Harvard Students Undress and Unwind Before Exams at Primal Scream

When the clock hit midnight Thursday, students streaked naked through Harvard Yard to mark the rear end of reading period — and the official start of finals — in the latest iteration of the decades-old Primal Scream tradition.

More than a hundred students gathered in front of Hollis Hall late Wednesday night, waiting to let go of their stress and their pants.

The participants were accompanied by the usual music from the Harvard University Band, who performed in front of the John Harvard statue, as per longstanding tradition. After a countdown and the usual scream from the crowd, the group ran a lap around the Yard. Spectators — who stood outside their dorms and lounged in chairs on the lawn — cheered them on.

As the crowd surged forward to begin their run, rows of students tripped and trampled each other on the path around the Yard. Most picked themselves up to continue their lap. But the mishap resulted in multiple injuries, mostly minor, with some students limping away after their runner’s high had worn off and their clothes were back on.

This semester’s attendance was significantly lower than in the fall — a typical drop-off, with many students preferring to brave the December chill rather than jog in the milder spring weather. Participants murmured about the new cameras installed throughout the Yard, and some students cited the expanded video surveillance as a reason not to take part in the run.

The spring semester’s Primal Scream marks the last opportunity for seniors to participate in the historic tradition. Jane J. Oh ’24-’25 was one of the seniors who used her final chance to run.

“Did not do it my freshman year because of the pandemic, so I decided this was my last chance to do it senior year,” Oh said.

Primal Scream began as the “Scream,” with students yelling out their windows to relieve stress when finals week officially began. It was not until the 1990s that students added streaking and sprinting to the semesterly ritual.

While most students ran Primal Scream in a pack, one student swiftly took the lead, completing his lap with time to spare as the crowd caught up. The frontrunner, Brandon A. Mendoza ’28, estimated that he ran a 4:30 mile pace.

“I think it’s exciting,” Mendoza said. “I just like, you know, head up and run as fast as I can.”

August C. Damiani ’28, another participant, and his roommate, Kyle S. Davis ’28, agreed they came to Primal Scream for “the great view” and for a break from routine.

“It’s edifying for me to be able to run around campus and scream,” said Damiani, a Crimson Technology associate. “So that’s why I’m here.”

—Staff writer Megan L. Blonigen can be reached at megan.blonigen@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X at @MeganBlonigen.

—Staff writer Shawn A. Boehmer can be reached at shawn.boehmer@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @ShawnBoehmer.