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month 9s issue illustrate the paradox. We have published some interesting stories about the Dove ads, which uses middle- aged and cnormal size d women. A Dutch gym introduces Naked Sundays.<br><br> There are naked standup comedians in New York, and nude bowling in Maine. All positive stories that hint at greater public acceptance. But there are also the painfully prejudiced editorials from Russia and India that accuse nudists of cendangering public health. d Other people are in an uproar about a hockey player who dropped his pants, about a nudist living next door, and about a wife who likes to skinny dip in her own back yard.<br><br> In Australia, where nude beaches are accepted and a Nude Olympics gets favorable press coverage, a police official wants the men riding in next month 9s Nude Bike Ride to wear a sock between their legs. (Do they think this will draw LESS attention to that body area?) Yep, we still have a long road ahead of us before society become immune to the nudists among us. The trend appears decidedly in our favor, especially as the Moral Taliban in this country seem to be losing ground on imposing their values on everyone else.<br><br> But they aren 9t going away any time soon. New battles are being fought 3 practically every day 3 in city halls, state legislatures, courtrooms, and churches. We cannot be complacent because we read about the victories, and we should not be discouraged when we read about the setbacks.<br><br> Progress is never a straight line. T T H H E E M M I I S S S S I I O O N N O O F F S S C C N N A A & IS TO PROMOTE AND ENCOURAGE CLOTHING - OPTIONAL RECREATION , EDUCATION AND PERSONAL GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL AGES . W E STRIVE TO CREATE AND PROVIDE ACCESS TO CLOTHING - OPTIONAL ENVIRONMENTS WHERE THE UNCLOTHED HUMAN BODY IS CELEBRATED , WHERE HUMAN SENSUALITY IS ACCEPTED , AND WHERE PERSONAL CHOICE IS RESPECTED .<br><br> PROUDLY AFFILIATED WITH BOTH THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR NUDE RECREATION AND THE NATURIST SOCIETY IN THIS ISSUE Editor's Soapbox: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back........2 This Month 9s Cover............................................................14 NATIONAL NEWS AND OUTRAGES: Wikipedia Adds cGoing Commando d To Its Dictionary..... 5 USC Hockey Goalie Ejected For Mooning........................10 Maine City Says Bowling Nude Breaks No Laws..............11 Topfree Group Protests Photo Ban On MySpace...............11 Silicon Valley 9s Phantom Nude Jogger Caught..................12 FEATURE STORIES: Why Does Stage Nudity Still Shock Us?..............................3 Annie's Mailbox: What To Do With A Nudist Wife?...........5 Interview With Stephen Crowley: Nudist Cartoonist.........13 How Bill Martin Lost His Natura Dream...........................16 Letters: What to Do About a Naked Neighbor?..................24 ENTERTAINMENT NUDES: Towels Only At This Oscar Party ........................................4 Penelope Cruz-Es Into Nude Beach By Accident?...............6 Heide Klum & Seal's Nude Family Portrait..........................6 Shears =1, Spears =0............................................................6 Oprah Magazine Has Century Project Photos......................7 New Bluefly Clothing Ad Features Nudes...........................7 New Dove Ad Campaign Features Nudes ...........................8 ART ISN 9T EASY DEPARTMENT: Clothing Optional 3 A One-Woman Show In Chicago .......9 Naked Stand-Up Comics Are A Hit In New York...............9 Fig Leaves Cover Crocheted Nudes at Show.....................12 CLU Art Students Hone Their Skills..................................14 SF Center Shows Disabled Student 9s Nude Art.................14 Muslim Art Students Rebel Against Drawing Nudes.........15 INTERNATIONAL NUDES: Aussie Columnist Praises Mainstream Nudity...................17 Nude Skiers Flash Queen Mary..........................................17 Australian Nude Olympics.................................................18 Police Urge Male Nude Cyclists To cWear A Sock d.........18 Aussie Nude Beach Gets City Approval.............................18 Man Fined for Mowing Lawn While Nude........................19 Naked Shepherd Statue Returned To His Flock.................19 Brits Win Okay For Nude Use Of Local Park....................20 BC Charity Plans Naked Bungee-Jumping.........................20 Nudist Hotel Opens In Uruguay.........................................20 Nobel- Winner (and Naturist) Alan MacDiarmid...............21 Couple Who Saw Hotel Guests Nude Gets Refund............21 Brazilian Judge Reverses Order To Ban You Tube............21 cSteamy d Art Show In Ireland ...........................................21 Dutch Gym Introduces cNaked Sunday d............................22 India Editorial Objects To Influx Of Nude Tourists...........22 Pravda Editorial: cNudism Endangers Human Health d......23 Spanish Police Face Fine For Nude Cover Up...................23 © Copyright 2007 Southern California Naturist Association, A Non-Profit Public Benefit Corporation, Calabasas, California, USA. All Rights Reserved.<br><br> Images and text are the property of SCNA and cannot be reproduced without advanced written permission. The SCNA Naturist Review March 2007 Page 3 GUEST COMMENTARY WHY DOES STAGE NUDITY STILL SHOCK US? We found this insightful article by Michael Billington in The Guardian (UK), published on February 15, 2007, and thought it worth repeating here: Does stage nudity, even in our enlightened age, still have the power to shock?<br><br> Judging by the hoo-ha surrounding young Daniel Radcliffe's appearance in the buff in Peter Shaffer's Equus , the answer would seem to be a resounding yes. With Radcliffe posing for peek-a-boo pictures that stop just short of his pubic hair, the press and the publicity machine seem to be engaged in some kind of mad titillatory game. I just hope all this scrutiny of Radcliffe doesn't distract attention from what is meant to be a serious play.<br><br> What is astonishing, looking back, is how relatively recent stage nudity is. Even 40 years ago, private parts were not meant to be seen in public places, as the critic Nicholas de Jongh makes clear in his book Politics, Prudery and Perversions: The Censoring of the English Stage 1901-1968 . Female nudes were tolerated at the Windmill as long as they didn't move.<br><br> Osborne's 1957 play The Entertainer , which satirised tatty nude revues, featured a bare Britannia and was scrutinised by the Lord Chamberlain "for fear of the sight of a pudendum. d According to De Jongh, the censor forbade in 1967 a naked statue of the president of the United States in Mrs. Wilson's Diary . So much for the special relationship.<br><br> Everything radically changed in 1968, the "year of revolutions" that saw the passing of the Theatres Act, ending the Lord Chamberlain's historic powers of censorship. Suddenly, nudity became both a defiant political gesture and a symbol of sexual liberation. That year, although the act didn't become law until September, the Royal Shakespeare Company jumped the gun in June.<br><br> Maggie Wright became the first person to appear mobile and naked on the legit stage when she played Helen of Troy in Marlowe's Dr Faustus . The Vaseline-smeared Ms. Wright cut quite a dash without causing outbreaks of lust in young spectators such as myself or, indeed, Eric Porter's Faustus ; one critic noted that Porter "offered her his lips to have his soul 'sucked forth' as gingerly as though he had just seen the lady emerge from a VD clinic." However, a breakthrough had been achieved.<br><br> Confirmation that the naked frontier had finally been passed came when the rock musical Hair opened at the Shaftesbury in September 1968, and the first act climaxed with the whole cast stripping to the buff. I loved Hair for its songs, its jubilant hippiedom and its anti-Vietnam protest. In truth, the only disappointment was the much-touted nudity, which seemed to take place in semi-darkness.