Nearly naked students bare it for charity
>>Print ViewPublication Date: 03/27/2008
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Over 100 almost-naked students will run through campus tonight.
The Nearly Naked Mile, organized by the Purdue Alumni Student Experience, is a clothing drive with a different spin.
"The whole goal is you come, you take off your clothes and you give them to someone who needs them," said Michael Brauer, a junior in the Krannert School of Management and the vice president of marketing for PASE.
PASE is working with Goodwill to organize the clothing drive, which begins with registration at 6:15 p.m. outside the Class of 1950 Lecture Hall. The race officially begins at 7 p.m., and students will run though the engineering mall, past the Physics Building, down Northwestern and Grant Streets and will finally end at the Dauch Alumni Center.
In order to monitor the outfits' levels of appropriateness, runners will be checked before the race and Purdue police will also be present. For students who don't want to be nearly naked but still want to participate, costumes are another option for race attire.
"Anything is encouraged as long as the proper areas are covered," Brauer said. "We've outlawed thongs, but Speedos are allowed."
Running in his Speedo particularly excites Rob Koehler, a freshman in the College of Engineering, who has chosen a black and purple Speedo out of his collection for this particular event.
"It's my main motivation for doing it," Koehler said. "But I'm definitely going to bring some clothes I've previously bought from Goodwill to donate back to Goodwill."
Koehler and friends from their Triathlon Club plan to run together in their Speedos and presently refer to themselves as the Speedo Krew. He said some people might be offended by the level of extremity that he and others might reach.
"Basically any chance I can get to wear my Speedo out in public I take advantage of," Koehler said. "I mean, it's a charitable event, and I feel like wearing my Speedo is not only fun, but also makes a difference in my community."