by Julia Carachure
Assistant Managing Editor
A sign in the Student Center reads the following: “No person shall use or operate any skateboard, rollerblades or razor scooters in the Student Center.”
The Campus Safety and Transportation Department will be issuing a memo to students in their mailboxes informing students that they are not allowed to ride their razor scooters or other modes of transportation inside any University of La Verne facility. Once students receive the memo, the policy will begin to be enforced by Campus Safety.
However, the sign that is currently in the Student Center was put on by Michael Houdyshell, coordinator of Campus Activities and Commuter Programs, because of safety reasons.
While there have been no serious problems in the Student Center regarding the use of the razor scooters, Houdyshell says that danger is there because, “It’s a closed area and there are too many students in here.”
“We’ve seen students riding not just in the Student Center, but in the halls, buildings where they’re going through class and there is just this concern for the safety of our students,” said John Lentz, director of Campus Safety and Transportation.
Another reason for the policy was that last year, very few students owned either a bicycle, skateboard, rollerblades or a razor scooter.
However, with the popularity of the razor scooters, more and more students are using various wheels to get to and from classes.
Lentz also said a problem is when students use scooters inside the buildings. Since students inside facilities are cramped, students riding around on razor scooters or skateboards risk injuring others.
“We are trying to be reasonable about it and understand that the fact that students are going to use them for getting from building to building but what we don’t want is then we don’t want them riding inside them [the buildings] and encourage them to be careful,” Lentz said. Another concern is that by using any of these devices it will damage property, ranging from scratching the walls to ruining the floor.
Junior Natalie Ganther thinks that having this policy is good regulation for the University.
“I feel like if your parents didn’t allow you to ride your scooter through the house, then don’t ride them through the hallways. It’s dangerous and why do you need to ride your scooter on the hallway for?” she said.
The issued memo explains that there is a concern for the safety of the students and about the adopted policy. The policy reads “The University of La Verne recognizes that college students are likely to use bicycles, skateboards, rollerblades, and scooters as means of transportation around campus. However, because of the danger of operating these devices in areas of pedestrian congestion, students are reminded to exercise extreme care and caution when riding such devices on the sidewalks of the campus. Students are strictly prohibited from operating the devices while inside any campus building.”
Once the policy has been issued, Campus Safety will enforce the students to follow it. If a student violates the policy, a warning will be given. If the policy is then violated a second time, the student may be then referred to the Judicial Board for further discipline.
