Written by Caitlin McCann
Streaking was a common occurrence on college campuses in 1974, including UNCG. In early March 1974, UNCG was number one in the streak rankings. In the spirit of friendly competition, the Associated Streakers of the University of Utah invited the streakers of UNCG to Utah to see if the southern streakers could withstand streaking in the cold weather of Utah.
Dr. Jeff Kinard, retired GTCC history professor, was a student at UNCG in 1974. While Kinard did not participate in streaking, he was present. According to Kinard, the first streaking, which occurred on February 28, began in Hinshaw Hall. From there, word got out and other students joined in. Kinard also said that the streaking routes were plotted out ahead of time, and the news media knew of the streakings before they occurred. When asked why UNCG students participated, Kinard indicated that it was a way to challenge authority.
According to Kinard, during the first streaking, one of the women participating in streaking was grabbed by a UNCG police officer and thrown into the back of a police car. When the streakers stopped the police car, a fully clothed man crushed the car by jumping on top of it and stomping on it.
It is likely that Kinard is referring to Keith W. Kolischak, a former UNCG student who had withdrawn from the university prior to the first streaking. According to an interdepartmental memo from the Dean of Men, C. O. Shipton, to the Vide Chancellor of Student Affairs, James Allen, Kolischak had been identified as the man during the first streaking who had stood on top of a police car and laid down in front of Allen’s car.
UNCG’s administration did not condone streaking. At one point, The Carolinian fabricated a quote attributed to Allen that implied he supported on-campus streaking. Allen sent a memo to the entire UNCG community clarifying that he did not support streaking, as it violated North Carolina General Statute 14-190.9.
A young woman from Baltimore wrote a letter to the university decrying streaking. She also asked that her letter be placed around campus so that student-streakers could read her letter and rethink their behavior. On the flipside, StreaKits were being distributed to on-campus streakers. These kits included fluorescent orange stickers for streakers to stick to their bodies while streaking, a bumper sticker, and a Society of Streakers membership certificate.
Regardless of one’s opinion on streaking, it was an interesting time in UNCG’s history. More documents about streaking can be found in the Vice Chancellor for Division of Student Affairs Records (UA 42.1) under the file “Streaking, 1974” in Series 3, Box 11 located in the Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives.
