Emma Rothstein was going to The Keg of Evanston before she was even a student at Northwestern.

“I was here when I was a prospie,” the Communication junior said.

For many students, Monday nights at the Keg, 810 Grove St., was a tradition that almost came to an end after the June 19 shooting. But three quarters later, attendance is close to full volume Monday and Thursday nights, bar owner Tom Migon said.

“It picked up after students returned from Spring Break,” Migon said. “They come for the drink specials and the dancing.”

Since 1972, the Keg has been a hangout for both NU students and Evanston residents. It’s where upperclassmen take freshmen for their crash course on the local bar scene.

“The reason a lot of the older kids still go is because of tradition,” Weinberg senior Stephanie Snyder said. “It’s just where people go, and (the Keg) lets in a lot of people. “

Antoine Hill, 19, was charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting of Robert Gresham, 22, after a fight between the two men inside the Keg.

Reopening two weeks after the shooting, the Keg saw a steady increase as more of its regulars decided to return and test the waters, Migon said. As Spring Quarter continues and seniors approach graduation, students who were reluctant to go back are now giving the bar a second chance.

Weinberg junior Nathan Tenenbaum said he attributed his return to peer pressure. For Tenenbaum and his friends, the Keg has been a place of nostalgia, he said.

Tenenbaum also said that it’s difficult for students who were not at the Keg June 19 to relate to the incident.

“It’s just something on paper, and it’s easier to push it out of your memory,” he said.

Still, many students said they think the Keg is much safer than before.

“There’s a lot less sketchy people on the dance floor now,” Weinberg junior Pia Chaudhari said.

When asked if they noticed anything different about the Keg, students didn’t talk about the shooting or about being scared.

Instead, patrons like Weinberg senior Erin Meisel complained about the price of the drink specials, like Big Cups, or oversized mugs of beer, which increased from $3 to $3.50.

When it came down to the essentials – the look, the feel, and the popularity – people generally agreed that it’s the same old Keg.

The Keg maintains its traditional status and that’s why everyone is still going, Tenenbaum said.

“It feels like a part of the Northwestern experience,” Snyder said.

Reach Michael Wang at [email protected].