“I am in no way affiliated with the UO School of Journalism & Communication.”
That’s what senior Joe Leineweber had a friend write on his back Tuesday afternoon before Leineweber ran naked through the Laurelwood Municipal Golf Course as part of a journalism workshop assignment. According to the Eugene Police Department, if three or more people file complaints with police, an individual can be charged with the misdemeanor offense of disorderly conduct.
Journalism Dean Tim Gleason said the assignments — which were fashioned by University alumnus and advertising guru Dan Wieden, who teaches the workshop — weren’t meant to be literal but rather were opportunities for students to creatively overcome their fears.
“We have made very clear what the parameters are regarding the assignments and what people are not to do,” Gleason said. “The workshop is not about breaking the law.”
When some students raised concerns about the controversial assignments — which require students to videotape their activity, such as playing Twister with a trucker or objecting at a wedding — journalism school faculty and administrators explained that the workshop is intended to get students to think beyond the task.
Gleason said he and faculty members told students that the school does not condone illegal or unethical behavior, and that students are in no way obligated to perform such activities.
“(Gleason) urged me many, many times just to find an alternative, a creative alternative,” Leineweber said. “I thanked him for the advice and told him I would consider that.”
Leineweber previously said he would never streak because he is modest, but he decided to go through with the task for the exact premise of the course — to begin overcoming fears, thus readying him for the real world.
“In a way, it is kind of good preparation,” Leineweber said a few days before streaking.

Vice President for Academic Affairs Lorraine Davis said she is unaware of any official policies that forbid instructors from giving assignments asking students to engage in illegal activities, although she said it should be understood that the practice is unacceptable.
“It would make sense that illegal activities would not be promoted,” she said. “If we got a direct report or grievance, we would look into it.”
Leineweber said in the past that he chose to accept the assignment because he didn’t want to disappoint his classmates or Wieden, who is president of the nationally renowned company Wieden + Kennedy. Likewise, Leineweber said he would not have been afraid to stand up to the creator of the phrase “Just do it.”
“I am not scared of Dan Wieden,” Leineweber said in an e-mail. “I never would have had a problem speaking up if I had a moral or ethical concern over my assignment.”
Wieden is out of the country and unavailable for comment.
Leineweber said he understands the assignment was not solely about the act of streaking. That’s why he said he decided to turn his assignment into a documentary about the controversy the workshop has created.
“I’m not merely streaking,” he said. “I’m going to make an effort to get a little more out of it.”
Kit Wilbur, a golf professional at Laurelwood Municipal Golf Course, confirmed that someone streaked through the golf course Tuesday. He said police were called, but was pretty sure they didn’t show up.
“There wasn’t really anything we could do about it,” he said. “I personally don’t care, but I’m sure it offended some of the customers.”
Leineweber said one of the most important things he has learned is that facing his fears is easier than living with them. He also learned not to yell at a golfer during an upswing while streaking across the greens.
“I almost got attacked with an 8-iron,” he said.
On June 4, Leineweber will present his project to Gleason, Wieden and the class at the Wieden + Kennedy office in Portland.