They See Me Rollin’, They Hatin’ — The Santa Clara

Pedestrians and skaters compete for control of the walkways

"Click, Click, Click" go the wheels of a skateboard roll over the bricks on the Santa Clara

campus and my body clenches, my toes curl under my feet and I stop in my tracks. The skateboard goes by and I can relax. My toes haven't been sliced out of my flip-flops on my way to Anthropology class.

Skateboarding has been a popular method of getting around campus for years. Almost every student I asked said it was a fast and easy way to get to class. Freshmen Sam Hallstrom and Chris Dolan both asked their parents for skateboards and scooters when they got to campus because they saw how common and easy it was, saving them an extra five minutes of sleeping in or playing video games before class.

In 2006, there was even a class offered on campus – Skateboarding 101 – to acclimate transferred students to the campus culture and etiquette. Classrooms and buildings have racks to store skateboards, and most days they are filled to the top with boards of any size or color. In recent years, bike racks have also been filling up.

As we return to campus post-pandemic and more freshmen ask for skateboards for Christmas, there still is no answer to the age-old question: "Do I move or do you move?" With more and more students on campus each year and no change in regulations or paths, these interactions are happening more often and becoming more dangerous. You jerk left as they go right and nearly miss a collision after you freeze in place and close your eyes tight. Was I supposed to move? Did I make them almost fall? Was that my fault?

The student handbook says bikes, skateboards and scooters are all allowed on campus but only at reasonable speeds and on the appropriate paths.

But what are those speeds and what are those paths? There are no clear designated bike or skateboard lanes. And who is enforcing the policies, besides a recent Campus Safety email that reminded students that "motorized scooters are not permitted on campus" due to their hazardous nature? While the campus has large and long walkways, they are jam-packed full of people both on wheels and on foot during passing periods. Many students can recall multiple accidents they have seen on campus.

"They give me so much anxiety I feel like someone is gonna knock me over, and it's happened before," said junior student Maya Bernard.

Izzy Morales, a senior student who doesn't bike, scooter or skateboard said she doesn't feel unsafe, but she doesn't always like the transportation devices.

"I feel like an asshole if I don't get out of the way, but those electric bikes are annoying. I’m pretty attuned to hearing them now so I try to stay out of the way."

As I talk with Chris Dolan, a freshman, in Benson with his blue longboard leaning up against his chair, he informs me that the responsibility to get out of the way is "50/50--it kinda depends on where I am but it can definitely get hairy-" his friend interrupts and argues, "skateboarders are hella annoying." Chris quickly chirps back that "people walk so slow!" I watch as the unspoken dynamic between pedestrians and riders unfolds before my eyes.

Students who don't ride on campus say they feel anxious because they don't want to get hit. But most people on wheels agree that it is the responsibility of the rider to stay out of the way.

Sam Hallstrom, also a freshman, zips around on his blue and silver folding scooter. He said that he sees a lot of problems in the motorized skateboards, scooters and bikes around campus. He believes that people can be real jerks about how and where they scooter and skateboard.

"There is a responsibility on the skateboarder to have the right etiquette," said Hallstrom. Some people don't. I see people zooming in a space clearly too small and that's just annoying."

Senior Esteban Samoya says he skates to and from class when he's late, but prefers walking because Santa Clara is predominantly a walking campus. When he can, he will ride the board to the edge of campus and then step off and walk with friends. Cole Warnick, who has been skateboarding for almost seven years, says the same thing while carrying his yellow and purple penny board into the library. He uses it to get to campus but not on or around it.

A member of the skateboarding club at Santa Clara says he feels confident in his abilities and never feels unsafe skateboarding to class. He says, "It's my responsibility. Most times I go out of my way. I don't expect people to move; I’m going a lot faster than them. But I do expect them to be aware of me." Then he jumps up and harasses a fellow student to buy a snow cone on a 90-degree day to raise money for the club. They use the money to make ramps and bring in more students to the club.

It seems the general consensus is that students riding don't have the right of way. Senior Aidan Smith, who sometimes rides his bike to class, says, "It's a pedestrian space. I only use the main paths because Santa Clara doesn't provide adequate paths for biking." Aidan is seeking a future in urban planning, and went to make an argument that the school should be providing bike paths if they preach a mission of sustainability.

It's a mutual agreement between rider and pedestrian that pedestrians have the right of way. However, pedestrians have a responsibility to be aware of their surroundings. So keep your head out of your phone and, yes, even out of your textbook, while walking around campus.