Modestly Yours

What to do about Equus?

Over the last couple months, my best friend and I have been planning to see that play Equus, with Daniel Radcliffe. For those who don't know, the show is infamous not only because of his talent, but because of his big naked scene. I knew this, but didn't realize how uncomfortable I was about it until now. And I can't take back the tickets since they are pretty expensive, and our parents practically bent over backwards to get them. And the scene is apparently short anyway.

My friends who know about my issue with this have been telling me to "get over it". My best friend said "You're going to have to get over the male anatomy", telling me he's not that bad. I even had another friend's mom tell me to "Sneak a peek while you can!" But it's a fact that he will be full on naked, and it's also a fact that if I did "sneak a peek", my mind would be haunted for more than just that day. Why is there something wrong with not wanting to see a naked male body? Once I do, I won't just think of him, but all other guys because I know what's under their clothes. Why is there something wrong with trying to keep the innocence of not knowing?!

Welcome to Naked University

I have a story that you guys might love.

About a week and a half ago my college (UVM) had its end-of-the-semester Naked Bike ride. Twice a year (on the last day of classes usually), people gather to the central campus, naked, and go on a bike ride at about midnight. I think it's absolutely ridiculous, and I'm in the small minority that thinks so.  Besides the fact that people are pretty much reduced to naked bodies, their dignity and respect stripped (no pun intended), there has been a large issue of groping and sexual harassment. Some people, strangely enough, can't figure out why this is so. There has also been a problem with drinking and destructive behavior. This last event was almost canceled due to the malicious behavior of both naked students and those on the sidelines. We even got a letter from the SGA president saying we've never had a year without it.

Not only that, but our college is apparently in a 22-25 million budget gap. And this Naked-Bike-Ride, which has been tradition for something years, has cost over $14,000 this year because our college wanted to discourage more violence by hiring more police and more student volunteers, buying more lights and barriers, and so forth.  What's even better is that this money came from a bunch of student organizations, so that's our money that's going to this whole thing.

I was hiding out in our college Newman center with some friends, studying for exams that were the next day when the event took place. I could hear the huge mass of people from central campus (the place I live, so I kept the heck away) roaring, excited for the action. Other than the issue of whether it's fundamentally advisable to rip one's clothes off at midnight to go bike-riding around campus, this is Vermont we're talking about, so it was quite a snowy night. I was also wondering how people who were naked weren't dying from hypothermia.

Now in Vermont, it's illegal to strip in public, but it is perfectly okay to come out of your house naked or bike ride naked. What's the point?

I'm really glad that I have a group of people here who understand!