The Purchase p u r c h a s e i n d y @ g m a i l . c o m W I N N E R ! Best Student Service 2005-06 ISSUE 112 Purchase Undressed By Jeffrey Stein I balked. I hesitated. I almost didn’t do it. Last year nude photos of me were on display in the Co-Op for an anti-censorship event. In the last two years I have modeled nude for over 50 classes here at Purchase (drawing, painting, and sculpture). I even agreed to appear nude onstage for a Drama Studies play (we did the run through that way, but an über- prude[nt?] faculty advisor changed the director’s mind). My re-election campaign flyers last year were of me nude except for strategically placed items. The one for To protect the privacy of A&D was a drawing of me full frontal nude. So with all this—ahem—exposure, you’d think I would jump at the opportunity to pose for the Naked Issue of the Indy, and our models and at first I did. Then I missed the shoot, not to avoid it, but because I honestly believed that no one would show up. volunteers (and because When the Spencer Tunick-like group photo was called off, I kinda figured that was the death of the Naked we promised we'd delete Issue. Man, was I wrong. And this is where the balk came in. After missing the shoot, I was told that there all digital files when we was still room, but instead of jumping for the chance, I hesitated, and for a moment I even passed. were done), all naked I was confused by my decision, and so were my friends (one stated that I “invented Purchase nudity”). photos have been At first I considered doing a nude in which I didn’t “expose” myself, but under the circumstances I just con- removed from this sidered that to be ridiculous. The point of this issue needs to be the breaking of a taboo, a breaking of the digital edition of The stigma attached to nudity. Hiding, being a false expo- sure, would not break that taboo. But we walk a fine Independent. line. Taken too far in the other direction, we end up with exploitation and the objectification of the human form. At first I thought my balking was because it was the Indy, as opposed to a legitimate “arts” publication. Then, I was concerned about the distribution. The fact that it is available in a brown bag just about anywhere on campus certainly arouses some butterflies. But in truth my concern was about a possible backlash. I was going to skip this issue for the same reason I usually avoid public pronouncement of my atheism (as in “no- theism” or a lack of belief, not Satanism or some other popular misconception about what atheists believe), and that reason is the strong possibility of a Judeo- Christian backlash (whether from students, faculty, staff, or administrators). We live in a culture that obsesses over nudity, and the truth is that the more “taboo” we make it, the more obsessed we become. The naked body has become dirty and something to be ashamed of. We hide behind Continued on Page 7... Match the 16 Pages The Comics Body Part of Naked Section: I N S I D E : to Your Photos Undressed Senator Established 2001 Founding Editor: Glen Parker Chief Editors: Bill Reese Steven Tartick Assistant Editor: Emily Farrell Office Manager: naked guy walking in the PSGA office.” Mark Schroeder Underwear Party + The Most of the Independent staff did not expect for The L a yout Editor: Naked Issue to be so successful, but there were so Kaitlyn Sudol Indy Office = The many willing applicants that the Indy ran out of room. So Head Copyeditor: far, 33 students had their 15 minutes of fame in their Sable Yong Naked Issue birthday suits, but many applied. D i s t r i b ution Superv i s o r : By Kelechi Ubozoh "This is one of the best issues we have ever done Robert Stewart-Rogers and it hasn't even been made yet!" exclaimed co-editor Graphic Design: It’s 12:30AM in the PSGA office and two men walk Sabrina Miller Steven Tartick. by with gummy bears on their penises. It’s time for The Each person posed with a different concept. From Figure Artists: Naked Issue of The Independent! Over thirty people cowboy hats to gummy bears, everyone had a different Sheila Fitzgerald showed up for the event, and all of them were in good Jeremy Gravlin take on the nudity. One couple posed nude with cacti. humor and not much else. Lena De-Leo One Dispatch reporter posed with a Dispatch. Some half dressed, some fully dressed, and some Allison Malinowski "I wrote