Pajama Day 2006: Seniors in Sleepwear

October 18th, 2006

By Yahav Itzkovich
Senior Pajama Day made its annual return to Stuy on Ocotober 6 as seniors piled into the building sporting their best sleepwear. Many converged at the senior bar where they showed off their pajamas, which ranged from long plaid pants and a t-shirt to boxers and floral robes.

Some seniors even brought along childhood mementos such as stuffed animals to complete their look. These additions made the seniors “all feel like children,” as senior Nancy Hernandez said.

There was a relaxed atmosphere surrounding Pajama Day, but for some that was a problem: several seniors fought to keep their heads up during classes. Senior Stacey Lee said, “I wish we could have it every day, it was so comfortable, but it kind of was too comfortable.”

Many however, managed to stay awake and saw Pajama Day as a meaningful celebration of entering senior year, rather than a lighthearted event. Senior Arun Selvaratnam said, “Pajama Day’s the first day I felt like a senior—it was like the rite of conformation.”

Others saw it as an important tradition. Although he did not participate in Pajama Day, sophomore Andrew Pratt said that the day was “a very cool and laid-back idea; it has a signature kind of Stuy feel to it.”

Unlike Pratt, sophomore Raymond Hicks agreed with Hernandez. He said that he saw pajama day as “a way to get in touch with your inner child.”

Just as students’ had differing opinions on the purpose of Pajama Day, there were also different opinions regarding the skimpiness of some pajamas. Many seniors walked around the school throughout the day with a good deal of skin exposure. Sophomore Valentina Zarya said, “I greatly appreciated the abundance of half naked bodies,” but the administration did not. They made the seniors who were showing too much cover themselves with a closed robe.

This closed-robe policy boded well with a few seniors. “It was kind of disturbing to see guys half-naked, said Hernandez. The girls did not seem to pick up on the boys’ fashion sense. Regarding the girl’s sleepwear, Hernandez said, “I guess the guys were a little disappointed because they didn’t see enough skin.”

The issue on how much skin can be bared seems to be a problem for future Pajama Days as well. Posing a more extreme case, Hicks said, “I sleep in the nude.”