(excerpt from my novel “The Freshman”)

After her daily workout with her friend Lisa, Cecilia sat with the other university resident advisors for their nightly dinner. The dorm director surprised his staff when he announced that he wanted to have a formal meeting with the RA’s following the meal.

The staff met in one of the dorm’s small conference rooms. There was a series of issues to discuss, including a new duty roster, a review of the previous weekend’s fire in the adjacent building and Huntington Hall’s own evacuation procedures were a similar emergency to take place, and an announcement there would be a fire drill later in the week.

Following the serious topics, the dorm director gave the group a sarcastic smile and passed out flyers for a 10 kilometer run that would be held Saturday of the following week. It was sponsored by the Tri-Alpha fraternity and was a yearly tradition at the university, a required task of the fraternity’s initiation for new pledges. What set the Tri-Alpha run apart from any other university-sponsored 10-K run was that all runners had to be completely nude throughout the entire race and also the ceremony preceding the event. The only permitted items of clothing for anyone participating were running shoes and socks.

The run had been a yearly tradition since the early 1960’s, when the Tri-Alphas began incorporating public nudity as part of their initiations. During the first two decades of its existence the 10-K route had gone through not only the university, but also through Fraternity Row and a couple of nearby commercial streets. In 1985 the race was scaled back. The Tri-Alpha fraternity and the university agreed to shorten the run to just 2 miles and have it contained completely within the campus area. A few years later there was talk of banning the nude 10-K race altogether, given that most of the universities around the US that had nude student runs were stopping them.

Talk of banning the Tri-Alpha nude run came to an abrupt end when a fraternity alumnus and multi-millionaire died and left a huge grant to the university. The benefactor left his money in a trust fund, stipulating that $ 10 million would be paid out each year until the account was exhausted. The grant had two conditions. The first condition was the entire amount had to be used to pay the salaries of non-tenured professors and Teaching Assistants. The second condition was that the Tri-Alpha nude run had to be held each year, restored to its original 10-kilometer length and held in the middle of the day on the last Saturday each September.

Whatever moral objections there might have been to the spectacle of naked runners streaking through the university each year, no one in the Board of Regents was going to argue against $ 10 million in guaranteed salary money for instructors. Money talks, and bullshit walks. So, the Board of Regents negotiated the details of the revised race with the directors of the Tri-Alpha fraternity. The race would remain within the confines of the university, but would be a full 10-K run. The starting line was at the Memorial Stadium. The runners would do two laps around the football field, then leave the stadium to follow a route around the university, pass through the old part of campus, then circle back to the Stadium and do a final lap around the track to the finish line. The event drew a large crowd that filled the stadium and lined the race route around the university. Attendance was restricted to students, active alumni, faculty members, and reporters. The campus was sealed off to outsiders during the race, but even with the restriction, typically between 50,000 and 60,000 spectators attended the event each year.

Participating in the race and running the full 10 kilometers non-stop was a requirement for all Tri-Alpha pledges. The fraternity encouraged other students to participate by offering a trophy and $ 1,000 in prize money to any non-Tri-Alpha member who managed to win the men’s race. A second prize of $ 1,000 was offered to the winner of the women’s division, as an incentive to encourage female students to run. During any given year there were a few participants from other fraternities and sororities, a few from the dorms, and always students representing the Art Department, the Theater Department, the Athletic Department, and the School of Music. However, the male 10-K winner usually was a Tri-Alpha pledge, because the fraternity forced its prospective members to train for the race.

The RA’s smiled and laughed at the idea of getting someone from Huntington Hall to run in the nude for an hour, but the director had an offer that made his staff take the whole affair more seriously.

“I’ve got a $50 gift card to any store in the mall for anyone who can get me a runner to represent Huntington Hall in the 10-K. If you get me a winning runner, I’ll give you a $ 500 gift card. I think it’d be good for morale if we could have someone to cheer for in this race, one of our own. Anyhow, you all have floor meetings scheduled this Sunday and I’d appreciate you bringing it up to your residents.”

