"Everybody and their brother was streaking"
Maria Schmitt
Issue date: 11/15/07 Section: Focus
Students in Mossey Library received a surprise show by an unidentified man Monday night.
The man, wearing only athletic tape around his private parts and over his face, walked one lap around the main floor of the library and walked out, junior Drew Gonshorowski said.
"I couldn't tell who it was," Gonshorowski said.
This incident is not the only instance of streaking or near-streaking on campus.
Junior Johnny Quint said the night he and eight of his friends streaked through campus was warm and dark enough that running naked seemed both pleasant and somewhat risk-free.
"I had just climbed into bed and there were tons of people out in the quad making a big scene," Quint said of the night.
"The blackout" as Quint and his friends refer to it, was a night in the fall of 2005 when the campus lost power. Quint said chaos ensued.
"I heard shouting and I was like alright, I'll come down," he said.
Quint and his friends in Galloway Residence decided they would streak that night in the complete darkness.
Men from the fourth floor of Galloway lead the streaking, Quint said.
"Someone just threw it out there and a few of us were like, 'yeah!'" he said.
Junior Jon "Sledge" Hartlaub also participated in streaking. He said he woke up when he heard his computer turn off from the power outage.
Hartlaub said he and his friends ran around the quad and the people who chased them were females with flashlights. He said he believes they were members of Chi Omega sorority.
"I think they had the flashlights, those punks," he said.
Hartlaub said the blackout brought many students out of their dorms.
"It kind of turned into a huge event," he said. "It was like the circus had come to town."
Junior Kyle Murnen lived in Galloway at the time and said he remembers "the blackout" but didn't participate in the streaking.
"I did witness it," he said. "It was funny."
Quint admits to a history of streaking.
He said he and a few high school friends once used streaking to get themselves out of a social situation they were not enjoying.
"We were with people we did not want to be with," he said. "We did it to put them in an awkward situation. Sure enough it worked."
Quint said he thinks people usually streak to bond with people they don't know very well or because they have lost a bet.
"I just got forced to the other night," he said.
His blackout streaking experience, however, came out of camaraderie.
"I was close enough with these guys where it was funny," he said.
"It's sort of a freedom thing," Hartlaub said. "You're kind of out there. [The blackout] was sort of free license to do whatever."
Quint said afterwards he and his friends dressed and went back inside without any trouble.
He said their housemother didn't mind.
"I felt like there was lingering speculation about it," Murnen said.
Hartlaub said he doesn't have any more plans to streak soon.
"You never know," he said. "You don't really plan these things. You sort of get caught up in the moment."
Head of Security Mike Wertz said he has not reprimanded any streakers.
"I've seen young fellows running down the street in formation," he said.
"You're asking a guy who was streaking back in the day," Wertz said. "Everybody and their brother was streaking. Everyone streaked back in the day."
Some streaking in the past can be attributed to the song "The Streak" by Ray Stevens, Wertz said.
"Back in the day when that song came out, it was happening all around town," he said. "It was funny."
Technically, streaking is illegal, Wertz said. The act would fall under "indecent exposure."
Hillsdale Director of Public Safety Christopher Gutowski said he can't remember the last time someone was arrested for streaking.
"It's probably not something you want on your record," he said.
Gutowski said a streaker would be charged with indecent disorderly conduct and, depending on the nature of the streak, could be listed as a sex-offender.
"If they get caught it's no laughing matter," Gutowski said. "They're going to go to jail."
The crime would fall under the category of a misdemeanor, for which an offender must pay $500, go to jail for 90 days or both.
Wertz said that Hillsdale College security would only handle a streaking situation if it caused complaint. Then, he said, they would respond.
"If there's not complaint, there's no violation," he said. "Those who live around here are pretty sensitized to living around college kids. I can't really see anyone raising a big stink about this."
Gutowski said he thinks students at the college would generally not participate in activities like streaking.
"These kids, in my opinion, are above that," he said.
