I haven't found out the exact time when streaking started at Harvard. Some people suspect that it is the relic of a series of campus student movements in the mid-1970s, because advocating freedom, resisting tradition and challenging authority were the mainstream of campus culture at that time. It was at that time that streaking became a common practice in North American schools and gradually developed into a cultural symbol, which was associated with freedom and rebellion. As a top school in North America, Harvard certainly can't lag behind in this respect. It's just that the passion of 30 years ago has evolved to today, which has already faded the revolutionary color of that year and turned into the psychological catharsis of Harvard students before the college entrance examination.
At the end of February, the midnight temperature in Boston can be as low as MINUS 20 ~ 30 degrees. My business school classmates and I wrapped in thick down jackets, got on the school bus at 1 1∶30 in the evening and went to the "streaking base camp"-Harvard yard. The school bus is full of students, most of whom are "participants", with wine bottles in their hands, barefoot wearing sports shoes, and pajamas directly wrapped in down jackets. They are making fun of each other, and they are absolutely not allowed to play jokes on each other on the school bus. Instead, it makes the neatly dressed "visitors" look unnatural.
At midnight, the Harvard compound was brightly lit and lively. Trumpeters and drummers in band uniforms played marches with exaggerated expressions under the bronze statue of Harvard (a must-see spot for tourists on weekdays), while the young conductor (also a student) wearing a bright cloak stood on a pedestal nearly two meters high in the bronze statue, conducting the band very professionally and diligently from a height. The audience and "performers" around the bronze statue were suddenly surprised to see the "vacuum" under his cloak.
Screaming and whistling while working out.
It is said that in the history of this famous streaking carnival, students designed various interesting scenes, such as imitating classic scenes in movies. Naked students gathered in Harvard yard for a meeting and parade, waving their arms and shouting, "There will be bread, milk and everything." (86cg) At another streaking festival on the eve of the summer final exam, a huge inflatable swimming pool was set up in the whole Harvard yard, and tents were set up to simulate the scene of the seaside beach, while the naked students collectively took a "moonlight bath" on the grass and in the pool. So that when the mayor of Paris later turned the road along the Seine into a "beach" selling point, many Harvard students ridiculed that they had copied their own ideas.
And tonight, in the midnight snow, a whistle suddenly sounded and hundreds of "naked" people screamed and rushed out. Some students disguised as darth vader in Star Wars, wearing a black helmet, and snored heavily while walking, but when they ran to the last lap, he still took off his helmet and showed it to the public. There are girls with heavy colors on their faces and feathers on their heads.
It is even more dazzling in the glistening body. A boy with a shopping bag on his head was pacing in the queue with dignity and ease, but another student suddenly tore off the shopping bag made of paper and showed his true colors, and immediately rushed over. In fact, "streaking" organizations have strict restrictions on participants' faces and bodies, and are not allowed to use any "technology" that covers themselves beyond recognition.
During the 20-minute streaking, most students appeared flustered and emotional. However, there are also a group of girls and boys who are really proud of their bodies. They regard the night of MINUS 20 degrees as their own runway, walking gracefully under the flash of the audience, in stark contrast to the nervous, stiff and painful Asian streakers in the crowd. Like Asian conservative culture
Bound, we are really full of admiration and sympathy for these yellow skin and black eyes.
After reading "The Scream of Primitive Man", with cold freshness and excitement, it seems that the pressure of the exam has really eased a lot. When we crossed the dazzling Charles River and walked back to the dormitory of the business school, we were still discussing and reminiscing about this special carnival, but perhaps everyone knew in their hearts that it was only an undergraduate carnival and the only relief for business school students who were famous for "pampering themselves" in the Harvard school district.
The way of stress may be to look forward to the holiday after the exam, such as flying to the warm and sunny west or south to enjoy the real sunshine and beach, instead of running around in this ice and snow.