Most of the RA’s figured they had their work cut out for them, getting any of their floor residents to participate. The race was not an experience for anyone with any modesty, because the time the runners spent in the nude extended way beyond the hour of running. There was a pre-race ceremony and a march around the stadium prior to the run itself, and then post-race events and a coronation ceremony for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in separate divisions for male and female runners. The six winning runners could expect to be nude in public for at least six hours and pose for hundreds of pictures. Yes, $ 1,000 was a nice amount of money for a student, but actually winning the prize was a tough challenge, given the competition from the well-prepared Tri-Alpha pledges.

Cecilia was the only RA who was confident that she could supply at least two runners, and possibly four. She was sure that with a little coaxing she could get Jason and Ken to run, but she wanted to get Mike and Lisa to participate as well. That would mean four gift certificates and $ 200 to spend on new clothing. If either Jason or Ken won the race, she would get the $ 500 gift certificate and finally supplement her meager wardrobe in a meaningful way.

As Cecilia pondered getting her runners for Huntington Hall, the director set down a stack of flyers and registration packets for the race. Most of the other RA’s took just one packet, but Cecilia confidently took four.

———-

Lisa owed Cecilia a Poker game. Cecilia’s original idea was to play one-on-one, with high stakes between the two women. Cecilia was not planning to wager money, however. The stakes instead would be favors and a period of servitude.

Cecilia changed her plans for her Poker wager upon returning to her room with the four Tri-Alpha race registration packets. She would make it a five-person wager, with participating in the race a penalty for the losers of planned game. The three males would end up in the race for sure, and if Cecilia’s plans worked out and she won against Lisa, she would pass out registration packets to four losing freshmen. There was no question they would participate, because she still had the pictures from that wild Sunday night two weeks before and would use them as leverage, if necessary, to pressure everyone to play.

Cecilia was aware that Lisa really might be a good player, and there was a risk that it might be Cecilia, not Lisa, who would be take the fourth packet and run the race with the three guys. Yes, it was a risk, but if she lost, the RA was fully prepared to honor the bet and run the 10-K. Cecilia was not much of a risk-taker in her daily life, but for once she was willing to face the prospect of losing to Lisa and running 10 kilometers in the nude. The uncertainty would make the evening’s card game an interesting experience and a challenging one for the RA.

During her workout with Lisa on Tuesday, Cecilia brought up the idea of a Poker game Friday night.

“We’ll have the guys play with us, so we’ll start with five players. We’ll play strip Poker. First we strip the guys, then you and me go head-to-head.”

“Are we playing for penalties?”

“Yeah, but just one each. We’ll be playing for elimination. Whenever someone loses all their clothes, they’re out of the game. There will be a single penalty for each loser.”

“What is it?”

“I’ve got four envelopes. Each loser takes an envelope. It’s a surprise, but it’ll be the same for each loser.”

“You too? If you lose, you’ll do the penalty?”

“Of course. If I lose, I’ll do the penalty.”

“And what makes you so sure you can beat me?”

“Lisa, I’m not sure about that at all. I don’t know how good you play, and you don’t know how good I am. That’s what’ll make Friday night so interesting.”

———-

Friday night Lisa and Cecilia made the final arrangements for the card game. They counted pieces of clothing to make sure each was starting with the same number of item. Cecilia ordered Jason and Mike to bring a small round table into Lisa’s room from the commons area and to borrow five folding chairs from the dorm’s conference room. The players would sit in a circle, each the same distance from the others. Lisa pulled out her digital camera and Cecilia borrowed Jason’s 35-mm camera, for full body portraits to be taken of each loser as soon as he or she was eliminated from the game. Cecilia sealed the four registration packets and laid them on Lisa’s desk.

Jason, Ken, and Mike looked at each other nervously. There was a grim determination about the two women that unsettled them. The knowledge that each of them was sure to lose and take a penalty also concerned them. The game really was between Cecilia and Lisa, and the guys figured once they were eliminated, they would be standing at attention in the nude for a very long time while the two women battled to see which of them would end up with the fourth envelope.

The guys did not bother to count how many articles of clothing they were wearing, since they were destined to lose anyway. Jason was wearing only four items; a pair of loose-fitting shorts, a shirt, and a pair of casual deck shoes. Ken had six items of clothing; the same outfit as Jason, but also a pair of socks. Like Jason, Ken normally did not wear underwear. Mike had on five items of clothing; shorts and underwear, shoes, and a shirt.

