Streakers Take It All Off For Tradition’s Sake
By Michelle Rabil
■ The Daily Tai Heel
U. of North Carolina. Chapel Hill
Taking it all off and running across campus in their
birthday suits isn't just an adventure for students, it's
a tradition
Streaking, a successor to the panty raids of the 1950s.
began in the 1960s and had its heyday in the 1970s,
said Donald Boulton, vice chancellor of student affairs
at the 1' of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
In the early 70s. people went on a rampage to set
records for the tin mess Book of World Records.
Along with trying to see how many people could fit
in a phone booth or a Volkswagen, students tried to get
as many people as possible to streak at once, he said
But instances of streaking are not gone from today's
campus climate:
■ At the V of California, Los Angeles, an exuberant
fan of the Bruin football team this fall stripped off his
clothes and ran across the Rose Bowl after the team
won its game against San Diego State
■ A similar incident during a football game at the l'
of Delaware in November resulted in the arrest of a
sophomore, who wore only a mask and running shoes
during his sprint on tile field
■ A man wearing only a beer box os er his head and a
sock over his genitals streaked across the campus quad
this fall at the U of Alaska. Anchorage, to protest a
change in the school’s alcohol policy The new provision
disallows alcohol to be brought into dorms which house
students under the age of 21
■ For the last 30 years, residents of the all-male Lewis
Resident Hall at I NC have chosen one night to sere
nade the women's residence halls — in the buff, of
course
In each case, residents have been threatened with
expulsion or arrest as a consequence for baring all
Students caught are often banned from the dorms or
areas where they are found with their pants down
In the mid-1970s, L’NC ('hancellor N Ferebee Taylor
KATHY MICHEL TME DAILY TAR HEEL U OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
An unidentified student at the U of North Carolina streaks to the delight of residents of an all-female dorm.
banned students from trying to attain the streaking
record, as they had been successful doing in the past
Boulton said although he never streaked, he decided
to help students organize a streak to prevent nots sim
ilar to those occurring at other universities where
streaking was banned "I told - Taylor1 we should let stu
dents do it because it would be better than a riot,"
Boulton said
UNC organized a streak of 900 people and held the
record for 24 hours Later streaking fads included run
ning naked while someone was speaking or performing
on stage.
Boulton defined a real streak "A true streak is when
the weather is below freezing and you can only wear
sneakers and a scarf around your neck.’
Streaking also is a form of protest In 1975, a male
student streaked during a university housing “gripe
session." according to an article in The Daily Tar Heel
The student ran through the room, yelled "nothing per
sonal,’ and threw a lemon meringue pie at the director
of university housing
Don Shaw, a UNC professor, said men were not the
only ones w ho streaked. He said a friend once told him
he'd seen a group of female students streaking by a cam
pus statue.
Streaking was covered in the papers, but it was dif
ficult to find printable pictures, said Cathy Packer,
assistant journalism professor Not everyone was
amused “Some girls wished 'the streakers wouldljust
keep their pants on.’
By the '80s, says Kim Deloateh, a clinical instructor
in the school of pharmacy and a 1980 UNC graduate,
said streaking had died down. Occasionally, entire
floors of male dormitories streaked, but these incidents
did not make the papers and most women were not
offended, she said.
Zinczenko Named College Journalist of the Year
David A Zinczenko. Moravian
College (Pennsylvaniai senior, has
been named 1990 College Journalist
of the Year.
Zinczenko was presented a check for
$2,000 from the U Foundation for
Excellence, Achievement and
Leadership at the annual awards cer
emony of the Associated Collegiate
Press''College Media Advisers at their
fall convention in Washington, D C.
Zinczenko was awarded high marks
from a panel ofjudges, made up of pro
fessional journalists and college media
advisers, for his research and series
stones on the Moravian College facul
ty evaluation process.
Judge Chris Carroll ofTulane U.
said, "David identified a campus
problem and formulated a compre
hensive method with which to inves
tigate iThis was) an innovative and
enormous project that demonstrated
the highest regard for objectivity, bal
ance and professional standards This
was combined with a display of
courage, given the obvious obstacles
the subject presented, and an example
of truly fine writing The effort seems
to have made a tangible contnbution
to the college.”
Roliert Allen Ridenour, a June grad
uate of Oklahoma State U and former
writer for the O'Collegian, was voted
first runner-up and received a check
for $1,000 from the l’ Foundation for
his in depth running story on failing
OSl’ athletes that were being rein
stated by his school’s president.
Judge Tom Rolnicki. Executive
Director of Associated Collegiate
__
Robert Ridenour (left), Nicole Carroll and Oavid Zmc/enko were brought to Washington,
DC as finalists lor the U College Journalist ot the Year Award as guests oltheU Foundation
Press, stated. "Ridenour's tenacious
reporting, clear writing and careful
editing paid off in this story about the
abuse of power. He got his story in the
best tradition of newspaper watchdog’
journalism and alerted his readers to
an important situation at his univer
sity.”
Nicole Carroll, senior at Arizona
State U. and a member of the State
Press staff, was selected as second
runner-up and received a check for
$500 from the U Foundation for her
18-story entry on a year-long contro
versy between church and state on her
campus.
The l' College Journalist of the Year
competition is co-sponsored by the
Associated Collegiate Press and
College Media Advisers
u
Anrx Himes the 1991
College Journalist
of the Year Award
Co- sponsored bv
College Media Advisers and
Vsv mated Collegiate Press
iOlRNAUSTOF HU 11.AR
AWARD: $2,000
1st RUNNER ITS $1,000
2nd RUNNER UP: $S00
Application Deadline Ma\ <1 1991
Applications l i nundation.
<110 Main street.
Santa Moniva Calit ‘Xl-tOs
U 1991-92
Editorial
Fellowships
rwe NATIONAL COLLECT NEWSPAPER
U The National College Newspaper
seeks applicants for its 1991-92 editon
al fellowship program, scheduled for
July 1991 to March 1992
The editors work at U.'s headquar
ters in Santa Monica, California. The
paper provides a $200 weekly stipend,
free housing near the beach and round
tnp transportation.
Fellows are selected for their report
ing, writing, editing and design skills
They must have a minimum of two
years' student newspaper experience,
including one year as an editor or sec
tion editor, and senior status or a bach
elor's degree as of July 1991
Applications are available from
newspaper editors, or from Jacki
Hampton, managing editor, U The
National College Newspaper, 3110
Mam Street, Suite 104, Santa Monica,
Calif, 9040512131450-2921,
The (leadline fur applications is
Feb. 11,1991.
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