Streaking. It is a practice well known by many a college student across the United States. It seems innocent enough - a student or three comes up with the idea that losing all inhibitions and running au natural in a public place would be both a rush, and a thing that you have to do "at least once" in your life. We've all heard the stories before, handed down through the years by many an alumni, but how many of us know the consequences?
Massachusetts state law dictates (Chapter 272: Section 16) as part of common law that "Open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior" is illegal, and "a man or woman, married or unmarried, who is guilty of open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than three years or in jail for not more than two years or by a fine of not more than three hundred dollars." Furthermore, the charged is forced to register as a sex offender in their town of residence.
On Friday night, the three writers of this story committed a crime against the State of Massachusetts. A thirty-second run around the WPI Quad almost got us thrown into city jail, and labeled for the rest of our lives as sex offenders. Maybe it was a lack of common sense and the longing for those intangible traditions that seem to make college that much more meaningful. Both the reader of this article and the WPI campus community as whole should know though, that in fact it was a compromise of the dignity and reputation of ourselves and WPI. Never make this mistake.
For more information on Massachusetts state statutes and United States laws on indecent exposure, please see:
The General Laws of Massachusetts
http://www.state.ma.us/legis/laws/mgl/
State Laws for Naturalists
http://home.att.net/~saran/list.htm
Sean Dunn, Ralph Tillinghast, and Seth Popinchalk
Class of 1998