The bare essentials

Students, 'U' work to make Naked Mile safe

What do you get when you take an innocent jog through town, add drunk euphoria and hundreds of University seniors on the verge of graduation and subtract their clothing?

The answer - the Naked Mile, a time-honored University tradition celebrating the end of the semester and the end of college for many students. But in recent years, the size and safety of the famous run have come into question, prompting some students to take actions they hope will make the run safer for everyone involved.

Michigan Student Assembly Nursing Rep. Jen Seamon said because the Naked Mile now attracts national attention, the crowds of spectators are more unruly than ever. This behavior, she said, can jeopardize runners' safety.

JESSICA JOHNSON/Daily Michigan Student Assembly Vice President Andy Coulouris shows off his security T-shirt yesterday. MSA is organizing volunteers to help with crowd control during the Naked Mile.

Seamon has recruited more than 200 volunteers who will line the runners' path to lookout for broken glass and other objects that could be safety hazards and communicate with other organizers by walkie-talkie in case someone is injured and needs medical attention.

But the ultimate responsibility for safety lies with Naked Mile participants, Seamon said.

"If you're going to run, run smart," she said, listing a few tips for runners to keep in mind. "Carry your clothes with you; don't get completely smashed beforehand - just use common sense."

Seamon said that despite the often-heated debate surrounding the Naked Mile and questions about its future, MSA is not taking sides on the issue.

"The position we're taking is that we're not taking a position," she said. "The volunteers comprise people of many different backgrounds and opinions. We are concerned with the safety of the runners and not the future or morality of the Mile."

Department of Public Safety Police Lt. Joe Piersante said DPS and the Ann Arbor Police Department will position extra officers in the vicinity of the Naked Mile. Piersante said major safety concerns include traffic and crowd control and the possibility of unwanted touching, physical or sexual assaults.

"If we have a warm night with no rain we can expect at least 10,000 people," he said, adding that officers will be on the look-out for injured runners.

Piersante said alcohol often escalates the risks associated with mass numbers of people taking their clothes off and running wild.

"Alcohol is a factor. Some of the runners, to get the nerve to run, have a few drinks," he said. "Some have more than a few drinks. It is a definite risk factor and a hazard."

AAPD Sgt. Andrew Zazula said officers will be present to help control the crowd, but added that he has never known of any arrests being made during the Naked Mile.

LSA senior Reggie Dixon said alcohol may play a factor in his decision to streak down South University Avenue on Tuesday night.

"I don't like to be naked in public," Dixon said. "But you never know. After a little drinking tomorrow, we'll see what happens."

The Naked Mile also attracts people with not-so-innocent intentions, Piersante said - including people who want to videotape runners and exploit them for financial gain.

LSA senior Alissa Ziemer said she's seen first-hand how chaotic the run can be.

"Last year we knew a girl who was picked up and thrown on the ground," Ziemer said. "That's the reason I'm not running. As a girl, you're pretty vulnerable to anything."

Anyone interested in volunteering for safety and crowd control during the run should come with their student ID to the Cube between 9:30 and 10 p.m.

04-20-99