Cecilia let Lisa deal first. She passed the freshman an unopened deck of cards, which Lisa quickly unwrapped. Cecilia carefully watched as Lisa expertly shuffled, with the calm expression of a person familiar with gaming. Poker face. OK. She looks calm, but we’ll see what’s she’s hiding later on, thought Cecilia to herself.

The two women played very carefully, eager to keep as many articles of clothing possible during the first phase of their game in which they eliminated the guys. Jason was the first to be eliminated. At the end of the seventh round, Ken had lost two shoes and Mike one shoe, but Jason already had lost all four articles of his clothing. He pulled down his shorts and handed them to Cecilia. Lisa then ordered him to stand against the wall to pose for several pictures with both the 35mm and the digital camera. Cecilia then ordered her boyfriend to put his hands behind his head and remain standing while the game continued.

Ken was eliminated next. In quick succession he lost his socks, shirt, and shorts, while Mike lost a second shoe. Once again, the two cameras clicked as the loser submitted to having multiple full-body shots taken to record his loss. Once his body was documented on film, Lisa ordered him to put his hands behind his head and take his place next to Jason.

Jason felt a rush of erotic excitement as he stood, completely uncovered in front of two women, his hands behind his head and his entire body on full display in the well-lit room. There was the thrill of being exposed, but also the thrill of submitting to his role as a loser of the game and the ominous envelope that was waiting for him on Lisa’s desk. He knew that whatever was in that envelope, it would be a huge erotic challenge and an opportunity to prove his willingness to do whatever Cecilia wanted him to do. He glanced over at Ken, whose penis was stiffening and who was clearly enjoying himself.

Mike put up a much better fight then Jason and Ken. In the round following Ken’s elimination he managed to take Cecilia’s first article of clothing, a shoe. He won the next two rounds against Lisa, and got her two shoes off. Then he lost a round, giving up his shorts. That loss left him wearing a shirt and underwear. During the following round he took a second shoe from Cecilia, and a sock from Lisa after that. Mike lost his shirt, but then won two more times against Cecilia, getting the belt off her skirt and then her blouse. Cecilia became very nervous, realizing she was down to three articles of clothing and still had not eliminated Mike from the game. Mike got a second sock from Lisa before finally losing his final article of clothing, his underwear. Lisa stood up and pulled his underwear to his ankles. Then Mike dutifully stood against the wall for pictures. Following the shots of Mike, Lisa ordered all three guys to stand together for a couple of group shots.

Lisa and Cecilia were left evenly matched. Lisa was wearing a pair of jeans, underwear, and a t-shirt, while Cecilia was wearing a skirt, a thong, and a bra. Lisa won Cecilia’s skirt in the next round. She now was confident of winning the game. She decided to embarrass Cecilia by briefly ordering her to stand in front of the three naked guys so they could see their RA in her underwear.

Cecilia sat down, only two articles of clothing away from losing the game and having to take a registration packet for the race. However, without realizing it, Lisa now was in serious trouble. She had assumed that forcing Cecilia to stand in front of the three males in her underwear would make her too nervous to think straight upon returning to the table, but quite the opposite happened. Cecilia’s mind was sharply focused, while Lisa was completely distracted at the thought she was so close to winning. Cecilia could read her opponent’s expression with each hand and knew exactly how to counter. Lisa quickly was stripped to her panties and her mood went from elation to panic. Sure enough, she lost the final round. With her eyes wide from the shock of actually having lost after being ahead, she stood up, folding her arms across her breasts. Cecilia, still wearing nothing but her thong and bra, stood behind Lisa and slowly pulled her panties to her ankles, relishing the hard-earned victory and her opponent’s complete embarrassment.

“Lisa, please hand me the cameras and stand next to the wall, facing me, with your hands at your sides.”

