Jacob on the first day of the new rules

Nov,25 2019

#2: Outside ->

I took a deep breath in my dorm room. I had fought for this; I had won. Why did it feel as if I was about to be killed?

New Mexico had stayed out of the debate and simply let towns, employers, universities, or any other place with regulations deal with the problem.

Except no one had done so. Well, no one important.

So it's us, a few students of the Western New Mexico University, that decided to take matters into our own hands.

Most of the activists weren't even members of the cause: they fought for freedom in general and not their in particular, unlike a core group of my friends and I.

We celebrated our victory of the previous Friday, both my gang and the activists (together and apart), and during the get-together last night, we realized that most of our gang was too chicken to start the ball. I'll be honest: I was scared too, but perhaps less than the rest. Or maybe I had more liquid courage than they did on that night.

All I know is that I volunteered to start today. A single drop of freedom in a sea of over 3500 students.

More might follow in the following days, but today I would brave the sea of students alone.

I took a deep breath. "Jacob, you can do this" I told myself.

I turned the handle of my door and opened it. On the other side, in the corridor, was a thin crowd of male students, either leaving their dorm room for class or still in their pajamas going out for breakfast.

Kyle, one of my neighbors was only wearing his boxers; he was even barefooted!

At least I had socks and shoes on.

"Dude", he told me, half awake. "You forgot to put clothes on".

I smiled. It was important to seem nice.

"No Kyle, here, take a flyer". I took the first sheet of my huge pile of flyers and gave it to him.

I had more in my backpack along with, of course, the books and pens I needed for my first class across campus... in an hour. So, I decided to leave early, as I had no idea how many students would interrupt me.

Seeing a nude student on campus isn't something you see everyday, though I still hadn't even made it down my floor!

I skipped the elevator: the risk of being squeezed with intolerant bullies was too high, not that I was worried one-on-one; I hadn't volunteered randomly. I was on the NCAA football team, and I used to be a main defense in high school with the broad shoulders, massive biceps, and powerful legs that could stop a barrage of offensive players.

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't really in shape; I was bulky. I did have muscles, but my weight wasn't all good..

The staircase was close enough, but once I dropped one floor, I came head-to-head with Annie, one of the girls living on the female floor below ours.

"Jacob, what the fuck are you doing?"

"Hi Annie", I said, giving her a flyer. "Last Friday, the college successfully voted to become clothing optional starting today, so I decided to volunteer to lead the charge"

Annie yanked the flyer from my hand and sighed.

"But why?" she said, complaining and reading the flyer with deep content in her look.

"Naturism is on the rise in the United States, and we presented a survey showing that over 23% of the students were interested in being nude in the college if it was clothing optional"

She laughed. Another girl came in the stairs. Kelley, if I remember. I gave her a flyer, but she didn't say anything.

"23 percent? That's not even a quarter, pervert. You expect me to believe that the college listened to a minority like that?"

"Well", I replied. "71% of the students voted in favor of the measure. That's a pretty big majority"

"When?" she asked.

Kelley spoke. "Last week. It was in the school newspaper. You could vote all week. I voted last Wednesday"

"See, pervert, some of us voted against. I know I would have", Annie said, triumphant.

"I voted for it", Kelley replied, shy.

Annie turned around and yelled, "You too?"

Kelley went on the defense. "Oh no, I am not a naturist, but I know some, and I think it's time to open our minds. They deserve to go to college too!"

Kelley gave me back the flyer, saying, "You are really courageous". I thanked her.

"I have to go, see you Annie"!

We left her on the landing and descended the levels. Kelley asked me a few questions, such as my life experience with it, and was fascinated to learn that despite not growing up in a naturist center (my family lived in a textile area but went to naturist events), I was the first volunteer.

We reached the first floor, but not without me giving two more flyers.

#2: Outside ->