STILLWATER OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE / 20
Pond. For a few years, Shiflet attempted to secure the bull, but students brought chain cutters.
Concerned about potential injuries, Shiflet said he decided the bull needed to spend Streakers Night elsewhere. He began keeping it out of sight, on fenced, private property north of Stillwater, well before the crowds arrived.
LAST CALL FOR STREAKERS NIGHT
By 1979, the annual event lured another massive crowd, 10,000 by one over-zealous estimate, but a Washington Post reporter sensed that its days were numbered.“ Oklahoma State’ s Annual Ritual Barely Streaks Through,” its headline declared. Few streakers appeared, the reporter observed, and the arrest of one nude runner, tackled in a gravel alley and hauled away in handcuffs, seemed to sum up the night.
“ Public decency had been outraged, and the authorities had acted. Soon, Herman, as he identified himself, a non-student, was led off toward a squad car,” the Post wrote.
“ It seemed an unnecessarily unhappy conclusion to the gratuitous Streakers Night tradition, whose appeal was expressed by a girl … who had traveled to Stillwater from Arkansas: " I party all the time," she said. " I don ' t know what I ' m doing here."
Others believed print and broadcast media had been irresponsible in promoting Streakers Night beyond its formative years.
“ And the streakers? There were some, but‘ streaking’ is a fad that has pretty much played itself out, except once a year in Stillwater,” wrote Dr. Harry Heath, head of the OSU journalism school, in March 1978.“ There is no question in my mind that the rather extravagant coverage of earlier celebrations, plus the extensive advanced coverage this year, played a vital role in the growth of the unofficial event.”
Peters said over time many noticed a transformation in the revelers. The crowd originally was comprised of happy-go-lucky college students. Now, a majority seemed to be heavy partying outsiders and“ some elements that were a little more nefarious.”
Vandalism and mayhem increased. Two men were arrested for turning over a car and attempting to set it on fire. Some retailers hired security guards. A florist on The Strip suggested calling out the National Guard to enforce more control, an idea that got little traction but reflected the growing mood.
Mainly in response to the event, local drinking laws became more restrictive. Law officers became more aggressive, and arrests spiked. Most of those jailed were from out of town. The highway patrol increased surveillance of roads into Stillwater, seeking to intercept suspicious or drunk drivers.
By March 1983, the front page of The Daily O’ Collegian student newspaper published a front-page photo of a dreary, barricaded Washington Street, looking“ more like it does on any other Thursday night” – nothing resembling the once bustling Streakers Night.
Today, there is little evidence that The Strip hosted such a wild tradition. Dupree Sports and Coney Island are the only Washington Street businesses remaining from March 1974. The corner where the Sirloin Stockade bull stood is occupied by The Barn, a drive-through store with snacks and beverages.
For most students and Stillwater newcomers today, a mention of Streakers Night only evokes a quizzical expression. That is probably a good thing. SwOk
“ Public decency had been outraged, and the authorities had acted. Soon, Herman, as he identified himself, a non-student, was led off toward a squad car,” the Post wrote.“ It seemed an unnecessarily unhappy conclusion to the gratuitous Streakers Night tradition....."
STORY BY: DALE INGRAM Stillwater Oklahoma Magazine
PHOTOS by OSU AND O ' COLLY ARCHIVES
STILLWATER OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE / 20