a prose piece about my body," said Natalie bare-ass naked -- it’s never been so easy to see ass. Or Eilbert. Eilbert has a entire poem written on her body. Backpage Bitch: maybe get ass? Adam Tyrrell believed so. Although he's Lauren Raia "Don't be nervous just be naked," said Eilbert not Christian, he bit into an apple and made like the Business Manager: In the spirit of nudity, Christina Hu suggested that Alice Gullotta Garden of Eden. she and Reese play strip poker to pass the time away. "What happened was, back in October there was Writers: Unfortunately Reese started losing and eventually Patrick Cassels an article about hammock etiquette. For the image, we chickened out when he got to the boxers. Tyrrell, who is Emily Farrell googled “hammock sex,” and put a naked picture next to used to playing goldfish and solitaire, was a little bit new Danielle Gangi the article. Lo and behold, somebody got upset about to the game. Shawn Ryder won the game and had Hu David Jacobi The Independent printing a naked picture and we could- strip down to her undies, which stated " I only "Ryde" big Jessie LaBarbera n’t understand what the big deal was. That was the day waves." Coincidence? I think not! David Nora Jr. we thought about having a naked issue." said. Tara Keeley, Blair Gershenson and Kris Imperati Kevin Rankin Independent co-editor Bill Reese. posed as Charlie's Angels. When asked if they had Andrew Rowley Reese added: "This is just surreal, there was a guns, Imperati responded, "Oh I have a gun... and it’s Jeffery Stein loaded." Adam Tyrrell One nosey cop thought a party was going on, but Kelechi Ubozoh he was quickly intercepted by witty -- clothed -- Indy Kristin Whitcomb supporters and told that there was just a simple photo Comics: shoot. By now you may have guessed that The Naked ACH Issue was anything but a simple photo shoot. Some of Robert Stewart-Rogers the models would like to express that it was cold in the Jack Trades room, and objects in this issue are smaller than they Copy Editors: appear. Patrick Cassels The Indy staff would like to thank Matt Davitt The Purchase Independent is a non-profit for being the official photographer of the newspaper, paid for by the mandatory student Naked Issue and Erica Bushell for bagging activity fee. and stamping this week’s issues. The Independent welcomes submissions from our readers. We are an open forum for campus issues and comments about T h e Independent’s coverage. We accept letters, arti- cles, comics, ads, and event listings. face up to the fact of other people being The deadline for submissions to be consid- On the Cover: naked or smoking pot, or whatever they ered for publication in the following issue is Tuesdays at eight. After that, you must bribe us want to do, then we’re never going to with candy. get anywhere. People have got to Publication of submissions is not guaran- In 1968, John Lennon and Yoko become aware that it’s none of their teed, but subject to the discretion of of the edi- Ono recorded the Two Virgins EP, made tors. business and that being nude is not We prefer that submissions come to us elec- up mostly of electronic noises and obscene. Being ourselves is what’s t r o n i c a l l y. Our e-mail address is: Yo k o ’s wailing. The disc caused an important. If everyone practiced being [email protected] Backpage quotes can be left in the Back Page box, a makeshift uproar upon its release, mostly for the themselves instead of pretending to be container nailed to the wall outside the Media fact that it had a full frontal nude shot of what they aren’t, there would be peace.” Board Office, which is located on the first floor of Lennon and Ono on the front cover and Campus Center North, room 1011. With John and Yoko in mind, two of Finally, no anonymous submissions will be a full rear shot on the back. our staff writers, Mattie Davitt and considered. Instead they will be used to cover up To this controversey Lennon said, Jessie LaBarbera duplicated this classic models for next year’s Niaked Issue. “The main hangup in the world today is photo for our first ever Naked Issue. hypocrisy and insecurity. If people can’t CHRISTIAN BIBLICAL LITERALISTS AGREE T H AT HUMANS ORIGINALLY LIVED WITHOUT CLOTHING AS THEIR NAT U R A L S TATE * IN A N U M - that there is a live nude body falls away – at Confessions of a least that’s how I see it.