I just found out that a reporter for the Somerville Journal took video of the
Naked Quad Run and posted it on YouTube. She took the video of the students so you could only see their backs, but obviously did not get the students' permission as hundreds of them jogged by.
I think this is pretty outrageous. This is a private event on private property.
She did not receive permission from the university to video this event. What an incredible invasion of privacy. I hope Tufts sues.
The night before NQR, all students received an email about running with the risk of having a picture taken and posted on Facebook/video posted on youtube. Those who ran were aware of this possibility.
This video comes as a reminder that if you don't want to see video footage of your naked self on the internet, then don't run. I believe students are well aware that the NQR is NOT a private event, and that every year, outsiders from the local community attend.
I'm not necessarily condoning what the reporter did- in my opinion, it was done in bad taste- but the only thing Tufts students can do now is report the video to youtube.
I also am not condoning the practices of the reporter in question, but as a journalist, I can promise you that there is no law that protects people from being filmed or photographed in public.
It is one thing to have an individual take pictures or short video and post it. Clearly the kids knew of that risk. But it is very different for a commercial news organization to take and post that kind of video in the pursuit of readers and advertising dollars. And the article itself was so poorly written, and partly plagiarized from Wikipedia. I think the paper there is not of such high quality.
Oh please.
As a Tufts Dad who streaked back in 1973 ("and this is supposed to make me proud?" said my mother at the time) I see nothing wrong with this. And I think the comfort and sense of community is awesome.
This generation - more than any that came before - should realize that anything we do may wind up on the internet. We're all potential Brittany Spears. Chances are you'd be appalled if you were able to see your own kids facebook page. this is pretty benign, innocent stuff. (Don't even ask about what takes place during Parents Weekend at the University of Ohio).
I appreciate the difference between a private video and a post by a commercial news organization. But that line has blurred significantly with the advent of blogs, digital cameras, and cell phones. The bottom line is that we should all be thankful that nothing worse has appeared.
The kids seem to be having a blast. And it takes a lot of fortitude - and A LOT of self confidence - to run in the frigid air of 12/10.
Everyone knows it could happen, and I hardly think of Tufts as "private property." I think it's a violation of youtube policy, it's hardly anything to sue about. And even then, it's just people's backsides, as far as NQR videos go this one must be one of the most harmless.
I don't think the YouTube video is the bad at all. I just saw it. It's only backsides. What's far worse IMO are the detailed photos that ended up on porn sites like Coccozella.com. I mean full monty frontal close-ups of the girls, faces fully recognizable. How do I know about them? I saw them! Don't ask me how I found out about them. But I saw them. They recruit freelance professional photographers for the event. ... Somebody always has to ruin something that's good. I think if it weren't for the photographers a lot more students would have run.
TheOldProf - the University of Ohio? Never heard of that school! Did you mean Ohio University perhaps? See now I'm curious what happens at parents' weekend!
