Semester two is serious business. After their time of relaxation, students return once more to find their educational groove in the lecture halls of the University of Pretoria. The sun begins to appear again after the cold exam season, and chilly mornings and warmer afternoons leave students sighing as they put on their sweaters for early morning classes because they know that it will have to be carried around in their hands for the rest of the day. With the rising of the sun, students’ minds begin to wander to the Pretoria Botanical Gardens. The lush green grass, the cold beers and bar lines, the bus rides, and the comforting presence or the comfort of friends that overestimated themselves at the pre-drinks. A student’s mind begins to wander towards Spring Day, the day of Lentedag.
Lentedag has wiggled its way into the heart of UP, with the event’s first coverage appearing in a 1940 edition of PDBY. While it may have undergone tremendous changes since the days of wholesome games and light snacks, its core remains the same. This event still marks the beginning of spring, where students come together to cause mischief and burn in the sun. One would never know the work that goes into an event that runs so smoothly, a well-oiled machine producing drunken memories and beautifully disastrous dancing. To understand what goes into creating a student’s day in the sun is to fall in love with it all over again. That is why PDBY sat down with Hein Booysen, the head of the student committee behind Lentedag, to hear about the time, energy, work, and laughter that goes into making Lentedag what it is.
Lentedag will open its doors to students on 18 September at the Pretoria Botanical Gardens after roughly seven months of planning. February and March were the team’s months of brainstorming, as the enthusiastic creatives gathered around a table to share ideas. Fast-forward nearly five months, and phase one is in action: ticket sales. Lentedag is an event for the students, run by the students, as the first-years within the committee take their rightful place behind the ticket sales table. Convincing students to stand behind a table and sell tickets after lectures is a challenging feat. Booysen explains the challenge of releasing the inner entrepreneurs of students who would rather be working on assignments or gallivanting with their friends. “The secret ingredient to running an event is teamwork, keeping the tradition alive.” Booysen explains that while a sense of unity and camaraderie is important, money and compensation do make the world go round. There is an element of compensation within the sales, as the youngsters work towards their own Express Pass for the bar on the day. They gaze longingly at the veterans of the committee, who spend the day unwinding in a VIP area with free drinks and a view. But these youngsters look on in admiration, not in anger, as they know that the day will come when they too will be able to spill a drink without hurting their budget.
Booysen recounts the darker days of Lentedag’s existence. After the Covid-19 pandemic, the committee was disheartened to find out that most of the students roaming campus were not only uninterested in this glorious event, but many seemed unaware of its existence. The idea that Lentedag could be unpopular seems foreign to those who have stood among the crowd watching South Africa’s finest up on the stage. But this is true. “People did not know what it was,” Booysen explains. “We were selling about 30 tickets a day. Trying to make it relevant again was difficult.” But the committee did not walk away in defeat. They faced the challenge head-on, rallying the group and putting their pride aside in the name of Lentedag.
In the true fashion of our generation, they turned to social media. “Promotion videos, giveaways on social media – these were all a big help.” Booysen, a veteran who has earned his place in the gloriously dishonourable VIP section, looks back on a promotion video he and his fellow comrades created with Droomsindroom at a busy Pretoria gym. “Doing that promotion video sober, swinging my shirt around in a crowded gym, was the most difficult thing about it all.” The one who accepts embarrassment in the name of Lentedag is the one who embodies the spirit of Lentedag. This, of course, was aided by the committee’s ability to lean into mischievousness. “We tried to create a large presence on campus with our speakers and stalls. We were being chased away by security just to come back and do it all again.”
As a veteran, Booysen shared some tips for the newcomers who will be experiencing the love of Lentedag for the first time. He gazes fondly as he begins with his wise instructions:
- Get a lot of alcohol [from the bar] before getting a table and hanging out with your friends.
- After a beer or two, begin with the main stage to settle in and get tipsy.
- Then move to the hip hop stage to pick up the pace before heading off to the techno stage when you are in full swing.
- When you start to get tired grab some food and restock the alcohol. Do not be dumb, eating is not cheating.
- Then end the day at the main stage.
Readers can expect future articles to appear in preparation for the big day, but these instructions should remain clear. Scan over them during pres and trust the wise Booysen when he tells you to wear sunblock, pace yourself, and leave your white sneakers at home.
And so it begins; the clock is ticking down towards the student event of the year. For those fools who have yet to secure their place among the trees and the leaves, it is advised to stop by the painted wall next to the piazza for a fun chat and a ticket. Keep your eye on PDBY’s social media, as you could stand a chance to win a free ticket to the event of the season.
