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Cornell Coed Protests Criticism of Clothing By Taking It Off

May 10, 2018

A Cornell University senior upset about a professor’s questioning of her cutoff shorts during a senior thesis presentation decided to protest by stripping down to her underwear.

The female professor of performing and media arts, who other students said is known for her “past and continued advocacy for women and minorities,” had told the student during a practice run earlier in the week that her shorts were too short.

The professor also asked the student what the student’s mother would think of her clothing choice.

“My mom is a feminist, gender and sexuality studies professor. She’s fine with my shorts,” the girl responded, according to the Cornell Daily Sun.

For the formal presentation of her thesis, the student took off her outer clothing and delivered the speech wearing only a bra and panties.

Twenty-eight of the 44 people there also removed their outer clothing in solidarity, according to the Cornell Daily Sun.

When they did, the student said: “So look around and rejoice. We are so triumphant.”

At the beginning of her presentation, which was livestreamed on Facebook, she thanked her parents in Korea for staying up late to watch.

“The only question this has led me to ask, is how much longer do we need to put up with this nonsense? … For years, we have made excuses for unacceptable behavior,” she said.

She also said she had experienced during the previous few days “confusion, total disbelief, but most overwhelmingly, pain.”