Read about Parts one, two and three here.
So Brian, Preston, and I walked down the hill past the Tanner building, back toward Helaman Halls where it all began -- all of us just a tad concerned about what we had created. We went into the quad and observed the mess left there by the crowd, including various cans and other debris -- and a lot of feathers from obliterated pillows.
Just then we could hear the voices of many people approaching, some talking, others singing. People began pouring back into the quad, pillows in hand. It was just after 2am by now, and yet you would not have guessed by the buzz in the crowd.
What had happened after we left the mob to their madness was best captured in a radio interview with a member of President Holland's family the next morning. He told the radio program that his family had been contacted at around 2am by campus police to alert them that a mob was approaching the house. Obviously, the words "a mob is approaching the house" has certain historical connotations for Mormons, so its no surprise that the family was a bit concerned. Apparently the Provo Police department had joined the campus police, and placed several cars inbetween the Holland's house and the approaching crowd. As the students arrived, the police asked over the loudspeaker for the students to return to their dorms. Some claim tear gas was threatened. So the radio guy asked "Well, what happened when the mob arrived." He responded, "Well, a group of 1500 or more students walked up, sat down, and started singing Christmas carols. And then they left."
That's right. No looting, no vadalism, no chaos. Christmas carols. Welcome to Provo, Utah.
What else can I say about our adventure that night? More actual pillow fighting went on for a couple more hours. At around 4am I got bored and just went to bed, but others stayed awake all night. A couple helicopters with news cameras were buzzing overhead, the local radio stations kept coming back to various students calling in, campus and city police were trying to get everyone to go back to their rooms -- but the major action had died down.
The next morning people encircled the television, where various news outlets from around the state and national scene mentioned the huge BYU pillow fight. Over the next week I was able to collect newspaper clippings from several places, and had friends from back east send me some, as well. The consensus was that we were "feeling our oats" and generally letting out some steam prior to finals.
A day later, President Holland wrote a letter that was distributed to the freshman class, stating how disappointed he was in all of us. I don't remember much more, although somewhere I still have it -- with the articles, and a clump of feathers I picked up off the quad grass.
But there was an aftermath. There was an investigation, although none of us really feared any repercussions. Some claimed their phones were tapped (give me a break), and several people on our floor were pulled in for questioning. Brian then stepped in and offered a plan. He had decided to leave BYU after the semester anyway and transfer down to a school in SoCal, so he offered to turn himself in and take the entire blame for it, removing some pressure on the rest of us. We thought it a good plan, and soon afterward Brian was officially asked to leave the school. There was some additional questioning for some of us, but this plan seemed to work. As far as I know, nobody received negative comments on their official records for their involvement, save for a few losers who got into a fist fight right in front of a patrol car the night of the pillow fight.
There were a few people, however, who had to pony up some cash for damages. Two real brain surgeons in DT tried to escape their building and join the mob through a second floor window after their lobby doors were chained shut, and they dropped the glass panel while trying to remove it. And then anyone who had a missing or damaged BYU-issued pillow at the end of the year had to pay for a new pillow. But that was the extent of damage, amazingly.
When I was home for Christmas, a good friend came up to me and reminded me of something. He told me "Do you remember a conversation we had before you left? You were reading the code of conduct for BYU, and there was something about 'Two or more people disturbing the peace in Provo constitutes a riot', and you said you planned to create a riot. When I saw the news about the pillow fight, I knew you had something to do with it."
Honestly, I think the one who had the most guilt about the pillow fight had to have been our RA, Sven. A couple days later I told him that it had been his story which had inspired us. Boy, that made his day.
Good memory. I lived in D.T. that year. While studying for finals, a friend from Hel Halls called us when the fight had just begun. A small group of us grabbed our pillows and ran across campus to Hel Halls and began participating in the mayhem. Soon, residents of Hel Halls surrounded us and began chanting D.T! D.T! D.T.! After the pillow-fighting continued for a while, the chants to go to D.T. began, and the mob ran across campus back to D.T. By the time we arrived, the R.A.s had begun locking people in the dorms and some of our friends couldn't leave. When the mob arrived at D.T, people started surrounding it and climbing on the awnings. The mob continued to grow and eventually moved across campus. It was amazing (as you know!). later than night, my cousin (and roommate at the time) was interviewed on the radio about the whole thing.
I remember the letter in our boxes the next day (or a couple of days later). Pres. Holland warned us about the dangers of rebellion.
What a great year that was!
Posted by: Mike D. | June 03, 2004 at 11:46 PM