"Just because a person's naked doesn't mean it's nasty," Wertz said. "It depends on what you're doing."
Hillsdale College Collegian, 2007
The man, wearing only athletic tape around his private parts and over his face, walked one lap around the main floor of the library and walked out, junior Drew Gonshorowski said.
"I couldn't tell who it was," Gonshorowski said.
This incident is not the only instance of streaking or near-streaking on campus.
Junior Johnny Quint said the night he and eight of his friends streaked through campus was warm and dark enough that running naked seemed both pleasant and somewhat risk-free.
"I had just climbed into bed and there were tons of people out in the quad making a big scene," Quint said of the night.
"The blackout" as Quint and his friends refer to it, was a night in the fall of 2005 when the campus lost power. Quint said chaos ensued.
"I heard shouting and I was like alright, I'll come down," he said.
Quint and his friends in Galloway Residence decided they would streak that night in the complete darkness.
Men from the fourth floor of Galloway lead the streaking, Quint said.
"Someone just threw it out there and a few of us were like, 'yeah!'" he said.
Junior Jon "Sledge" Hartlaub also participated in streaking. He said he woke up when he heard his computer turn off from the power outage.
Hartlaub said he and his friends ran around the quad and the people who chased them were females with flashlights. He said he believes they were members of Chi Omega sorority.
"I think they had the flashlights, those punks," he said.
Hartlaub said the blackout brought many students out of their dorms.
"It kind of turned into a huge event," he said. "It was like the circus had come to town."
Junior Kyle Murnen lived in Galloway at the time and said he remembers "the blackout" but didn't participate in the streaking.
"I did witness it," he said. "It was funny."
Quint admits to a history of streaking.
He said he and a few high school friends once used streaking to get themselves out of a social situation they were not enjoying.
"We were with people we did not want to be with," he said. "We did it to put them in an awkward situation. Sure enough it worked."
Quint said he thinks people usually streak to bond with people they don't know very well or because they have lost a bet.
"I just got forced to the other night," he said.
His blackout streaking experience, however, came out of camaraderie.
"I was close enough with these guys where it was funny," he said.
"It's sort of a freedom thing," Hartlaub said. "You're kind of out there. [The blackout] was sort of free license to do whatever."
Quint said afterwards he and his friends dressed and went back inside without any trouble.
He said their housemother didn't mind.
"I felt like there was lingering speculation about it," Murnen said.
Hartlaub said he doesn't have any more plans to streak soon.
"You never know," he said. "You don't really plan these things. You sort of get caught up in the moment."
Head of Security Mike Wertz said he has not reprimanded any streakers.
"I've seen young fellows running down the street in formation," he said.
"You're asking a guy who was streaking back in the day," Wertz said. "Everybody and their brother was streaking. Everyone streaked back in the day."
Some streaking in the past can be attributed to the song "The Streak" by Ray Stevens, Wertz said.
"Back in the day when that song came out, it was happening all around town," he said. "It was funny."
Technically, streaking is illegal, Wertz said. The act would fall under "indecent exposure."
Hillsdale Director of Public Safety Christopher Gutowski said he can't remember the last time someone was arrested for streaking.
"It's probably not something you want on your record," he said.
Gutowski said a streaker would be charged with indecent disorderly conduct and, depending on the nature of the streak, could be listed as a sex-offender.
"If they get caught it's no laughing matter," Gutowski said. "They're going to go to jail."
The crime would fall under the category of a misdemeanor, for which an offender must pay $500, go to jail for 90 days or both.
Wertz said that Hillsdale College security would only handle a streaking situation if it caused complaint. Then, he said, they would respond.
"If there's not complaint, there's no violation," he said. "Those who live around here are pretty sensitized to living around college kids. I can't really see anyone raising a big stink about this."
Gutowski said he thinks students at the college would generally not participate in activities like streaking.
"These kids, in my opinion, are above that," he said.
"Just because a person's naked doesn't mean it's nasty," Wertz said. "It depends on what you're doing."
Hillsdale College Collegian, 2007
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