By Nicholas Bender
Students who have taken for granted their right to stroll around campus au naturel at Bennington College in Vermont are now finding that not everyone is as comfortable with their bodies as they are.
The liberal arts school, situated in a rural community of 16,000 people, has always taken a liberal stance when it comes to student expression, including the type that manifests itself through various forms of undress. But Robert Graves, the new dean of students at Bennington, has recently found himself at odds with the nudity-supporting segment of the student population. Whereas past administrators have chosen to look away, Graves is finding it difficult to simply grin and bare it.
The controversy stems from an incident that occurred during new student orientation last September. While parents and friends crowded the campus, one student took it upon himself to “express” himself.
“[The student] walked through the main lawn of campus completely naked,” said Ellen Schulte, communications director for Bennington. “The dean of students felt it inappropriate at the time because there were so many people who … aren”t [part of Bennington] on campus, so the student was reprimanded. That”s what sparked all of this.”
In response to the reprimand, a group of more than 200 students marched across campus in October to protest the administration”s actions, according to Reuters.
Guy Snover, a Bennington senior majoring in sculpture, counts himself among the nudity activists. He said he thinks Graves is trying to strip students” of their rights.
“Nudity should be allowed because it”s a private place and not a public space as Bob Graves has said it is,” Snover said. I think he is just using that to get his agenda.”
The school of 670 undergraduates even has unofficial clubs dedicated to the pursuit of nakedness, including the Naked Activities Club, where members participate in recreational activities with a “clothing-optional” policy.
“The kids who attend the college, because of its arts, dance and other forms of cultural expression, are sometimes probably considered outside the norm of what you would expect to find in a rural community,” said Stuart Hurd, Bennington town manager. “I do think we in America tend to be a little bit prudish about how we view the human body. I think if there were less emphasis on the human body as the sexual object, I think our entire society would be better served by that.”
Hurd said he was surprised by the amount of media attention the controversy has generated, though he said nudity at the school is not as common as some may think.
Snover agreed, adding that nude students usually only frequent a particular stretch of campus lawn.
“It”s really not that common,” he said. “Weather permitting, it”s only a month and a half of each term. So it happens rarely and its never lewd — maybe some people playing Frisbee or something.”
