Delving into the Dillo Day Past

BY STACEY HARMS

The end of the school year is almost upon us, and that means it’s almost time to start studying. But before Northwestern students begin locking themselves in their rooms or spending the night in the library, they all united to kick back and enjoy one last Saturday: Dillo Day.

Dillo Day has become a tradition at NU, a day when everyone forgets what’s on their minds and hangs out. But most students don’t know the history behind the day.

“It started with a frat right?” Medill Junior Nikole Muzzy asked. “They threw a big party or something?”

Ancient History

Dillo Day began more than 30 years ago, during the time when Evanston was still a dry city. In the spring of 1971, then Interfraternity Council President Richard Gochnauer and his roommate, then vice president, got the idea.

“We had some money left over in the spring so we started thinking what would be a fun way to spend it,” Gochnauer told Mayfest, the group that currently sponsors the event, in an interview.

Gochnauer said he talked with a friend on the Panhellenic Council to see if they also had extra funds, and then the two groups started brainstorming. He said the idea of the first Dillo Day was a party that would be so big in would encompass both north and south campus.

And University Archivist Patrick Quinn said he thinks he understands why the idea of the party took off.

“After a long and arduous winter people want to let their hair down and celebrate the coming of the spring,” Quinn said. “It was sort of a carnival right to spring, so to speak.”

The two groups decided they had enough money to hire five bands, Gochnauer said, so the booked the acts and ordered kegs of beer. Once everything was set, all there was left to do was wait for May 30th to roll around. And when the morning came, everything fell into place.

“Kegs were unloaded into fraternity houses and into several dorms,” Gochnauer said. “At 12 o'clock the music started on the North campus and the party was in full swing …We lucked out, as the weather is clear and warm.”

He said he was scared when the dean called him at 12:30 and said he heard there was alcohol and was coming to the fraternity.

“When he arrived there were over a thousand students with a beer in their hand dancing to music,” the IFC president said. “He reminded me that Evanston was dry … there was a long silence … finally, the dean turn to me and said ‘give me a beer.’”

There were no serious problems during the day of festivities, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t wild.

“There’s an old saying about drugs, sex and rock n’ roll,” Quinn said. “Probably all of that went on there.”

Dillo Day became an annual tradition, but it took some time for it's name to become what it is. Mayfest co-chairwoman Stephanie Rich said it comes from the name of an old sponsor of Dillo Day.

"Originally some kids, who called themselves Armadillo Productions started the day as "We're not in kansas anymore" day," Rich said. "The name evolved from there."

Present Day Dillo Day

Dillo Day has changed a lot over the last 32 years to evolve into what it is today. According to Mayfest, the party has grown every year since then until it got to a point where it needed its own student group to run it.

In 1999 Mayfest jumped in and took over the festivity as a part of its month long celebration. The event has grown to an end of the year party drawing as many as 10,000 to 15,000 people from Northwestern and beyond. And students think the ever-expanding event could be a lot of fun.

“Mayfest really did a good job hiring bands freshman year,” Muzzy said. “It’s really a shame the rain ruined it.”

Mayfest dedicates to raising awareness for Native Americans. They held events all month long culminating in Dillo Day. Events included speakers, open mic nights and concerts.

Dillo Day was on May 24 this year. The theme was Wet Hot American Mayfest.