Delinquent, rebellious and alternative — the skateboard and its rider have always had a certain image to it and its surrounding culture. On college campuses across America, skateboarding is a popular mode of transport, but here at Penn State? You may find a skater or two cruising down Pollock Road, but why has there never been an official club for it on campus?
Since 1987, skateboarding has been banned on Penn State’s sidewalks and streets, with skaters getting warnings and even fines from student auxiliary officers and other campus authority figures. What makes the skateboard any more obstructive than a bicycle or an electric scooter?
A Bad Reputation
As skateboarding, and particularly street skating, can physically damage public property such as benches, curbs and signage, it can have a negative reputation as being a form of vandalism. Popular skate magazines like Thrasher have also often portrayed the sport as gritty, risky and unruly, while skate videos with millions of views online have perpetuated that image. Associated with alternative subcultures through music and fashion, skateboarding has often been integrated into anti-establishment groups and the “outcasts” of society.
The skater’s so-called “rebellious” image has changed over the years, with skateboarding even debuting as an official Olympic sport as of 2020. On a smaller scale, the skate shop of downtown State College, VHS Skateshop, is often frequented by local and student skaters alike. With no obvious signage seen around campus, and the general acceptance of skateboarding for most other colleges, this can be confusing for skaters new to Penn State.
The hot and cold treatment of skateboarding has also been made more puzzling by the announcement to build High Point Skate Park in 2018. As a publicly funded and State College approved venue, the local government seems to be in favor of the sport.
Despite all this, why does Penn State still insist on denying the skateboard as an activity and a common mode of transport?
The Penn State Way
According to Penn State’s Police & Public Safety Policies, the penalty for skateboarding on PSU property is $25. Despite this, skateboards — both electric and regular — are often used on campus regardless of what the rules say.
Without an official organization or place to belong on campus, skaters at Penn State have been relegated to going on their own, trying to connect with any other skater they see on the street or facing the fate of a $25 fee.
Since the early 2000s, the Daily Collegian has also been writing about Penn State’s skating ban and its utter ineffectiveness, yet the issue still persists.
While no student lobbying effort has changed the school’s policy thus far, the skating scene at Penn State still remains vibrant and active. With a hodgepodge skating “club” formed through word of mouth and the new skate park completion this fall semester, this community of “rule breakers” will continue to skate regardless of what Penn State’s policy says.
Tag us on Instagram, @VALLEYmag, with videos of your favorite skate tricks!
Related
https://www.valleymagazinepsu.com/the-subversive-subcultures-of-alternative-fashion/
https://www.valleymagazinepsu.com/active-campus-bicycle-season/
https://www.valleymagazinepsu.com/speaking-up-about-mental-health-olympic-athlete-addition/
Its superb as your other content : D, regards for putting up. “Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.” by Franklin P. Jones.
Hello my loved one! I wish to say that this post is amazing, great written and come with almost all vital infos. I?¦d like to look extra posts like this .
What¦s Happening i’m new to this, I stumbled upon this I have discovered It positively helpful and it has helped me out loads. I’m hoping to give a contribution & aid other users like its helped me. Good job.
I’m impressed, I must say. Actually hardly ever do I encounter a blog that’s both educative and entertaining, and let me tell you, you could have hit the nail on the head. Your thought is outstanding; the issue is one thing that not enough individuals are speaking intelligently about. I am very pleased that I stumbled across this in my seek for one thing regarding this.
dr bekir şen
Today, I went to the beachfront with my kids. I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She put the shell to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear. She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is totally off topic but I had to tell someone!
Fantastic beat ! I would like to apprentice while you amend your website, how could i subscribe for a blog website? The account aided me a acceptable deal. I had been tiny bit acquainted of this your broadcast provided bright clear idea
It’s really a cool and helpful piece of info. I’m glad that you shared this helpful information with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.
Fantastic items from you, man. I have take into account your stuff previous to and you are simply extremely great. I really like what you have obtained here, certainly like what you are saying and the way in which during which you say it. You make it entertaining and you still take care of to keep it sensible. I cant wait to read much more from you. This is actually a tremendous website.
Hi, just required you to know I he added your site to my Google bookmarks due to your layout. But seriously, I believe your internet site has 1 in the freshest theme I??ve came across. It extremely helps make reading your blog significantly easier.