The [spectators] expected to see naked people

[hoosier]

By Justine Maki
Collegian Staff Writer

The four Penn State students arrested during the yearly "Mifflin streak" this past spring are now making their way through the judicial system.

James Rounds (junior-letters, arts, and sciences) was one of the four students arrested and charged with open lewdness and disorderly conduct by Penn State Police Services.

Open lewdness is classified as a sex crime. All criminal convictions appear on background checks done by employers.

Rounds, however, said he would probably not have to go to court because he filed for an Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition, which will expunge the arrest from his record in late August or early September. Penn State put him on probation for the fall semester. The punishment was decided by Judicial Affairs in the spring.

Rounds said about 30 people participated in the streak at the end of spring semester. They stripped under the cover of bushes, wearing shoes and holding their clothes while they ran. About 1,000 spectators were lined up to watch. The purpose of the streak was to relieve stress before spring finals, Rounds said.

Several university police officers followed behind the streakers. He said the spectators pressed the streakers into a single-file line as they ran.

As the streakers continued to run, university police officers on bicycles blocked their way. Rounds said he made it past one bike, but was stopped by another officer and handcuffed.

"[The officer] asked if he could put my shorts on me after a few minutes," Rounds said.

Rounds said about eight or nine police officers were at the streak. He said he thought the police were there to show that the university is cracking down on riots.

"I think they have a good cause to quell a riot," Rounds said. "I can understand that interest. I just think it was way too excessive just for people being naked."

Rounds said the crowd that gathered to watch the streak did not get rowdy until the police started to arrest the streakers.

He said he never thought rioting associated with the Mifflin streak was an issue. He participated in the streak for fun, he said, adding that its purpose of relieving stress before finals is a valid one.

"The [spectators] expected to see naked people, so I don't think it's that big of a deal that it happened on campus," he said.

Bill Mahon, Penn State spokesman, said no one should be surprised students were arrested for being naked in public. He said the context of the situation was different than that of a sex crime, but nevertheless public nudity is illegal.

"We arrest people all the time for urinating in public," he said. "That's not allowed in polite society and police arrest people who do it. There is no pass to do things on campus property that you can't do anywhere else."