<br><br> As Charles Marowitz noted at the time: "If one is going to show butts, boobs and assorted genitalia in a show like Hair , it must be, like everything else in the show, in a blaze of abandon." In fact, the contrast between the fully lit nudity of Dr Faustus and the penumbral darkness of Hair established a dichotomy that persists to this day. In the subsidized theatre, nudity is a dramatic device; in the commercial theatre, it is all too often a marketing tool. You want to sell tickets?<br><br> Offer a flash of flesh. A classic case was Abelard and Heloise by Ronald Millar, later a speechwriter for Margaret Thatcher, which opened at Wyndham's in 1971. Much was made of the fact that Diana Rigg and Keith Michell would engage in a nude love scene, but it was so sepulchrally lit as to be barely visible.<br><br> The dubious nature of the whole enterprise was confirmed by a friend of mine who took over as Heloise. A strict Catholic, she informed the producers in advance that she would not appear totally naked. Having accepted this, they then put endless pressure on her to disrobe.<br><br> She won her point while exposing theirs: that the bottom line, so to speak, is that nudity sells tickets. Confirmation came, more recently, with Terry Johnson's 2000 version of The Graduate . This was a pointless replica of the Mike Nichols movie that had one big box-office come-on: the prospect of seeing Kathleen Turner's Mrs.<br><br> Robinson in the altogether. In the end, it all happened in upstage gloom and the blink of an eye. The way we all succumb to naked pressure was highlighted by my own experience - which at least gives me the chance to set the record straight.<br><br> When Jerry Hall took over for Turner, I was sent to the first preview. Since my Guardian- purchased ticket was in row X, I took a small pair of opera glasses with me and was frisked on the way in. Rashly repeating this to a group of colleagues over dinner, I jokingly claimed that I was quizzed about the bulge in my pocket.<br><br> Sadly, it wasn't true, but the story appeared in print, branding me forever after as the Dirty Old Man of English criticism. What shows such as The Graduate really prove is that sex sells, especially when a big star is involved, and that the commercial theatre has a gift for Barnum-like bamboozlement. I suspect the subsidized sector also knows the value of naked bodies - but at least they don't use it as a sales tactic.<br><br> David Storey's The Changing Room , seen at the Royal Court in 1971, showed us a team of rugby league players who, naturally, engaged in post-match banter in the showers. Noël Coward famously said of the shower scene: "15 acorns are hardly worth the price of admission." The SCNA Naturist Review March 2007 Page 4 All that proves is that Coward couldn't count (this was not rugby union) and that he missed the point: the play was about work, not willy-watching. Equally, when Equus was first done at the Old Vic in 1973, I don't remember any advance publicity about Peter Firth's nakedness.<br><br> Only now, partly because of the Harry Potter connection, has it become a big issue. But nudity is still a double-edged sword. In the commercial sector, it attracts punters; in the subsidized world, it can draw moralizing smut-hunters.<br><br> I remember how, before Howard Brenton's The Romans in Britain was staged at the National in 1980, the theatre's director, Peter Hall, was apprehensive; he feared it might be seen as an endorsement of Irish republicanism. In the event, what excited the attention of Mary Whitehouse was a palpably simulated scene in which a Roman soldier buggered a naked Celtic priest. This led to a ludicrous private prosecution under the 1956 Sexual Offences Act.<br><br> Although the case was withdrawn, it distracted and demoralized the show's author and director. It also confirmed English double standards. No one, happily, ever thought to prosecute a raunchy nude revue such as Oh!<br><br> Calcutta!, conceived by Kenneth Tynan, which offered more or less uninterrupted fake-coitus. Put on a serious play that sexualises the colonial act, however, and you instantly run into trouble. My own feeling is that it is high time the theatre grew up, stripped nudity of its coyness and accepted it as a naked fact.<br><br> In short, we should treat it either as a dramatic imperative or as something designed to give erotic pleasure. In the classical theatre, it is significant that Ian McKellen's Coriolanus , Ian Holm's Lear and Stephen Dillane's Hamlet all at some point appeared naked because the situation demanded it. I see nothing wrong with that.<br><br> Similarly, it is difficult to see how Adam and Eve in Rupert Goold's production of Paradise Lost at Northampton could be anything but nude. Kenneth Clark pointed out in The Nude that it was legitimate to be sexually, as well as aesthetically, stirred by the naked form in art. So why not in the theatre?<br><br> What we need to put an end to is the smirking voyeurism of a commercial theatre that whets our appetite with nudity and then swathes it in shadows. By all means, let's have nudity on stage. But at the same time, let us ensure that it is guiltless, open and unashamed rather than constantly going off, as it were, at half-cock.<br><br> Equus opens at the Gielgud Theatre, London, on February 27. FORGET THE TUXEDOS AND GOWNS! TOWELS ONLY AT THIS OSCAR PARTY 02/24/2007, Albuquerque, New Mexico - In planning an Oscar party, you can go extravagant or you can stick to the bare minimum.<br><br> Beth Herschman plans to watch the 79th Annual Academy Awards in style Sunday, donning gloves, high-heeled shoes and sparkling jewels. Nothing unusual - except she won't be wearing anything else. Herschman is a member of Roadrunner Naturists, a nudist group based in central New Mexico that has been around for more than 25 years.<br><br> The group, which has about 70 members, has been having Oscar parties for the past few years, said membership director Yvonne Smith. Attendees are encouraged to "come undressed to the nines," sporting accessories such as gloves, pearls, cummerbunds and ties along with a natural look that suits the event. "Even the Oscar guy is naked," Smith said.<br><br> The event is clothing-optional, but Smith said whoever comes clothed usually feels out of place and is undressed 10 minutes into the party. The party will have its traditional contest to see who picks the most Oscar winners. The winner at the Roadrunner Naturists party will choose between T-shirts that say cBarefoot all over d and cI'm completely nude under my clothes, d Smith said the prize is kind of funny for a nudist group, but it's not a contradiction.<br><br> cWe're not naked all the time, d Smith said. cWe have to go to the grocery store and places like that, too. d Smith said the Oscar party is more enjoyable and liberating when you're unclothed. "It's about being accepted for who and what you are.<br><br> There's no pretentiousness," she said. While that might be true, club-member Herschman acknowledges that there's really one thing that makes watching the Oscars so alluring. "Everybody loves the clothes," she said.<br><br> Original story by Stephanie Garcia Krenrich in the Albuquerque Tribune The SCNA Naturist Review March 2007 Page 5 ANNIE'S MAILBOX: WHAT TO DO WITH A NUDIST WIFE? 2/14/2007 3 cAnnie 9s Mailbox d is a syndicated advice column distributed around the world. We spotted this particular letter and reply and thought we 9d share it to get your reaction: Dear Annie: I am 34, and my wife is 24.<br><br> We've been married for two years, and I am the happiest man alive. She is everything you could ask for in a wife and lover, except for one thing. My wife is a nudist.