Dear President Armstrong,
My name is Jacob Samia, a Cal Poly student at San Luis Obispo. In recent years, major talk over the skateboard policy on the Cal Poly campus has polarized views on campus. In my hometown of Los Angeles, skateboarding is used as an active form of transportation. Because of this, I am writing you in regard to this continued rule enforced on campus. Since you are the President of California Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo, your stance on skateboarding throughout campus is highly crucial, and I encourage you to reconsider the establishment of this rule, allowing students to have access to skateboarding through certain areas of campus.
Among the majority of arguments around the ban of skateboard use on campus, the most credible is campus safety. Although this argument is valid, there is flaw in the basis of this argument. The average Cal Poly student is about 20, and according to UPMC sports medicine, the majority of skateboarding related injuries occur in kids under 15. Because of this, there is a misconception present within the reasoning of banning skateboard use on our campus, as most skateboarding related injuries are not occurring in young adults, but children.
Another argument in favor of lifting this ban on skateboards is around these misconceptions too. Originally, the intention of this ban was not only safety, but also around the damage skateboarders were causing to campus. Although these $20,000 damages hurt campus well-being, the use of skateboards and their need on campus has shifted in recent years, with the majority of students who use skateboards skateboarding for transportation. This is due to the construction of a world class, multi-million-dollar skate park within minutes of campus. This assures public that our campus would not be used as a skate park like the past, and instead in the same way as bicycles and other transportation devices following the rule of campus.
Along with the benefit skateboarding would have on students in terms of transportation, there are also mental and physical benefits to skateboarding. Like biking around campus, skateboarding is a legitimate form of exercise, as MH magazine mentions skateboarding as a form of physical stress relief.
There are many economic and environmental benefits to skateboarding around campus. That is, skateboarding is an economical alternative to spending money on gas, while saving it. Not only does this provide a cheaper form of transportation, but also contributes to consuming less gasoline. Moreover, students would be able to make a contribution to the environment, all while saving money on parking and burning destructive gasoline.
As you are the president of this prestigious university, and I am a student, we both share a common goal. That is, the best college campus experience possible. Like me, the majority of students would benefit from skateboards being permitted on campus, all while promoting a more environmentally stable and economical campus lifestyle. Yes, skateboarding was once thought of as hazardous to campus, but in recent turn and new developments around the skateboarding community, it’s perception has shifted, and the rules and regulations around campus should facilitate this shift. Please consider skateboards on campus, as they truly would provide a more positive campus lifestyle, conducive to the needs of the students.
Sincerely,
Jacob Samia
Afro kid with a voice 