Lisa, her face still reflecting the amazement she actually had lost, quietly obeyed, as the three guys watched her. Jason and Ken were fascinated with Lisa’s tall attractive body, but both of them had to be careful about looking at her too hard. Ken would have to contend with Mike’s jealousy if caught eying Lisa. Jason would have a much worse problem to contend with if Cecilia caught him looking with too much interest at another woman.

The cameras went off, then the RA ordered her rival to turn around so she could take several pictures of Lisa’s bare backside. Finally Cecilia ordered Lisa to step outside into the hallway, and took several pictures of her as she walked to the end of the women’s wing and then back to her room. She sadly re-entered, wondering what Cecilia’s “high stakes bet” would entail for the game’s four losers.

Cecilia ordered Lisa and Ken to fold and stack the chairs and push the table to one side of the dorm room. She then told the four naked freshmen to line up and handed each of them an envelope.

“I know all of you’ve been jogging, so you ought to be ready for this.” She passed out four pens and continued. “Once you have these filled out, pass them back to me, and I’ll run ’em down to the dorm director’s office first thing tomorrow. He’ll be real happy to know you’re gonna represent Huntington Hall in the race.”

The freshmen opened their envelopes with mixed reactions. Jason was elated, not having known the university sponsored a nude run every year. Cool! His heart jumped in anticipation, especially once he saw that the route would have him running naked past all the areas of campus he already was familiar with. This was his lifelong fantasy, a serious nude run, a real race in which he could enjoy the freedom of having his entire body exposed to the cool fall breezes of a late September afternoon. He was thrilled at the thought of being completely naked in front of 50,000 strangers. Also, the old competitive spirit from his high school track team experiences resurfaced, making him wonder if he had a realistic chance of actually winning the race.

Ken was more dubious about the whole adventure, but realized it would be possible to have some fun with it. His mind wandered to the thought of running naked among all those other guys, and suddenly he found the whole thing very erotic. He then checked himself, wondering about fantasizing about being in the middle of a bunch of other naked men and then felt guilty about his fantasy. His mind wandered back and forth, but finally decided he was looking forward to the run.

Mike was not thrilled at all. The thought of running nude in front of 50,000 people made him cringe. He was not a particularly modest person, but he certainly was not an exhibitionist like Jason. He looked at the run as an ordeal he simply wanted to get out of the way and was mad at having allowed himself to get dragged into doing it.

Lisa still was in shock. She couldn’t believe she had let Cecilia win three rounds of cards in a row. Now here she was, stuck with this awful commitment that not only entailed placing herself on very public display, but also the grueling physical challenge of running a full hour without stopping. Oh how she’d like to see Cecilia having to do this! Yeah right! The RA probably couldn’t even run one mile, let alone six. Yes, that would have been fun, seeing that Ghetto bitch naked, sweaty, gasping for breath, and holding her hands at her side from runner’s cramp while struggling to keep up at the tail end of the race. And it could have happened that way, if she had just paid closer attention to the cards during that last couple of rounds! This was ridiculous… she was a good card player, actually slightly better than Cecilia, but still she had lost, because she wasn’t paying attention and her rival was!

The four freshmen spent the next few minutes filling out their registration forms, which asked basic questions to ensure the runners were over 18, currently enrolled in classes, and in good health. There was a map of the route with a signature line to assure the runner understood the route and agreed not to leave it during the race. There was another signature line to make sure each applicant was aware that all clothing, with the exception of running shoes and athletic socks, was strictly prohibited and that wearing anything above the knees would disqualify a person from the race. Finally there was a question asking what university entity the runner was representing. Jason, Ken, and Lisa put down Huntington Hall. Mike decided to declare he was representing the political science department.

———-

Cecilia insisted that Jason spend most of the following Saturday studying, given that he was not likely to have much time to study the following weekend. She ran into Ken in the hallway and “strongly recommended” that he join Jason as he reviewed for the first midterm in Burnside’s class, as well as midterms in a couple of other classes.

Cecilia, meanwhile, went to the gym with Lisa. Fortunately her companion had recovered from the shock of the previous night’s Poker game and was resigned to running the following weekend. To prepare for the run she changed her workout, explaining to Cecilia why the altered workout was better for a person preparing for a 10-K run. Cecilia followed Lisa’s lead and decided to add jogging to her exercise routine.