By Kelli Henderson/reporter
The student handbook has no rules against students using bicycles or skateboards to get to and from classes, said Lt. David Herndon of TCC police. Though no rules prohibit the use of skateboards, students still tend to get in trouble.
“The problem that we’ve run into is we really don’t prefer [students] to be doing the skateboards on campus. Some of it has to do with the safety of the individual and other people that are around them,” he said. “It’s one thing if they’re just going to class and not doing tricks, like going up and down the stairs, which is what some people want to do. That’s where issues have come in.”
Many students ride bikes to school, and bike racks are available around campus to keep bikes safe, Herndon said.
“I know there are a lot of apartments close to here [NE], so we do have students that ride their bikes from the apartments, and that’s a good thing,” he said.
Skateboards tend to be looked down upon, said NE student Nick Coan.
“Skateboarding is a legitimate form of transportation. You get from point A to point B without using gas,” he said. “It’s just like a bicycle except you stand up and you don’t have handle bars.”
Coan said he sees roughly three skaters a day while at TCC and doesn’t mind sharing the walkways with skateboarders or bicyclists because he is one of them. He is writing an essay for one of his classes on the stereotypes that skateboarders are given.
“The perception that the public has over skateboarding is too negative. They think [skateboarders] are going to destroy everything and don’t care about the property,” he said. “Most, actually, respect no-skating signs.”
Although he disagrees with stereotypes given to skateboarders, he said he does agree with the on-campus rule about avoiding tricks. Some involve the board flying out from underneath the rider, which could harm students passing by, Coan said.
For many students, getting to school is not as easy as hopping in a car and driving. Having accessible bike racks and nicely paved walkways around campus help many get to school. NE student Timothy Sanchez, service team leader of Campus Crusade for Christ, said he rides his bike almost everywhere.
“I don’t have a vehicle right now. I ride my bike. That’s how I get around,” he said.
Sanchez started riding his bike nearly a year ago. He said he gets great exercise and doesn’t have to worry about grievances like paying car insurance.
“I ride pretty far. I work in Watauga. It’s about seven to eight miles from here. I ride about 14 miles when I work,” he said.
Students who don’t partake in the riding do not seem to have issues with the students who do use bicycles or skateboards as their transportation.
NE student Madison Dickey said she sees students riding bikes to school all the time and respects their healthy lifestyles.
“I don’t mind [bikes]. They aren’t disrupting anyone,” she said. “Sometimes I wish I did it … it’s healthier, and it’s good for the environment and good exercise.”
NE student Mackenzie Langley sees more skateboarders than she does bike riders. She said she doesn’t mind them being among the crowds.
“I can understand if that’s their only way to get to school. I think it’s better for them to come to school [on a bike or skateboard] than not at all,” she said.
If students need to find more information on student conduct for TCC campuses, the student handbook can be found on the TCC website, in the link for student conduct and appeals under the student services tab.
