<p>Agreed, each student should look for schools where they will be comfortable (for the record, my D has never dyed her hair, pierced anything--not even ears--or lived in a clothing optional dorm. Her private life was similarly outlandish, which is to say, not very.)</p>
<p>"These behaviors do not mean that these schools also have worse than usual alcohol and drug problems."</p>
<p>But some of them do. And included in this group is at least one school (my alma mater) where you will see very little purple hair, very few piercings, and lots of Abercrombie & Fitch.</p>
<p>Wow, I started this thread because I (a 45 year old) actually was surprised that there would be naked parties at colleges. I am really getting an education on this thread! Carolyn</p>
<p>Distracting and silly-- like piercings.
And a little risky-- without saying it's a slippery slope that will lead undoubtedly to the depths of hell (or depths of depravity, if hell is a non-issue), it is a step closer to "anything goes". Can they honestly say there is nothing sexual about naked bodies? Are the kids testing and proving their high-mindedness and purity? Not always a good idea to test, but kids will do that.
For me the question will be can D avoid it? I'll bet she can avoid the parties if she wants to. Some of the traditions (naked class day) might be a little harder to avoid witnessing, but that is relatively harmless and she can decide whether she wants to go to a school with that kind of tradition.</p>
<p>Calig,</p>
<p>They were definitely happening in 1979/80.</p>
<p>And I suspect in the late 60's they may have had designated CLOTHED parties.</p>
<p>If they were happening at my school, Rutgers, I didn't know about it, and I didn't lead a sheltered life.</p>
<p>Where I went to school, plenty co-ed groups went hot tubbing, naked, and there was drinking - so it was a kind of naked party - and we all survived. We went on to graduate, hold down jobs, give birth to children and stay married. Why would a naked party be that alarming?</p>
<p>BTW, I know a 19 year old living in a co-op of a Renown University. All the kids are expected to work at the co-op 5 hours a week. But they get double time - hence only work 1/2 the time - if they do their chores, you guessed it, naked. </p>
<p>The more things change, the more they remain the same.</p>
<p>Even at, dare I say it, the "university where fun goes to die" there has been sightings of organized student nudity. In fact until the mid 1980's The University of Chicago had a University sponsored event, the Lascivious Ball, featuring student nudity, adult movies, etc. In fact the admission price tracked the amount of clothing worn by the attendees. There have been recent calls for its return.</p>
<p><a href="http://maroon.uchicago.edu/news/articles/2005/02/18/president_dropped_la.php%5B/url%5D">http://maroon.uchicago.edu/news/articles/2005/02/18/president_dropped_la.php</a>
(There was an attempt by the AEPi fraternity to bring it back on a smaller scale in 2003. Don't know how successful they were, however.)</p>
<p>Today there is the Polar Bear Run. A naked race through the U of C quad in the dead of winter. Only for the very very brave.</p>