College Streaking - Part 36

 UCSC First Rain

The University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC) has a naked run tradition called "First Rain."  It started in 1989 after the magnitude 6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake struck on the San Andreas fault only 10 miles away.  Trying to relieve stress after the quake, students in Porter, one of UCSC's ten residential colleges, were playing "Simon Says" in their dining hall.  The student playing Simon told everyone to take off their shirts.  Then he told everyone to take off their pants.  At that point the manager kicked all the students out of the dining hall.

(Above: students gathering in Porter College for the naked run in 2006.)

After the students were kicked out of the dining hall, they walked naked around the campus and found it provided stress relief.  Someone said they should do it again someday.  Wayne Hendrickson, a university community safety officer, told them that some colleges had a naked run on the first snowfall of each year.  He suggested that UCSC hold a naked run during the year's first Pacific rainstorm.

(Above, students at the 2006 naked run.)

So, the next year, the first "First Rain" naked run was held.  Santa Cruz, like much of California, has a Mediterranean climate with a dry summer and a rainy winter.  The first substantial rain usually happens in October or November.

(Above: the First Rain run in 2011.)

Over the years, some rules were added to clarify exactly when the run would happen.  It had to be on a school night (not a weekend), and it had to rain nonstop from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm, so it couldn't just be a drizzle or an intermittent shower.

(Above: the First Rain run in 2012.)

The students gather in Porter College, and if the conditions are met by 10:00 pm, they start running around the campus, visiting all ten residential colleges.

(Above: a short video of the run in 2012.)

Here's a short video of the First Rain run in 2013.

And another very short video of the 2013 run.

We end with two undated photos of the First Rain run.  The first picture shows some nice frontal images except for the student holding his clothes in front of him.

And the second photo shows the same student (I think), but it must be a different year because he's carrying different clothing.  He now seems to have overcome his shyness and become an unashamed male.