<br><br> We have a rather private backyard and a pool, so she just hops in the pool in the buff with never a concern that someone might see her. I had only met her family on two occasions before we wed, but when they came to visit, they all went swimming in the nude (her father, mother and brother). I was somewhat taken aback, but figured, "when in Rome." However, a UPS driver delivered a package the other day, and my wife answered the door wearing panties and an open blouse.<br><br> She wasn't wearing a bra, and she has a fabulous figure. When I said this was a little inappropriate, her answer was, "He's old enough to be my father." Last week, she called me at work and asked if I could come home early as she wanted me to meet her brother's best friend. When I got home, they were all swimming in the nude.<br><br> When my wife got out of the pool, I can tell you that her brother's friend was not looking at her like a sister. I don't think she is promiscuous, but how can she treat her body so trivially? She has an advanced degree, a wonderful job and is very religious.<br><br> Am I just an old fogey? -- Bradenton, Fla. Dear Bradenton: Not at all.<br><br> Your wife may be a nudist, but she is also an exhibitionist. She enjoys going without clothes and likes others to see her that way. Insist, as a sign of respect for you, that she cover up when non-relatives are present, especially when she answers the door, for heaven's sake.<br><br> She could get into serious trouble doing that, no matter how old the deliveryman is. ADVERTISE IN THE SCNA NATURALIST REVIEW! As little as $350/year buys you direct exposure to over 10,000 hits per day to the SCNA web site and exposure to naturists all over the greater Los Angeles area.<br><br> Call SCNA at (818) 225-2273 for details. WIKIPEDIA ADDS cGOING COMMANDO d TO DICTIONARY In the wake of several celebrities being photographed without their underwear in recent months, the Internet 9s global encyclopedia Wikipedia has added the term c Going Commando d to its listings. The formal worldwide definition now says Going Commando is cthe act of not wearing underwear under one's outer clothing. d Two cAmerican slang d phrases were also added that further refine the underwear-less act to a specific gender: Freeballing (referring to men not wearing underwear) and Freebuffing (referring to women).<br><br> The encyclopedia further explains, cMany people go commando strictly for comfort, feeling that underwear is unnecessarily restrictive and tight, or just preferring greater mobility for the genitalia. However, in many cases there is a recognizable sexual element to the behavior. cGoing without underwear is said to have certain benefits.<br><br> Dr. Caroline F. Pukall of Queens University states that going without underwear while sleeping can have significant benefits to the vulva.<br><br> It is also said that tight underwear decreases sperm count in men, and it is recommended to wear more loose fitting clothing around the genitals. cGoing commando appears to be an increasingly popular practice. A 2004 study of 7,000 people by the New York- based clothier Freshpair revealed that 9% of men and 7% of women go commando day-to-day.<br><br> Those who do so semi- regularly are much more numerous, possibly around 25- 30%, and most people have tried it at some point. cNotably, in Chile the act of not wearing underwear has been called "andar-a-lo-gringo" ("go about as the Americans") for decades. The origins of the phrase are uncertain, with some speculating that it may refer to being "out in the open" or "ready for action." The earliest known use of the term in print is January 22, 1985 when Jim Spencer wrote in the Chicago Tribune : cGoing commando may come from the mistaken idea that 8commandos 9 go into a military action without cover&going without underwear ('going commando', as they say on campus) is simply gross. d Thanks, Paris, Pink, Lindsay, and Britney!<br><br> The SCNA Naturist Review March 2007 Page 6 ENTERTAINMENT NUDES PENELOPE CRUZ-ES INTO NUDE BEACH BY ACCIDENT? DON 9T THINK SO! 1/7/2007, Burbank, CA 3Penelope Cruz told TV host Jay Leno last night that she caccidentally stumbed onto a nudist beach in the Caribbean d last month.<br><br> As reported in British tabloid newspaper, The Sun , the curvy actress got an eyeful while holidaying with her doppelganger sister Monica at an undisclosed beach over the Christmas holidays. With a straight face, Penelope told Leno she didn't even realize that bathers around her were baring all until after she got home from the trip and checked her holiday snapshots. "We were there, and someone from my family was taking a picture of me and my sister.<br><br> We were posing, and we didn't realize that right behind us we had a nude guy laying on a towel. "That's how we discovered we were on a nudist beach - when we looked at the pictures! We were like, 'What is that behind us!'" How do you NOT know it 9s a nudist beach???<br><br> Especially when some other person snapped a photo of Penelope joining in the fun (see above). Nice story, but we ain 9t buying it! HEIDE KLUM & SEAL'S NUDE FAMILY PORTRAIT PROUDLY HANGS IN THEIR HOME 1/24/2007 3 The Bang Showbiz website reports Heidi Klum and Seal have naked family pictures displayed in their Los Angeles home.<br><br> The images - taken before the supermodel became pregnant with the couple's two-month-old son Jonathan - feature Seal, Heidi's daughter Leni, two, and her and Seal's 16-month-old son Henry. A friend of the couple said: "There are big, naked portraits of them with the kids. They are tasteful, but, you know, confronting." The Victoria's Secret model has always taken pride in her toned physique.<br><br> The 33-year-old lost an astonishing 30 pounds in just two months after giving birth to Henry with the help of celebrity fitness guru David Kirsch. She said: "I ate well during pregnancy - anything I felt like, even cookies, ice cream and fries. But with David I had to watch everything I ate.<br><br> When I need to get back in shape fast I know he is the man." Heidi's strong weight views sparked heavy criticism when she told an 80 pound girl she was too fat to model, while appearing on TV show 'Germany's Next Supermodel' . http://www.azcentral.com/ent/celeb//articles/0124seal.html SHEARS =1, SPEARS =0: BRITNEY 9S DRAPES NOW MATCH HER CARPET! 2/19/2007, Hollywierd, CA 4It wasn't long ago that few thought or cared about what went on inside the mind of pop star Britney Spears.<br><br> Now, after she shaved her head in a bizarre episode that culminates a months-long saga of controversial behavior, it's the question being asked by her fans, her foes and the general public: What was she thinking? On Friday evening, Spears walked into Esther's Hair Salon in Tarzana, Calif., reportedly complained that her hair extensions were too tight, and asked owner Esther Tognozzi to shave her head. "I said well I'm not doing it," Tognozzi told the syndicated entertainment news show Extra .<br><br> cOf course I tried to talk her out of it," Tognozzi continued. The salon owners said Spears then grabbed the buzzer and began buzzing off her own hair. According to Tognozzi, the only emotions that Britney showed were when she said her mom was going to be mad that she was doing this.<br><br> She got a little bit teary eyed. d The strands of hair Spears left on the salon floor were posted on e-Bay. There are reports the bidding reached $1 million before the auction was removed from the web site because the hair could not be authenticated. After leaving the salon, Spears headed to the Body & Soul tattoo parlor in nearby Sherman Oaks, Calif.<br><br> According to Us Weekly , she got two tattoos there, one on her hip and one on her wrist. When a Body & Soul employee looked at the pop star in disbelief and asked why she shaved her head, Spears said, "I don't want anyone touching me. I'm tired of everybody touching me." By week 9s end her family and ex-husband had staged an intervention and gotten Spears to enter a rehab facility in Malibu, but not without the pop star checking herself out the next morning so she could see her two children.