Iowa State University
5-8-96

Contacts:
Bill Boon, Design, (515) 294-8937
Steve Sullivan, News Service, (515) 294-3720

DESIGN STUDENTS COME TO CLASS 'WITH NO CLOTHES ON'

AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State students in design professor Bill Boon's creativity course have been presented with an immodest challenge for their final. They will be required to come to class Friday, May 10, with no clothes on -- sort of.

"Throughout history men and women have traditionally used all types of materials for clothing," said Boon, a professor of landscape architecture who is known for special projects that test his students' creative powers. "We are asking students to break tradition and not wear clothing. To come naked, of course, would not be creative. We are requiring students to use their creativity and come to class dressed in newsprint."

Boon has instructed his students to use "Big C" people -- people whose creativity has contributed to such areas as education, the sciences and the arts -- for inspiration. Costumes don't need to be an image of a specific person, but could be an image that symbolizes a person's contribution.

The newsprint-clad students will show off their creativity at 9:45 a.m. on Friday, May 10, near the south entrance of MacKay Hall on ISU's central campus. In case of rain, the event will be held in MacKay's main auditorium.