Let’s face it: Dillo Day is without a doubt one of the most — if not the most — fun days Northwestern students have all year. It’s only natural you should want to share this outrageously good time with all the important people in your life. But because of Northwestern’s rather strict guest policies regarding Dillo Day, it’s thoroughly implausible to invite all your siblings, friends from home and significant others. For those of you who are conflicted about who to invite and are weighing the option of bringing a girl or guy you met online, heed the following advice.
The first thing to consider: Dillo Day is only as fun as it is because it’s shared with you and your closest friends. Though you may love spending time with this new person in your life, consider some extremely important factors. Has he or she met your NU friends yet? If so, has he or she actually spent a substantial amount of time hanging out with and talking to them? If the answer is no, you might want to take a step back. If the person you’re seeing doesn’t know your friends well enough to feel comfortable talking to them, even for a short while, chances are you could end up babysitting him or her. No one wants to spend their Dillo Day dividing time between their school friends and their S.O. or trying to make sure their S.O. is constantly having fun.
If your online lover has met and hung out with your friends, it’s more likely he or she should be extended an invite to Dillo Day. Another thing to consider, however, is your living situation. If you live in a dorm and already have another guest coming (like I do), it can be tricky to arrange for your S.O. to come. It could be awkward to ask your friends to register someone they hardly know, and if he or she isn’t registered as a guest of your dorm, it can be very difficult to plan the day. If your S.O. isn’t allowed to enter your dorm, they would be left out if all your friends wanted to head back to nap, eat, etc.
One last thing to think about: We all know Dillo Day is filled with, uh, freaky fun. If your new fling has yet to see you in an altered state of mind, it might not be the best idea to bring him or her along. Things are rarely tame on Dillo Day, and if you’ve only been seeing someone for a few weeks, you may not want to expose him or her to your most wild side just yet.
If none of these things apply to you, ignore me and feel free to invite your online Romeo or Juliet to Dillo Day, have the most fun time imaginable — and remember to stay safe!