<br><br> Sources say her two kids were in the custody of Kevin Federline, and when Spears showed up his house, her ex refused to let her in. Spear 9s parents rescued her and drove her back to the rehab center, where she is expected to spend from 30 to 45 days. Federline 9s attorney told reporters if she leaves rehab again before getting full treatment, he will immediately go to court seeking orders allowing Federline full custody of the children.<br><br> Stay tuned. The SCNA Naturist Review March 2007 Page 7 OPRAH MAGAZINE FEATURES CENTURY PROJECT PHOTOS 02/15/2007 3 The March issue of O, The Oprah Magazine , subtitled "Authenticity," features a book that strips away the barriers of identity. Bodies and Souls: The Century Project , is published by Heureka Productions, a naturist publisher, and leads off O's Reading Room section, presenting four photographs from the book and portions of the statements that accompany them.<br><br> The article, titled "The Naked Truth," describes photographer Frank Cordelle's 25-year project to photograph a diverse cross-section of nude women ranging in age from 0 to 100 years of age who "celebrate their perfectly imperfect bodies." As the article instructs: Don't cover your eyes. The women who appear . .<br><br> . want you to see them--really see them--in all their naked humanity." NUDITY IN ADVERTISING: NEW BLUEFLY CLOTHING AD CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED WITH FULL BODY NUDITY 2/9/2007, New York 3 Bluefly, Inc., a popular fashion and lifestyle e-commerce website, today debuted its new spring print ad campaign to appear in top national media markets around the country. The ads depicted naked women going about their days as though nothing is unusual, as though they are not naked to the world.<br><br> In a press release announcing the ad campaign, an unnamed spokesperson said, cthe ads bring to life one of the more common dreams we all have: literally being exposed for all to see&The fact that these women go unnoticed provokes the questions. Has society become immune to nudity? Would a woman rather go undressed than poorly dressed? d cThe clothing we choose to wear often defines who we are, or who we aspire to be.<br><br> Bluefly celebrates the importance of individuality and recognizes that&without that crucial form of expression, people are simply naked. d Bluefly President and CEO Melissa Payner, states in the press release: cThis campaign is not about nudity - it's about feeling naked, which is very different. These days more than ever, what you wear is inextricably linked to who you are. Without the 'right' clothes we experience an identity crisis.<br><br> So our tagline 'That's Why I Bluefly' is the perfect antidote for this condition." Tom Mulhall, owner of the Terra Cotta Inn in Palm Springs wrote a response to this release on the Bluefly web blog worthy of reprinting here: cAt nudist resorts, we are all wearing the same suit, our birthday suits. So you don't have to try to impress other people. You can relax and finally be yourself.<br><br> Like the models in these ads appearing as calm as can be, even though they are nude, members often say they have never been so comfortable and at ease than when they have been naked around other people at our resort. It just seems so natural to relax in the nude. Now, I want to make it clear, I highly respect Bluefly.<br><br> I think they are a very brave and innovative company. I tip my hat to them (one of the few things I wear besides my smile). I really enjoy these ads, and I wish this brave company success.<br><br> I wish more companies were as creative in their advertising as Bluefly. If Bluefly ever wants to use a nudist resort in one of their shoots, they could do a sort of reverse on this ad, like " When nudists have to wear clothes, what do they wear when they go out? That's why I Bluefly ." The SCNA Naturist Review March 2007 Page 8 NEW DOVE ADS FEATURES NUDE 50-SOMETHING WOMEN 02/02/2007 - Women aged 50 plus will be naked on American TV this weekend as part of the latest installment of Dove 9s Real Beauty campaign.<br><br> Created by Ogilvy Advertising, the 30 second TV spot aims to be a cpro-age d execution cto show that all women can feel confident about their bodies, d according to a press release on the corporate web site. In mid-2004, Dove released a study that they used as a spring board to launch their Campaign for Real Beauty. Among the findings of the study, were the following statistics: " Only two percent of women describe themselves as beautiful.<br><br> " Sixty-three percent strongly agree that society expects women to enhance their physical attractiveness. Forty- five percent of women feel women who are more beautiful have greater opportunities in life. " More than two-thirds (68%) of women strongly agree that "the media and advertising set an unrealistic standard of beauty that most woman can't ever achieve." " The majority (76%) wish female beauty was portrayed in the media as being made up of more than just physical attractiveness.<br><br> Seventy-five percent went on to say that they wish the media did a better job of portraying women of diverse physical attractiveness, including age, shape and size. In late 2004, Dove launched the first Campaign for Real Beauty which features real women, not models, advertising Dove's firming cream in a series of television and magazine ads and on billboards in selected cities. The ads tried to offset the unrealistically thin and unhealthy archetypal images associated with modeling.<br><br> This sentiment was articulated quite strongly through their ad slogan "real women have curves. d Dove 9s web site claims the ad campaign was chuge. d It received much media commentary, both positive and negative (some question the legitimacy of "real beauty" messaging through commercial beauty products). Also some billboards were defaced by vandals who spray painted slogans that the models were ctoo fat. d All the hoopla is precisely what Dove wanted. According to a press release, Dove wants "to make women feel more beautiful every day by challenging today's stereotypical view of beauty and inspiring women to take great care of themselves." The use of women "of various ages, shapes and sizes" is designed "to provoke discussion and debate about today's typecast beauty images." This new second phase kicked-off with a television ad which aired during the Super Bowl last month.<br><br> Dove paid 2.4 million dollars for 30 seconds of commercial time. Dove says its campaign has been well received by audiences. Time will tell if the image of older naked women in ads affects the body acceptance debate in this country.<br><br> The SCNA Naturist Review March 2007 Page 9 NUDITY ON STAGE cCLOTHING OPTIONAL d ONE 3 WOMAN SHOW IN CHICAGO HIGHLIGHTS cCRIPS d SERIES 1/28/2007, Chicago, Illinois - Before you do anything that might embarrass us all, let's get this clear: "Clothing Optional" is just the name of a show about one woman's experiences as a person with disabilities at the Harbin Springs health spa in Northern California. It is not an invitation for audience participation, so keep your pants on. The humorous solo performance by Tekki Lomnicki kicks off cCrip Slam Sundays, d a series of performances by and about people with disabilities now playing at the Victory Gardens Greenhouse Theater on Lincoln Avenue.<br><br> The name "Crip Slam Sundays" might make some people do a double-take, but organizers hope to reclaim the slang for cripple: 8crip. 9 "We've made some headway about disability culture throughout the community, and now we're lining up and having our say," says Mike Ervin, playwright, disability advocate and Project Director. In the show, Lomnicki finds herself at a clothing optional hot springs commune in Northern California, she takes the audience on a hilarious tour, undressing her fears about her body image in the process. Lomnicki hopes her performance piece about body image issues, written after her visit to Northern California's Harbin Hot Springs retreat center, where clothing is optional, will foster understanding.