope this experience did not turn away potential Penn students – because there are definitely other reasons not to commit.