Tufts president strips students of naked tradition

Citing safety and legal issues, Tufts University President Lawrence Bacow is ending the tradition of student streaking at the end of fall semester. For more than 30 years, students have engaged in a campus nude run, called the Naked Quad Run, in the month of December to celebrate the end of classes.

But in an op-ed piece in the student newspaper this week, Bacow said the activity is too dangerous because of student drinking, slick sidewalks, and winter temperatures. He also expressed concern that police consider it illegal. According to an Associated Press story, disappointed students blame the action on a few drunks ruining the activity for everyone.

The day following the announcement, dozens of students participated in a partially nude protest run. Campus police did not interfere, but remained in their squad cars. The school paper, Tufts Daily, quoted one student as saying the protest event shows the naked quad run will continue. But other student leaders are already organizing a contest to create a replacement activity for the naked-in-public tradition.