<br><br> "Some executive might be in the audience with some body issue--maybe he's bald or maybe for some reason he wasn't able to play baseball as a kid--then the light bulb goes on that says, `I'm like her.' If what I do causes just a few instances of healing, then I've done my job," says Lomnicki, an actress, writer and teacher, who was born with diastrophic dwarfism. From Lomnicki's perspective, that awareness has already progressed. Likening the evolvement of disabled artists to the advancement of African-American artists, she says, "When I first started performing 10-15 years ago, directors didn't want to see disabled performers in mainstream roles.<br><br> They wanted to see us as disabled characters." Things are changing, however. Recalling how she was recently asked to play a prison guard for a Chicago production because the role matched her personality, she says, "Now people call me about roles they think I'm terrific for." NAKED STAND-UP COMICS ARE A HIT IN NEW YORK 02/08/2007, Cambridge, Mass 3 Once a month, Boston native Ofiesh hosts the Naked Comedy Showcase , which he started three years ago, at Boston 9s Improv . The show also goes on the road to various other locales 3 usually packed houses 3 including New York and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland.<br><br> The show features completely nude professional comedians performing in front of a completely dressed audience, although on occasion they 9ve also had a nude audience for a private performance. The show is very popular, as it has a certain cin d cachet. Ofiesh actually was a nudist before he was a comedian, doing his first ever stand-up at a nudist club.<br><br> He discovered it was something he was good at and now even does comedy fully clothed as well! As for the many other comedians who take part, the majority are men simply because most comics are male, but a surprisingly large number of women have dared to bare their comedy routine. Ofiesh told us that he doesn 9t have to beg other comedians to participate these days, but the most convincing argument he 9s used in the past is to tell them that they 9ll crelive the terror d they felt when they were neophytes.<br><br> Hecklers aren 9t a problem, he says, as audience members are oddly very protective of nude comedians, even booing boisterous patrons. They 9re awed that someone could have the courage to do comedy in the buff, Ofiesh confided. The style of comedy involved tends to be adult-oriented, but so is most comedy club material, the only difference being that there 9s a wealth of self-deprecating jokes one can make while standing naked on a stage.<br><br> The only criteria the performers must adhere to is no sexual acts, no touching the audience, and no tips. This story first appeared on WHDH Channel 7 Boston. The SCNA Naturist Review March 2007 Page 10 USC HOCKEY GOALIE MEYER EJECTED & TICKETED AFTER MOONING REFEREES IN UTAH GAME 02/22/2007, North Logan, Utah 3 A University of Southern California (USC) hockey goalie put on a show, but it had nothing to do with stopping shots.<br><br> Mickey Meyer, a college junior, told an Internet broadcast after the game "I had my fill of these refs," referring to what he considered poor officiating by the game referees. Play was stopped with about a minute to play in the third period of the game, as the referees were trying to sort out penalties. There were five USC players already in the penalty box, and Meyers was not happy about what he viewed as cone-sided d decisions favoring his Brigham Young opponents.<br><br> Suddenly Meyers was seen "riding his hockey stick like a horse and slapping his butt," North Park Officer Mike Stauffer said in the Logan Herald-Journal printed the next morning. The crowd began to applaud and scream at his antics. Meyers then pulled down his pants and slapped his bare bottom several times as he continued to ride his chorse d around the ice near the USC goal.<br><br> Campus police immediately rush onto the ice and grabbed the young player and removed him from the ice. The referees then ejected him from the game and the police gave him a ticket for lewd conduct. The entire incident took about 30 seconds said witnesses.<br><br> During the broadcast, USC commentator David Foley said Meyer left the ice to a chuge ovation from the crowd d and took pictures with teammates in the penalty box. cMickey Meyer just mooned the crowd, d Foley said during the call. cThe Oregon players are loving it.<br><br> They 9re going nuts. That was absolutely hilarious. d Monday, the arena 9s general manager said the incident was no laughing matter. North Park Police Sgt.<br><br> John Italasano said the County Attorney 9s Office will now decide whether to criminally prosecute Meyer. According to the Utah Penal Code (76-9-702): Lewdness means someone "exposes his or her genitals, the female breast below the top of the areola, the buttocks, the anus, or the pubic area" in such a way so that it "likely cause affront or alarm to, on, or in the presence of another." cIt 9s the first incident we 9ve ever had of that type, d Floyd Naegle said. cThe Eccles Ice Center is probably the most family-friendly, upbeat arena around. d The afternoon game was part of the ACHA West Regional tournament at Eccles Ice Center.<br><br> Readers Comments: Of course, there were reader comments made both on-line and in the newspaper during the days following the incident. Some examples: cMy little girls and I were at the game, and they are both still shocked by what they saw, and there is no way to erase the ugly things that they remember in their minds. My wife and I intend to make sure that our local prosecutor makes Mickey pay for his actions.<br><br> " 3 Brad cThis is being blown way out of proportion. I was at the arena and had a very clear view...The goalie showed maybe 1, maybe 1 1/4 butt cheeks. There is no way that anyone saw more than that unless they were imagining it.<br><br> Even if he should be punished in some way, I think that some of you need to turn your pitchforks at those more deserving of it." - Sonny cI was at the game, and there couldn't have been 50 people in the rink, and the majority of them were cracking up laughing. d - Stein In the epic battle scene in Braveheart, Mel Gibson did not show his bum to the English Army thinking about sex. It is irresponsible to use sexual offender laws on those who do no genuine sexual offenses&Anyone thinking Mickey's act was sexual needs to examine their own filthy conscience. d 3 Paul Benjy cI am a student at USU and I am LDS (Mormon). I attend the majority of hockey games not because it's a family friendly environment, but because I am a huge hockey fan.<br><br> With that being said, we all know the ref's are idiots sometimes especially when they are favoring BYU. So I completely understand the frustration of the goalie. I wish I could have been there.<br><br> I think it's hilarious, and I probably would have cheered him on and given him a standing ovation. d 3 Unnamed BYU student cYou do realize its the human body we're talking about and not a decapitated head. If you try to shield your kids too much, they'll go crazy when they get to college. - Dez cIf your kids are that sheltered, what are they doing at a hockey game?<br><br> Have you heard the student chants at BYU hockey games? Your kids won't make a big deal if you don't. d - Bob cThe incident took place in less than 30 seconds, and unless your girls are freaks they were not watching the goalie. There's always got to be some righteous critic that has to judge others.