By Hannah Gray
As skateboarders whisk through campus, riding only inches from pedestrians, a concern for safety is becoming a prominent issue. ASUP and Harold Burke-Sivers, the Public Safety Director, are looking at ways to reform the skateboarding policy to make the UP campus more safety conscious and accident free.
"Banning has never been a consideration," Burke-Sivers said in regards to a few rumors about a possible ban of skateboarding on campus. In fact, long-boarding, which is a variation of skateboarding, has become the more popular means of transportation.
Burke-Sivers has teamed up with a couple of senators from ASUP to find a solution for this safety concern. He wants to work directly with the students to deal with this effectively, in order to find a reasonable compromise without banning skateboarding on campus.
The current UP skateboarding policy states that non-students cannot skateboard on campus, and that UP students must skateboard prudently and not around the Chiles Center, Franz Hall and Buckley Center Auditorium.
Some faculty and staff have been informally complaining to Burke-Sivers about the dangerous riding of skateboarders, like going too fast or blowing through stop signs without looking. These certain members are more concerned with someone getting hurt and would like to see something enacted before serious accidents occur. In addition to faculty and staff, Public Safety officers have noticed this same sort of behavior, according to Burke-Sivers.
"Personally, the issue is not skateboarding - people are just being considerate with safety issues," said Hans Nordstrom, the Academic Senate representative on the Presidential Advisory Committee on Health and Safety and assistant mathematics professor.
In result of the safety issue, Burke-Sivers brought the concern to members of ASUP - sophomores Katie Scally and Colin Dorwart - in hopes of finding a solution.
"It is kind of a respect issue. We want to respect the faculty and administration and acknowledge that they are here too," said Scally, a senator for the College of Arts and Sciences. Scally is currently delegating between Burke-Sivers and ASUP for suggestions about this situation.
Some suggestions Scally has received thus far have been "a three strikes and you're out" approach;" to put signs around campus in order to promote awareness; to designate part of the sidewalk for skateboarders; and to eliminate the use of skateboards in the academic quad from 9:00 a.m. to noon, according to Scally.
These suggestions face difficulties because the skateboarding issue is not confined to one specific area on campus, according to Burke-Sivers. Therefore, the suggestions are not particularly applicable to the situation.
In regards to the suggestions, Burke-Sivers went through the pros and cons of each suggestion and really tried to open up the dialogue by doing so.
Students definitely do not want to see skateboarding or other variations of the sport banned. Skateboarders are trying to stay aware of their surroundings, including pedestrians.
"Everyone I long-board with does not do anything reckless on campus - we are careful. I watch out for people, and I stop for cars if they aren't stopping," freshman Dan Eardley said.
Awareness of reckless skateboarding is what is currently being addressed and discussed.
"I think skateboarders should be more conscientious and not weave in and out of people, but I don't think there can be anymore regulations," freshman Greg Matt said. "My friends and I have been really good about being safe - if there is a big crowd, we'll pick up our boards and walk around."
The safety issue doesn't just include skateboarding though.
"It is not just about skateboarding issues but traffic problems in general, like Public Safety and bicycles," Nordstrom said. "We all have to coexist. People have to be respectful of each other's right-of-way."
Even though bicycles are a concern, skateboarding has received closer attention lately due to its increase in popularity.
"Skateboards are a viable transportation and are more nimble so it is easier to get through crowds," sophomore Hayz Grant said. "But I feel like I almost get hit by bikes more than skateboards."
The means of dealing with this safety concern is to honor the goal of a safe environment, Burke-Sivers said.
"I would really like to see a kind of student-initiated awareness and that sense of respect," Scally said. "We shouldn't have to have Harold Burke-Sivers solve this - we should be aware on our own."
