The Naked Quad Run has evolved over the years, from small groups of student streakers to the large event, complete with police control and hot cocoa, that it is today. Here is a brief history of one of Tufts' most time-honored traditions:
1970s: Sporadic streaking becomes increasingly common at colleges nationwide as students, motivated by the hippie movement of the 1960s, are more open with their bodies and more comfortable with nudity.
1973: First organized naked run at Tufts, which involved hundreds of co-ed student streakers.
1980: Students take advantage of the loud hour during reading period's 23-hour quiet hours, blasting speakers and banging pots together. Tufts receives multiple noise complaints from local residents.
1981: Looking to avoid a repeat of the noisy events of the previous year, Tufts encourages students to run around the quad as a stress release during finals. When a group of West Hall males decides to run naked, NQR as we all know it is born.
1987: West Hall becomes co-ed, and NQR's popularity skyrockets as runners of both sexes begin streaking. In the next few years, the event grows as a university tradition.
2002: After several students are hospitalized for intoxication and injuries, newly inaugurated University President Lawrence Bacow sends an e-mail to the student body declaring that the NQR is too dangerous to continue.
2003: After outcry from students about the potential death of one of Tufts' longest-standing traditions, the university holds the first Nighttime Quad Reception. Police presence, free food and other giveaways encourage students to be as safe as possible during the run.
2003: Myspace.com is founded and grows in popularity as a social networking site over the next few years. It allows users to post photos and share them with friends, adding a new element - and a new worry - to the NQR.
2004: Despite a large snowfall, TUPD reports fewer injuries and hospitalizations during the run, according to Daily archives. Though the second Nighttime Quad Reception is hampered by weather, which prevented planned student group performances, it seems to have increased safety.
October 2005 Facebook.com increases in popularity as a social networking tool for college students, and allows students to upload tag photos. Though the function does not allow pornographic or lewd pictures to be uploaded, it increases concerns for students running the event.
February 2005 YouTube.com is founded, allowing any user with a camera to post personal videos and have them viewed by thousands - and as the site grows, by hundreds of thousands - of Web surfers.
2006 Students run in the first NQR in which both online video and social networking sites are a concern. At this point, Facebook, MySpace and YouTube are all recieving millions of hits per month.