<br><br> Watch out, for you will be judged eventually too!" 3 USC Mom The SCNA Naturist Review March 2007 Page 11 MAINE CITY SAYS BOWLING NUDE BREAKS NO LAWS 01/30/2007, Bangor, Maine 3 Some nudists who have been renting the Old Town Bowling Center for private parties don 9t appear to be breaking any laws or ordinances, but they are having fun candlepin bowling and playing pool. "Hey, you can 9t go skinny-dipping at this time of year," said Hessa, who organized the events and wanted to be identified only by her first name. During the three events the Bare Nekkid Mainers have held in the center since September, the one-story building at 185 Center St.<br><br> was closed, its windows and doors were covered in paper, and signs announced that a private party was in progress. "I have absolutely no problem with it, and I hope nobody else does," Charles "Chip" Carson, the center 9s owner, said Monday. "They just happen to like having a good time without their clothes on." On Jan.<br><br> 20, a man apparently ignored the signs and entered the center with his 8-year-old son. "I tried to stop him," Hessa said Monday. "He walked through two doors that were covered in paper and had signs." He apparently saw a nude male playing pool.<br><br> Disgusted, the visitor went to police. "One of our officers went over there to check," Old Town police Capt. Kyle Smart said Monday.<br><br> Police found no violations, and after checking with the city attorney and municipal officials, they concluded there has been no wrongdoing. The doors can 9t be locked for fire and life safety reasons when people are inside, but Hessa said the group plans to post someone at the door at all times for future events. "Evidently, there 9s nothing in our ordinances," City Clerk Patty Brochu said.<br><br> Nudity falls under a business 9 special amusement permit, which the bowling center isn 9t required to have. Because the events are private parties where people must RSVP and be placed on a list to enter, it 9s not necessary to obtain such a permit. Hessa said she hopes that no one tries to create new laws or ordinances because of the group 9s activities.<br><br> "We 9re not doing anything sexually explicit&We just like to do things a little different, and it 9s all just plain fun. d People come from as far as 150 miles away for the naked bowling in Old Town, Hessa said. Some get hotel rooms for the night, and she stressed that they spend money on food and other amenities while they 9re here. "Economically, it 9s tourism at its best," she said.<br><br> "Everybody 9s laughed at it, to be honest with you," he said. "These people are the cleanest people that you 9ve ever met in your life." Each participant brings a towel to sit on, and they all clean up after themselves. d I wish every group was this clean," Carson said. " Original story by Aimee Dolloff, Bangor Daily News http://bangordailynews.com/news/t/news.aspx?articleid=145743&z oneid=500 TOPFREE GROUP PROTESTS PHOTO BAN ON MYSPACE 02/23/2007 3 The Topfree Equal Rights Association (TERA) web site is off on another rant this month over a woman whose photo of her breastfeeding her child was removed from her MySpace web page.<br><br> According to the TERA site, Melissa Rocks of Tacoma, Washington, posted the photo to help educate women on the subject. cNo stranger to prudery, MySpace took it down three times and threatened to close Ms. Rocks' account. d Here's the photo: TERA said some of the comments on this episode from random bloggers say things like, cAt least you can't really see anything. d TERA: cThey are, of course, no better than MySpace officials who caused this problem in the first place. d We find it curious that a web site devoted to the subject of breastfeeding would have its photo removed, since it is obviously on-subject and not their to titillate (no pun intended) the viewing audience.<br><br> But these are over-sensitive times we live in, so nothing should surprise us from the censorship front. The SCNA Naturist Review March 2007 Page 12 SILICON VALLEY 9S PHANTOM NUDE JOGGER FINALLY CAUGHT AND FINED 02/15/2007, San Jose, California 3 For more than a year, local residents out for a morning stroll with their dogs in a mountain park near Silicon Valley have reported seeing a middle-aged man running down various jogging paths wearing nothing more than a his shoes, dark-framed glasses and a hat. Park rangers in the Fremont Older Open Space Preserve of the Cupertino-Saratoga foothills had been on the lookout for him but never were able to catch him themselves.<br><br> After each reported sighting, park rangers have notified the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office and increased patrols along the trails where the jogger has been seen, Jurgensen said. One witness, San Jose equestrian Maurya Ehret, recounted her conversation last November with the man while she was riding her horse on one of the park 9s bridal trails. "He wasn 9t been rude or scary,'' Ehret said of the nature buff.<br><br> "He must have been shyer then,'' Ehret said. "Because he turned and ran the other way.'' Ehret said a few weeks later a couple of friends also saw the white, middle-aged man, and they had a short conversation with him, warning he could get in trouble. cHe seemed not to care too much, d Ehret said.<br><br> People are allowed to sunbathe naked in the park by local ordinance, but only out of eyeshot of others. Rudy Jurgensen of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District conceded many nudists might be jogging in the Fremont Older Preserve, but that he had never heard of anyone being harassed, cat least aside from aesthetically. d Then on February 9, a deputy spotted the man on a remote jogging trail and the officer made an immediate arrest for indecent exposure. The man, identified as Darryl Delacruz, a Silicon Valley engineer, told the judge last week he was sorry and that he would keep his clothes on from now on.<br><br> He was fined $95 after pleading guilty to the charges. Delacruz told a San Jose Mercury News reporter that he would miss the "liberating feeling" of running naked in the park, but conceded his personal comfort was less important than the discomfort his exercise habits might have caused others. "I'll go back, but I'll be wearing clothes," the San Jose man said.<br><br> "I don't want people to have the wrong impression." Delacruz said his preferred jogging attire was "about getting in touch with nature, not meeting people." Now that he's been exposed, though, he said he worries about being accused of doing something obscene. "It just takes one bad apple to ruin it for everyone," he said. "That is not what nudism is about at all." Sources information came from: several stories in the San Jose Mercury News between January 5 and February 25, 2007, and also from a television report on KESQ TV San Francisco.<br><br> FIG LEAVES PUT OVER OFFENDING PARTS IN EXHIBIT OF CROCHETED NUDES 02/05/ 2007, Washington DC-- "Public Art Private Parts" has returned to Washington -- only this time, the exhibit of completely crocheted pieces is drawing stares, giggles and even buyers instead of complaints. Taiwan-born artist Ming Yi Sung Zaleski's nude figures created an uproar in 2005 when they were shown in the lobby of a downtown office building. She was asked to remove her work from the lobby show, "Not the Knitting You Know," following complaints from a law firm tenant of the downtown Washington building where her work was on view.<br><br> In response to the law firm's requests to remove her art, Zaleski added the fig leaves to the offending private parts. "It never crossed my mind to have my work censored," said Zaleski, a 33-year-old art teacher. "I figured this is a grownup working place and if people are bothered by it, I'll cover it up, and if people want to see what's underneath, they can look." Each figure took her about two weeks to crochet, and her work includes male and female private parts of monkeys, humans and a goat.