This year there’s a bit of a controversy, though, because Auditi Guha, a reporter for the local community newspaper the Somerville Journal not only decided to film the students as they launched their eye-catching event but to post the resulting video footage on that icon of voyeuristic viral-ness called YouTube. The video is also featured in the article “Tufts Naked Run Brings Students Together — with a Few Injuries” posted on the newspaper’s website. Critics argue that those actions are a violation of the students’ right to privacy … as hordes of them jog buck-naked … outside in the great wide open … for any passersby to see.

As the Bostonist notes, there’s really no need for the unwitting subjects of the nearly three-minute clip to fear recognition since Guha did at least have the consideration to film them only from behind (double entendre fully intended). Still, as you can imagine, posting this kind of traditional yet local coverage on the Web has rubbed many the wrong way, no ifs, ands, or butts about it. Maybe the kids will think twice before running around au naturel outdoors next year now that the taboo of filming them has been broken in a very public, widely available way. Then again, knowing fun-loving college students, probably not.

Post from: The Boston Traveler