Brandon Kujawa skateboards to get around campus.

Kujawa, a freshman English and secondary education major, has been skating for seven years.

“It’s a method of transportation, and it’s just fun,” Kujawa said.

Eastern allows skateboards, in-line skates and bicycles to be used on sidewalks for safe transportation purposes.

The rules for skateboarding on campus can be found in the calendar handbook. On page 34 of the handbook it states, “Excessive speed, stunt riding, or any other use of bicycles, motor-driven vehicles, skateboards or in-line skates that may cause property damage and/or endanger self or others is prohibited. Users may not ride on stairways, patios, dock areas, benches, picnic tables or other irregular surfaces.”

While Eastern has policies on skateboarding, the new skate park in North Park does not. In fact, stunts are encouraged.

The skate park was opened in 2001 on Vine and Division Streets near the Charleston town square.

The skate park has ramp, rails and a half pipe that is a part of an obstacle course.

Students tend to use the park mostly in the afternoon, right after local schools dismiss, said Brian Jones, director of the Parks and Recreation Department.

During the warm months, the park is used every day. Despite the large number of kids using the park, there have been no conflictions between skaters and the Parks and Recreation Department, Jones said.

Although the park is not far from campus, word of its existence has not reached many Eastern students.

Briana Rowan, sophomore recreation administration major, said she did not know there was a skate park in the area.

Rowan has been skating on her longboard for about two years. She skates around campus to relax after doing her homework.

“It gets my mind off of everything and anything,” Rowan said. “It’s a good way to just clear your mind.”

Longboards are not typically used for skill skating, but used more so as a form of relaxation, Rowan said.

John Caifano, a freshman undeclared major, is another student who has not heard of North Park’s skating facilities.

Caifano said he has gotten in trouble once for skateboarding while he was crossing Lincoln Highway.

“I was jay-skating,” he said jokingly.

Sohrob Nimrouzi, a senior industrial technology major, performs a frontside flip at the skate park located in North Park Tuesday afternoon. North Park, which on Vine and Division Streets, has ramps, rails and a half pipe for skateboarders to use. Robbie W

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