<br><br> She also includes hermaphroditic figures. Zaleski's naked human and animal figures are now back on display at the Nevin Kelly Gallery, along with a whimsical, five-minute film that explains why fig leaves cover the anatomically correct crocheted private parts. Those who are not offended are invited to lift the leaves.<br><br> "I'm not really a very political person," Zaleski said. "I just wanted to do my artwork, and I am still very interested in human figures. I don't like making sweaters when I crochet." The artist said she has moved on from the controversy, which she finds amusing.<br><br> She noted that people who complained -- mostly men -- kept their eyes on the art. "Even though their feet were walking, their heads kept turning and looking in this direction," she said. "If it bothers them so much, why do they keep looking?" The SCNA Naturist Review March 2007 Page 13 INTERVIEW WITH STEPHEN CROWLEY: PORTRAIT OF A NUDIST AND A CARTOONIST We recently contacted Stephen Crowley, an Australian who writes, draws and publishes nudist cartoons such as the series cLoxie and Zoot. d The nudist cartoon genre has few representatives, so he is one of a rare breed!<br><br> His work is of very high quality, and its our greatest pleasure to introduce you to this interesting artist and fellow nudist, which hopefully will coax you to read his delightful cartoons if you haven 9t already. Below is a transcript of our exchange, word for word& Nudist Day - How did the idea for Loxie and Zoot first come up and what is, in your mind, your target audience? Stephen Crowley - It was one of those cases that the idea just came to me.<br><br> Can 9t say how or why. I was doing natural health comics, and it occured to me that naturism was a natural health issue. In the end, neither concept mixed well (a bit like water and oil), but I did half page comic for an Australian nudist magazine in 1997 that featured Loxie and Zoot.<br><br> After that I took the comics to the Internet in 1998, and the concept has been evolving ever since. The current incarnation is The Bare Pit - which features characters from the original Loxie & Zoot series. At the moment it 9s set in a fantasy faerie land& and in case anyone thinks I 9ve lost the plot completely it 9s actually based on a story I started telling on the original site back in 2000.<br><br> As for my target audience, it 9s basically anyone who enjoys reading it - I know a fair number of nudists enjoy it but so do non-nudists. Some of the latter have admitted to trying out nudism as a result (or at the very least, feeling better about their body and nudity) - but I am not on any mission to convert people (not anymore!). Considering how many nudists are online, it is sometimes disappointing that more of them aren 9t reading the comics, but I guess they just don 9t like comics!<br><br> ND - How has it been received by the general community? The press? By other cartoonists?<br><br> SC - The online version of the comics have an overlap audience, that being people who read comics online. There is a community of web cartoonists, and my nudist cartoons are known to varying degrees by some within that community. I think I 9m probably regarded as that crazy nudist guy by most, and they 9re not sure what to think.<br><br> Fellow cartoonists rank a work on its merits rather than the content and they have been very helpful in getting me to lift my game from a writing and artistic perspective. Overall response from the general public has ranged from acceptance to some ridicule. I ignore the latter as they tend to be childish, and their comments indicate they have problems with themselves rather than with me.<br><br> I 9m always happy to receive constructive criticism, and I think the most useful and consistent criticism from fellow cartoonists and objective public has been that the earlier cartoons (specifically The Koala Bares storyline) were a bit preachy and overly focused on the 8nudists/nudism are great 9 theme. Both are valid criticisms, and I 9ve been at pains to move away from those weaknesses in my storytelling. Criticisms aside, people who warm to my comics, regardless of whether they are nudists, cartoonists or neither, seem to like the characters, the gentle humor and the art.<br><br> ND - Do you just do L & Z, or do you also have others? SC - I have one other comic that is currently active online. Called 8 Magellan 9 it is nothing like my nudist comic although I suppose there are writing and artistic similarities.<br><br> Magellan is a super-hero comic, that tries to take a fresh and different look at a very overworked genre. It has been well received, even picking up some peer-based and popularity- based award nominations over the past few years. It is interesting and challenging balancing two different projects at once but usually helps me keep a fresh perspective on both.<br><br> In Magellan , there are currently over 275 pages of action adventure - but it is unlike my nudist comics, containing pretty much no nudity, plus a fair bit of violence and swearing. ND - Do you make a living from just cartooning? SC - No.<br><br> It would be nice if I did! I had hoped sales from The Koala Bares books would help to make me self- sufficient, but that didn 9t happen as sales were much lower than hoped (i.e. disappointing).<br><br> I might be a reasonable cartoonist, but I 9m lousy at selling myself and also have few resources or money to be able to do that. I do make a little bit of money here and there. Good thing I do it for the love not the money.<br><br> ND - You 9ve done L & Z in print and online. What are the plans for the future? Perhaps produce an animated version?<br><br> SC- Animated would be fun for sure, but only possible with the backing of some company willing to give me a free creative run on it. I certainly don 9t have the time, money or resources to even think about such a project. For the time being there is no plan to sell any more books until I sell the remaining stock of my first publication& and that doesn 9t look like it will happen anytime soon.<br><br> For the moment I will just continue with my online project. The SCNA Naturist Review March 2007 Page 14 UNIVERSITY ART STUDENTS HONE THEIR SKILLS BY DRAWING HUMAN FORMS 02/05/2007, Thousand Oaks, CA - California Lutheran University art professor Michael Pearce can usually be seen walking across campus accompanied by his dog, but this particular Wednesday, the dog is at home. One colleague stops to talk and asks about the dog.<br><br> Pearce remarks that students in his live drawing class will be drawing a nude model, and it might be distracting to have a dog in the room. It's early in the spring semester at CLU in Thousand Oaks, and Pearce's live drawing and painting classes are busy places. For art major Jillian Friend, 20, this is her first live drawing experience.<br><br> "I thought maybe it would be a little awkward, but you get used to it," she said. "It's the human body. It's a beautiful thing." Friend says drawing a model is a challenge, especially when quick poses require students to draw multiple sketches in a brief amount of time.<br><br> "The big challenges are drawing hands and feet," she said. Ben Hengst, 22, a senior art major in his last semester, has decided to focus on painting people. "I'm a figure painter; that's what I want to do," he said during his live painting class.<br><br> "People are more interesting to paint from both a painter's and a viewer's perspective. It's easier to relate to." Hengst said that painting nudes was very important. "When you learn to accurately do nudes and you go paint someone wearing clothes, you know how the clothes are supposed to fall, where the weight is," and why clothes fall the way they do, said Hengst, who added that anatomy courses could be beneficial.