Skating keeps rolling for fans in Springfield ■Despite roller skatings popularity with a younger demographic, some college students still like to take a spin By Natasha Holstine for the Emerald For many, hours spent whizzing around a roller-skating rink may be only a distant memory. But the pastime hasn’t died, as visitors to Springfield’s Skate World can see. Angus Laird, the assistant man ager oi Skate World, said skaters at the rink are between 8 and 12 years old, on average. The rink has a middle school skate and dance every Friday night, he said. But ’80s music night, held on Sundays, attracts a “more mature” crowd, Laird said. Adam Kennybrew, a senior at the University, is an amateur skater who goes to Skate World to brush up on his skating skills. Kennybrew said that in his home town of Los Angeles, people young and old go to the skating rink to hang out. But the generally youthful age of Skate World’s patrons seems to in dicate that phenomenon doesn’t characterize the Eugene area. Kennybrew offered one possi ble reason for the difference be tween his college town and his hometown. “If people don’t come from a background where skating was ‘in’ or something that was practiced on a regular basis,” he said, “then it is not in the public eye, and people will not want to go.” College students generally have evening or private events, which are usually sponsored by fraterni ties and sororities, Laird said. People can rent the rink for pri vate events. The Zeta Phi Beta sorority has had a couple of skating excursions in the past year. “There has been a great out come every time we have our skate event,” President Rashidah Haqq said. “People like the at mosphere, we provide good mu sic and people like to socialize. This type of a function brings everyone together.” The rink also holds special events, such as a St. Patrick’s Day Night Skate held on March 16, where people skated from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. and then had breakfast. Skate World is located at 3188 Gateway Loop. For more informa tion, call 746-7311 or visit http://www.skateworldonline.com. Natasha Holstine is a freelance reporter for the Oregon Daily Emerald. $3295 U.S*. LONG DISTANCE With Cricket! you get truly unlimited calls over your Cricket® service area - as much as you want, anytime — for just $32.95 a month plus tax. And long distance calls to anywhere in the U.S. are just 8C a minute, anytime, any day. So sit back, relax and stay in touch. cricket Comfortable Wireless® ONLY 8C A MINUTE! For more information call 1-800-CRICKET toll-free or visit us at www.cricketcommunrcations.com - Cricket Store - Springfield Gateway Park 1024 Harlow Rd. 541-744-1473 Also Available at (Eugene) A+ Wireless, 841 E. 13th • Ace-America's Cash Express, 895 W. 7th • Chevron, 1710 W. 18th • Executive Wireless, 166 West 6th • Ship N' Chex, 1020 Green Acres Soundsational Car Audio, 2940 W. 11th • The Site Source, 1801 Willamette • Totally Cellular, 1050 Green Acres • Western States Cellular, 1701 W. 11th Ave. (Springfield) • ACE-America's Cash Express, 177 Q St. • Direct-Tel Wireless, 105 S. 14th • Totally Cellular, 107 W. Q „ (Junction City) MTM Communications, 325 Holly St.