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E-PrinceAround this time each year as the weather gets colder, a few knowing residents of Holder Hall look at their courtyard and acknowledge its relative emptiness. One night each year for at least a quarter of a century until 2000 ...(back to the article)
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what, no pictures?
Its all global warming's fault
The article is close to explaining the difficulty that happened in 1999, but not quite there.
Traditionally, the drinking started _AFTER_ the running. Obviously, being naked, drunk and out in the cold puts you in a pretty vulnerable position.
Traditionally, "veteran" students who had seen it go on a few times set the tone, and there was a certain undercurrent of responsibility.
Likewise, freshmen watched the event at least once before running.
In 1999, those social networks were broken. The sophomores had never seen a successful running of the Olympics, and the juniors had never run. So the ratio of 'experienced' leaders vs runners diverged.
Likewise, the absolute temperature made a real difference. When it was icy and in the 20s, the event was much more dangerous than when it was in the upper 30s.
It is a shame that this event got killed off. Nothing de-fetishises the human body quite like seeing several hundred of them naked, and the experience really contributed to the confidence of some heretofore very shy people
too bad the writer didnt really delve further and interview people from earlier classes, as well, i.e., the mid-80s, to get a feel for what nude olympics was like in its hey-day (sp?). by the descriptions of what was transpiring by 1999, it sounds like a large part of the silly attempts at athleticism had fallen by the wayside and was replaced to some extent by a drunken display of excess more worthy of the TI basement before the latter went co-ed. and those were some good times ... i really think its probably generational, as more recent classes seem to know no boundaries, which is fine, but this is what happens as a result. Pre-Rade? what are you celebrating at that point? that you were so special to get into the P? so collective, so silly, so the P of today ... back to the article .... I find the following comment silly: "The role of torchbearer was traditionally given to a freshman women’s squash player". if the writer had done further research, she would have learned that nude olympics was traditionally a sophomore event, and that at least until the early 90s, while women participated more and more, but still in small numbers, the idea that a freshman woman squash player would lead the charge is ludicrous ... about as ludicrous as the other Prince article of today that describes Janet Dickerston as being "beloved ..." what's next, Malkiel is "cherished"?
It started with the first snowfall in Nov 1971 with a dozen or so guys playing touch football wearing a scarf, a belt and sneakers. Quite harmless, lotsa fun. It appears as the event evolved and became a tradition throughout the years/decades, a dangerous combination of drunk, naked men and women amidst a raucous crowd led to its unfortunate demise.
The nude paralympics still occur, right?
Top-notch, fond memories and true the women were few.But as I recall it was a jolly romp of fun.and lets face it a sea of white naked preppies (whats there not to smile about)
“Since I’ve been here, Wednesday nights have been taken away, Bicker’s gone dry, and now you want to take away my Nude Olympics,” he said in March 1999. “I’m going to run next year, so you better tell Public Safety to lay off the doughnuts, because they’re going to have to catch me.”
the real question this article raises is, why are we all not as cool as Al Walling?
No, it was the 70-71 school year, and started with the first (very light) snowfall. Everyone needed a break, and thus began the non-violent, lightly (but not un-)dressed "snow riot". I know. I started it.
"freshman women's squash player"? you kids today will believe anything they tell you. no critical thinking here. u deserve grade deflation and more!