On Monday, Oct. 21, from 9-11 p.m., Stegenga Hall will put on their annual Steggy Keggy event. This tradition is almost as old as Steg itself.
The resident assistants of Steg have chosen a theme for this year, which is kept secret until the night of the event. Each wing has their own individual theme under the overarching one. Last year’s theme was “zoo,” so the wings were decorated as jungle, safari, farmyard, etc.
Each year, tour guides lead groups through the decorated wings to witness skits performed in various rooms along the way. At the end of the tour of all six wings, visitors get root beer floats in the Steg lobby, where they can vote for their favorite wing. Once all groups have made it through, the participants gather in the lobby to enjoy their own root beer floats and receive awards for the decorations and performances.
Residents of each wing already know their theme and some planning has begun, but no decorating can begin until 24 hours before the event starts.
Some people bring props and costumes from home and some organizing happens ahead of time, much of it just gets thrown together at the last minute.
Senior Kate Staab played the part of Jane from Tarzan last year on 3rd North, which was decorated for the jungle theme. This will be her fourth year participating in the event, and she loves the wing camaraderie that it builds.
“Laughter is encouraging for those participating when they’re doing mildly embarrassing things out of their comfort zones,” Staab said. She also recommends getting there early because the line gets long.
While Steggy Keggy is scheduled to go from 9-11, last year it lasted until after midnight.
Abby Van Peursem, a sophomore and RA this year, can’t disclose this year’s secret theme yet, but she thinks it is one her fellow students will appreciate, and she is excited to see how the girls on her wing get into the theme and help it all come together.
“It’s such a fun time and a really cool way for the wing to come together and laugh a ton,” Van Peursem said.
Steggy Keggy used to take place in the spring toward the end of the year but now is in the fall. Admission for the event is $1 per guest and is donated to a local charity.
