Heidi Doty and Hannah Watters participating in Steggy Keggy 2009
It’s pretty safe to say that the words “Northwestern” and “keg” are virtually never mentioned in the same sentence together; but as this sentence itself obviously proves otherwise, ‘virtually never’ doesn’t mean ‘never ever.’
Monday, April 12 marks the decade anniversary of Stegenga Hall’s prized campus-wide event “Steggy Keggy.” From 9-11 p.m., Steggy’s dorm rooms, walls and floors will be completely decked-out with decorations and transformed into an alternate reality.
Though Steggy Keggy has been around for 10 years, it hasn’t always carried the catchy name. The event first got started when Steggy was called North Hall back in the day, so Steggy Keggy used to be named “Night Out at North.” Clever, but still not nearly as catchy or as effective at provoking raised eyebrows and suspicious comments from those who have not yet experienced the event.
Similar to Coly Christmas and the Heemstra Harvest Bash, Steggy Keggy incorporates a creative theme into each wing leading up to a dorm-wide competition. Decorations line every inch of the hall and imaginative costumes don every Steggy resident. The ladies aren’t satisfied with just decorations and costumes, however. They also dramatically get into their characters so they can give students the full effect of their alternate reality.
Steggy RD Rebecca Alsum describes the theatrical dynamics of the event as a way to say to campus, “Come imagine with us!”
Alsum’s favorite Steggy Keggy memories date back to her time as a student on campus. Her freshman year the theme of her wing was the era from the movie Grease. Complete with a makeshift fancy car and suped-up engine, Alsum relived the infamous car scene as if she were John Travolta himself.
“We sang and danced out Grease Lightning for two hours,” she said. “It was awesome.”
Some of the most popular Steggy Keggy themes have been Children’s Books, including a tribute to the notorious Johnny Appleseed and last year’s theme of “Green” which incorporated Peter Pan, The Grinch and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
As 2010 marks the 10th year of the Steggy Keggy tradition, this year’s theme of Decades is most fitting for such a celebration. As this theme hasn’t surfaced since 2004, the ladies agreed that bringing old school back would be an excellent source of entertainment for students.
Besides serving as an opportunity for students to get out and experience dorm life outside of their own, Steggy Keggy benefits its own residents as well.
“The wings really bond through this experience,” Alsum said. “They have to work together to create a whole other world.”
In addition to the event’s entertainment, imagination and theatrics, the most popular trademark of Steggy Keggy is of course the “Keggy” part. New students, believe it or not there will be kegs in Stegenga Hall on April 12. But before you draw any suspicious conclusions consider this one question: what could possibly be a better ending to a night of entertainment time traveling through the decades than a round of root beer floats?
