University of Michigan - Michiganensian Yearbook (Ann Arbor, MI)

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.!:tcnlivelv, a potential runner Jiscusses the risks involved with partid- .uting in the Naked Mile. The Ann Ar- r Police were (Hit in full force, trying inally to put ,1 stop to the annual event. Mmtrs ?orcefully, Ann Arbor police officers de- ,iin .1 Naked Mile participant. On the ol April 31 J(K)1, the police arrested 12 individuals on allegations oi indecent xposlll ' e. : hyto by Susan Chalmers encouiag iking aboot consider; it mnecesaiy ' egoodrea- d Mile any- ind specta- Birowpath dome, but igtopoblt Schofield, spec- colminated a single fe- idtheDiag, jnnei and crowd to- i spectators lifted rahj Michigan Life | 39

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Cold, -. 1 naked, under arrest Parked on sidewalks, television vans from four local stations partially blocked storefronts while camera crews and reporters milled around in anticipation of sunset on April 20, 2001. Alongsidethe television satellite trucks were scores of squad cars, blocking off roadways and waiting for the race to begin. But as it turned out, there were more flashing lights than streaking nude bodies on the last day of classes for winter semester 2001 . This year ' s annual University of Michigan Naked Mile run was a very big non-event, said Ann Arbor Police Sgt. Andrew Zazula. While the temperature was in the low fifties, it was not the chill in the air that kept runners off the infamous Naked Mile route. The route tradition- ally stretched from the corner of Washtenaw and South University Av- enues, down South University, through the Diag, across State Street and finally to the Cube behind the Union. More likely, the unpopularity of the event had much more to do with a statement issued by E. Royster Harper, Vice President for Student Af- fairs, and William Bess, Director of Pub- lic Safety, which discouraged all stu- dents from participating. The statement cited construction and fencing on the Diag as a danger- ous obstruction of the traditional course and added that, City and cam- pus police officers will be intensifying their enforcement of the law. An indi- vidual arrested for indecent exposure could, in some instances, be required to registerthereafterasa sex offender. This statement, combined with the number of spectators at the event, es- pecially those with cameras, suc- ceeded in stopping the race. Students just felt that the risk of running out- weighed the thrill. ISA senior Cassandra Hoyte said, Running the Naked Mile is not for everyone. People don ' t like the idea of having their na- ked pictures posted on the Internet. More than 100 Web sites emerged posting Naked Mile pictures in re- cent years of the run. Additionally, this was not the first Naked Milethe University actively dis- couraged. The first campaign to end the event was after winter term 2000. It was the University ' s view that the event had grown out of control in recent years. Thousands of spectators gather, many of them with the intent of videotaping the participants or grabbing at runners as they traverse what quickly becomes a narrow gaunt- let. The Naked Mile started in 1986, often accredited to the men ' s lacrosse and rowing teams. In 2000 the teams jointly agreed not to participate and crew Head Coach Gregg Hartstuff said, I am glad the members of the team made this choice. I would encourage others who m ay be thinking about running the event to reconsider; it gives the University an unnecessary black eye. Both of these are good rea- sons to not run the Naked Mile any- more. The race still went on that year, perhaps for the last time, with more spectators than runners and a great deal of controversy. Excitement mounted and specta- tors strained to see the narrow path down which runners would come, but only about two dozen tried. Of those, 1 2 were arrested, according to public information officer Diane Schofield. The University estimated 70,000 spec- tators. For them, the night culminated around 11:20 p.m., when a single fe- male runner with a backpack took a chance and bolted down South Uni- versity. Before she reached the Diag, police grabbed the runner and dragged her through the crowd to- ward the squad car. The spectators cheered and pressed together, trying to get a better look. After a moment, the crowd became distracted and when it appeared that no one was looking the police made her get dressed. The night had fallen, classes were over and a tradition had died. After that, everyone just drifted away. By Sarah Johnson 38 I Naked Mile

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a street for any . occasion Lane Hall next to Zanzibar. Ulrich ' s next to East Hall. Michigan Stadium across the street from Pioneer High School. At an institution that blended academics and athletics, liberal viewpoints and conservative opinions, and humid sum- mers and snowy winters, it only made sense that the University also blended itself right into the city that encompassed it. In a college town more urban than most universities its size, the University thrived on its close connection both in physical location and psychological mindset to Ann Arbor. An unofficial boundary between on-campus and off-campus, South Univer- sity Avenue offered a mix of restaurants and shops. South U is a really cool place because it is the most characteristic of how our campus is intertwined with the city of Ann Arbor. You don ' t get that at many other schools, said sophomore mechanical engineer Jeffrey Parker. Catering to the college appetite, bars and restaurants lined the street. Some of the most popular restaurants in the city were along South U the Brown Jug, Good Time Charley ' s and Jimmy John ' s. Mitch ' s and Touchdown Cafe, along with Rick ' s around the corner on Church Street, provided evenings of adventure for students over 21. Hoards of students could be seen on a Saturday night through the windows of Charley ' s. South U ' s a lively area with social outputs, shops and restaurants. It encom- passes nearly any necessity you may seek, said first-year aerospace engineer Sara Quintana. story continued on page 43 40 | South University