<br><br> The CLU art department has added courses in watercolor and digital photography, new faculty members have arrived, and more gallery space for showcasing students' work has opened up around campus. Seniors are gearing up to curate their own solo shows. Original story written by Jason Redmond for the Ventura County Star.<br><br> Reprinted in the Cal Lutheran student newspaper. SF CENTER SHOWS NUDE ART CREATED BY STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES 02/13/2007, San Francisco 3 cNaked d constitutes a first for many of the artists working out of Creativity Explored, a nonprofit art facility that, since 1983, has provided people with developmental disabilities 4 cerebral palsy, autism, Down syndrome, mental illness 4 with a space to learn, create, exhibit and sell their work. Even though the representation and study of the nude figure is integral to art and a staple of art education, LeighAnn Martin, who curated the show, says the artists at Creativity Explored initially were uncomfortable working with live nude models.<br><br> She says, cThis population tends to be very protected from sexuality and nudity, so just to feel OK about drawing someone naked was huge. d Artist Melody Lima says, cAt first I was embarrassed. d But, through the use of anatomical studies, books and photographs, discomfort gave way to concentrating on observation and proportion. But for Steven Greeter, there wasn 9t time to feel discomfort: cWe were just thinking about the shapes. d Given that the distinction between the words cnude d and cnaked d reflects shame and embarrassment, the exhibition 9s title is significant. Most of the works are two-dimensional representations that don 9t necessarily picture particular people, yet many include images that suggest body parts 4 head, feet or hands.<br><br> Some works include text, others are completely abstract. Source: San Francisco Examiner . The exhibit closes March 1 More for info, go to www.creativityexplored.org THIS MONTH 9S COVER Kimble P.<br><br> Mead, 58, is a Brooklyn, New York, free lance illustrator who obtained his formal artist training at Pratt College in New York. His work has appeared in such magazines as Time, Ms., and Sports Illustrated. His "Cat Alphabet Poster" distributed by Noevelles Images can be seen in the background of Seinfeld TV show.<br><br> Kimble, who describes himself as an cavid people watcher, d was introduced to Little Beach, Hawaii, in May 1998 by a friend, and he has been part of that nudist community every since. c Surf 3 Little Beach d was created in 2001. Along with his associate "Dr.<br><br> Leisure, d he has produced four additional works dealing with various aspects of the nude beach scene. He writes that he clikes to be naked as often as I can. d Laser color reproductions of his art may be purchased via Dr. Leisure 9s web site at http://www.drleisure.com/.<br><br> The SCNA Naturist Review March 2007 Page 15 CANADIAN MUSLIM STUDENTS REBEL AGAINST DRAWING NUDES IN ART CLASSES 2/8/2007, London, Ontario, Canada 3The visual arts department features classes that can't be passed unless students complete nude drawings. The decision has chagrined some Muslin students. A recent decision by Western 9s visual arts department has left some Muslim students torn between their love for drawing and painting and their devotion to Islam.<br><br> After making accommodations for students for several years, the visual arts department added a note to the bottom of nine course descriptions effective Sept. 1, 2005, indicating csome sessions may involve drawing from the nude (female or male) as a required component of the course. d Though the note was added a year and a half ago, some students are just starting to feel its effects and voice their concerns. Two students, who asked to remain nameless, expressed their concerns to The Gazette .<br><br> One fourth-year Muslim student said until last year, she and some other students were allowed to negotiate alternatives with their professors, including drawing action figures and break-dancers. Not wanting to cause a fuss, she drew a female nude model in her first-year introductory course, but felt uncomfortable and regretted doing it afterwards. She spoke to Western 9s Muslim chaplain, Munir El-Kassem, who advised she should not draw nudes as it isn 9t permitted by Islam.<br><br> cA display of modesty is something which is part and parcel with the faith. You see this in the way Muslims dress, d he said. cWe believe the body is to be covered in a certain way, according to certain principles and, by extension, to draw a model who has shed all the clothes is completely against what the faith would permit.<br><br> It 9s very simple. d cThe department offers a wide range of studio courses and if students do not choose to take drawing and painting 4 for whatever reason 4 they are not required to do so, d said Patrick Mahon, chair of the visual arts department. Hassan Ahmad, president of the Muslim Students 9 Association, said he and the MSA would like to follow up the matter so Muslim students won 9t have to deal with it in the future. cThe university shouldn 9t make this black and white, d Ahmad said.<br><br> cThey should accept that they have a variety of people from a variety of different backgrounds. It 9s not fair to just say, 8this is how The West does things. 9 You have to be tolerant of others 9 traditions, because we have important traditions too. d Milde and Mahon said the note wasn 9t meant to attack anyone 9s religious or personal freedom. Milde added that some professors felt the curriculum was being cdetoured. d Professor David Merritt, who teaches several art studio courses including drawing and painting, said he 9s allowed alternatives for students in the past but wasn 9t happy about them, adding he likes using nude models because you can teach empathy by putting yourself in the place of what you 9re drawing.<br><br> cI know for religious reasons people have concerns, but I 9d rather not approach the human body from that perspective, d he said. cI 9d rather approach it as something we all have in common. d The students who talked to The Gazette said they 9d be willing to take zeros on life drawing assignments or draw clothed models in different positions and situations. cJust give us a choice.<br><br> That 9s all we ask, d one student said. cThe old policy was fine...even if they want us to provide more letters...that 9s fine. d cAs much as we would like to be sensitive to everybody 9s concerns, d Milde said, cacademic freedom says you have to describe the curriculum as you find it, and if some of that isn 9t compatible with certain people 9s beliefs, then it does create an unfortunate tension. d By Claire Neary and Joyce Wang in The Gazette, The University of Western Ontario Readers response to this article: c&In art schools, are exceptions made everywhere for Christians who are squeamish about nude art or nude models? No.<br><br> Then there must be no exceptions for others claiming to follow a particular religion. If students don 9t want to confront nudity, they have two options: don 9t study art or study it in an Islamic country. d 4Dr. Paul Rapoport, Professor (Emeritus) cI disagree with the Muslim students 9 complaint regarding the Department of Arts and Humanities 9 policy.<br><br> A student myself, I must register in courses and study materials I don 9t agree with. I believe an education doesn 9t solely comprise of learning about what I want and what I see in the world, but to hear from others as well. An education is an ongoing development that is only possible through the experimentation and acceptance of opinions other than my own.<br><br> I 9m a part of many minority groups and I don 9t feel Mr. Hassan Ahmad 9s statements adequately advocate the principle of equality. d 4Keith Chau, French & Political Science, IV The SCNA Naturist Review March 2007 Page 16 HOW BILL MARTIN 9S FLORIDA CHRISTIAN NATURA RESORT

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