Back in 2015, Biola University banned skateboarding because of an incident in which a male skateboarder collided with a female pedestrian and fractured her ankle. Biola has since banned skateboarding because of this one incident, although it still allows students to ride bikes and scooters around campus. What makes the Biola Administration think that people riding bikes or scooters can't repeat the same accident?  Each year, "more than 500,000 people in the US are treated in emergency rooms, and more than 700 people die as a result of bicycle-related injuries" (https://www.geklaw.com) While, "data spanning two decades and found that more than 64,500 U.S. children and teens were treated in hospital emergency rooms each year." due to skating. (https://www.cbsnews.com)

This is an arbitrary reason to ban such a popular means of transit, especially in the heart of Los Angeles, California. "It’s especially popular in Los Angeles. Nearly 1 out of every 10 children between the ages of 6 and 17 in L.A. County knows how to skate." (https://www.latimes.com) There is no reason to ban skateboarding while allowing scooters and bicycles to ride freely on campus.

I started this petition because...
My name is Noah Wolfe and I grew up skating my whole life. Skateboarding has always been a joy for me and gives me a great sense of relaxation and peace when skating. I have used it many times as a way of therapy for myself as well as relieving some of the stress of school. Other than that, it is extremely fun for me and MANY fellow students on Biola's campus. But most importantly, it has been a significant way of expressing myself and who I am. Please help me and my fellow students take back the right to exercise our love for this sport back on this campus!