Harvard University students let off steam before finals in a, rather, unconventional way: by taking a lap around Harvard Yard while naked.
Harvard University students gathered at midnight on Friday to run a lap around Harvard Yard — completely naked.
The naked lap, referred to as the "Primal Scream," is a biannual tradition at Harvard to signal the beginning of their finals period. This year’s run was particularly cold, with temperatures dropping to 25 degrees in Cambridge, Mass., The Harvard Crimson reported. Runners gathered in winter coats to keep warm before shedding their clothing and taking part in the tradition.
According to The Crimson's report, spectators have come to watch the run in past years, but the colder weather deterred many from attending this year. Despite the cold, Harvard undergraduate students said the lap helped relieve their stress as finals approached.
Students at Penn take a similar — though slightly more prudish — approach to releasing stress before midterm exams when they participate in the annual Econ Scream. This year's edition fell on Sept. 28. Per tradition, students ate doughnuts, danced and screamed at the top of their lungs as the clock struck midnight.
All clothes remained on.
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