The University is a place steeped in traditions. A large number of these practices center around the Lawn: secret society initiations, leaving letters for Jefferson's statue, the changing of directions for Convocation and graduation and of course, streaking. Although the latter is unique compared to the others because it is technically illegal, streaking is undoubtedly one of the most comical and celebrated.
Although it dates back to the 1930s, the sport of running the Lawn in the nude didn't see a huge rise in popularity until the 1970s. The University of Virginia Magazine attributes the inception of the tradition to a night in 1937 when a group students headed to the Corner to quench their thirst and later decided to forsake their pajamas and run "Adam and Eve fashion" back up to their rooms.
Today, the Lawn residents have perhaps the most well-rounded perspective on streaking of anyone at the University. After all, au-natural students frequently whiz past their doors, wake them from sound sleep and sometimes even sit in their rocking chairs. Good or bad, when it comes to streaking practices, Lawnies have seen it all.
Lawn resident Alyssa Schechter once saw a group of young men who were completely naked except for their ties, which was probably one of the more tame sights. Schechter's fellow Lawnie, Keenan Davis, said residents often join in the sport by offering encouragement or playing pranks on streakers.
Davis recently witnessed an in-the-buff crabwalk race down the Lawn and the ensuing antics of other Lawn residents. "One member of the group barely made it to the end of the first tier before collapsing, so some friends of mine kept my spotlight on him, partly as a form of motivation to finish the race, partly as a humiliating reminder that streaking with shoes on is not cool," Davis said.\nLawnies enjoy special privileges and opportunities when it comes to pranking streakers. "Spotlights are traditional," Schechter said. "A lot of Lawnies have spotlights. Some Lawnies have squirtguns [and] waterballoons".
Lawnie Yi Cai also has witnessed crab-walk streaking, but he said it definitely wasn't the most unusual form of streaking he's seen.
"I've seen a guy streaking while holding a girl in his arms; [I've] seen a group of people dressed in VG-style fancy attire taking off their clothes piece by piece," Cai said.
Schechter, too, has seen her fair share of the bizarre.
"One time a streaker came up to my room actually ... ran over to my room and tried to introduce himself," she said.
For Schechter, other highlights include people in gorilla suits, ninja vigilantes and a troupe of bicyclers, all out to tackle streakers before they reach Homer's statue.
While some Lawnies good-naturedly play tricks on streakers, others welcome them wholeheartedly. "One of my favorite moments - and something that I hope continues as a Room 7 tradition - is the time I invited a streaker in for a drink to fuel him for the long road ahead," Davis said. "He gamboled into my room and we did a shot of bourbon before he continued on his way."
Not surprisingly, streaking is most noticeable - and noisy - at its peak, usually around 2 a.m. on weekends. "If they were streaking during the week I wouldn't know because I don't sit outside for hours on a weeknight," Schechter said.
Occasionally, though, streakers' cries can be a problem for residents.
"I'm not really bothered by streakers usually, because I can sleep through most of their noise," Davis said. "Some streakers, though, release a piercing screech when they first take off, capable of destroying ear-drums and waking up even a deep sleeper such as myself."
Loud or not, streaking brings Lawnies together. Emails circulate the Lawnie listserv, ensuring all Lawn residents are up to date on the Lawn's latest monkey business.
"This week there was an email at 9:45 p.m., saying, 'Did you see the group of streakers?'" Schechter said. She also said she remembered a humorous email that went out when a toilet was dropped down the Rotunda steps.
But seeing streakers is not a pastime for Lawnies alone. Because spotlighting streakers is on the list of 111 things to do before graduation, many students ask to sit in Lawnies' rooms to spend an evening spotlighting.
"People want to get the No. 1 ticket at Bodo's, have an all-nighter in Clemons, then spotlight streakers," Schechter said.
Despite most students' acceptance of streaking as an innocent activity, it is not without possible consequences. In Virginia, streaking is a Class I Misdemeanor, and conviction can land perpetrators on a public sex offender registry.
"Luckily, I have never played witness to an arrest or injury, and I hope it stays that way," Davis said.
Although arrests are certainly not common, they do happen. On one occasion, the streakers were so loud the police were called in for a noise violation. When they arrived, the revelers in question were all stark naked.
"It's unclear whether they got in trouble for being loud or for being naked," Schechter said.
Although some believe streaking is a travesty that has no place at Mr. Jefferson's University, others celebrate it, watch it and regale one another with wild stories of birthday suit sprints. Like it or not, it appears streaking is here to stay.
Read More
What your contraception of choice says about you
By CD Life staff | 14 hours agoThere is no time like the present to consider the many birth control options available to us, each with their own unique personality.
It’s okay not to be okay
By Mai Hukuoka | January 8, 2025Whether talking to a friend, a loved one or a professional, it is so necessary, and human, to need more than you can provide for yourself.
Taking a break at Tangerines Kitchen
By Charley Thomas | January 6, 2025What the restaurant somewhat lacks in ambiance, it compensates for in tasty dishes and prompt service.
