University takes steps to curb stunt skating
Citing damage done
to low walls and structures,
UO has installed pegs
at many campus buildings
By Lisa Catto
News Reporter
Skateboarding students who like
doing stunts on their boards can
expect a speed bump while riding
on campus — literally.
Several departments at the
University have installed pegs on
low parts of walls and structures to
prevent skateboarders from stunt
ing and grinding on already dam
aged areas.
University Facilities Services
Exterior Team Supervisor Tim King,
who oversaw most of the installa
tions at the academic buildings, said
installing the pegs was necessary
because skateboard stunting chips
away at the fixtures.
"I don't think people realize the
cost or damage involved," he said.
King said Facilities Services
noticed a trend of increased dam
ages to low exterior structures, much
of it caused by skateboard stunts. He
added that bicycles with pegs on the
tire axles can also cause damage and
are even more harmful than skate
board stunting.
King said stunting on skate
boards and bikes has caused
approximately $50,000 in damage
in the last several years.
Most of the pegs around campus
were installed by Facilities Services
at a number of academic buildings,
including Fenton Hall, Condon
Hall and the Science Library. The
EMU has installed its own pegs at
the EMU Amphitheater, and con
tractors installed pegs at the new
Lillis Business Complex during
construction.
University freshman David
Hendrickson resents the
University's decision to install
skate pegs.
"It sends a message to us that
they don't want us here," he said.
Hendrickson is used to the pegs,
being a native of San Francisco,
where the trend of anti-skate
boarding products is prevalent.
However, he still believes they
aren't necessary.
"It's way uglier than if it's
(ground) up. And it's uncomfort
able to sit on," Hendrickson said. "I
wish they wouldn't put them in."
King disagrees. Facilities
Services placed the pegs two feet
apart — plenty of room for people
to sit, he said.
Facilities Services has installed
approximately 100 pegs during the
past 12 months, something they
would not have been able to do if
they didn't save so much money by
making their own pegs, King said.
Each peg costs about $5 to make
and install, while many
anti-skateboarding devices on the
market cost about $7, not including
the cost to install them.
King added that the peg-making
operation has gone so well that
Facilities Services was asked to cre
ate pegs for Autzen Stadium.
It is difficult to gauge how
much the University has saved on
repairs by installing the pegs,
King said, but officials will moni
tor trends in money spent on
repairs in the future.
King said safety is another posi
tive outcome of installing skate
pegs, adding that stunting can be
dangerous both for the skate
boarder and for bystanders who
could be hit.
Department of Public Safety
Interim Director Thomas Hicks
confirmed the positive impart the
pegs are having on campus.
"We do receive a lot of com
plaints from the campus
community (about skateboarding
and stunting)," Hicks said.
He added that the pegs, along
with increased enforcement, have
decreased the amount of stunting at
prime locations on campus. Hicks
said the Knight Law Center used to
have many instances of stunting,
but preventative measures have
lowered the occurrences.
Students violating skateboarding
rules on campus can expect a fine
from DPS. Slating in a building or
structure carries a $25 fine and acro
batic or stunt skating carries a $30 fine
King said the goal with all of these
preventative measures is to ensure
safety and to prevent damage.
"We wish there were more
skateboarding parks for them so
they didn't feel the need to do that
here," King said.
Contact the crime/health/
safety reporter
at iisacatto@dailyemerald.com.
NEWS BRIEF
Geopolicy expert
to speak in Eugene
Neil Smith, professor of anthropol
ogy and geography at the City Univer
sity of New York Graduate Center, will
give a speech entitled "Lost Geogra
phies and Failed Globalizations:
From Versailles to Iraq" at the Eugene
Hilton Conference Center on Thurs
day. His visit kicks off the winter term
portion of the Wayne Morse Center
for Law and Politics "The Changing
Geopolitical Order" lecture series.
"We are living through a new and
dangerous imperialism that Ameri
cans have the responsibility to chal
lenge," Smith said in promotional
materials for the event.
Smith's research looks closely at
how seemingly distant political cli
mates are connected in various ways.
"We will explore the origins of this
new empire over the last century and
especially highlight the largely unac
knowledged political geography of its
creation," he added.
Smith's past research has focused
on globalization and homelessness,
cyberculture and the flow of goods
and materials, and environmental
change and the future of nation states.
Smith — also a published author of
numerous books, his most recent
work being "American Empire: Roo
sevelt's Geographer and the Prelude
to Globalization" — is a leading ex
pert on geopolicy. The event is free
and open to the public.
— Beau Eastes
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GRIME
WATO H
Thefts and recoveries
The Department of Public Safety
received one report of bike theft
from Sheldon Hall in Earl Complex.
DPS also received three found prop
erty reports and two reports of larce
ny: one from Klamath Hall and one
from the Knight Library.
Disorderly conduct
DPS received one report of disor
derly conduct, one report of litter
ing, one report of an arrest and one
report of an assault in progress. DPS
also received three reports of a sus
picious subject, one report of a sus
picious condition and one report of
reckless endangerment.
Tuesday, Jan. 6, 8:35 p.m.: DPS
received a report of two subjects us
ing caution signs for sleds and slid
ing around on the ice.
Thursday, Jan. 8,11:32 p.m.: DPS
received a report of a subject light
ing fireworks at Earl Complex.
Alcohol and drugs
DPS received three reports of
drug law violations and eight re
ports of liquor law violations. DPS
also received 12 reports of Eugene
Municipal Code infractions: 10 re
ports of minors in possession of or
consuming alcohol, one report of
an open container and one report
of a subject in possession of less
than one ounce of marijuana.
Friday, Jan. 9, 1:05 a m.: DPS re
ceived a report of a group of disor
derly subjects outside of H.P. Barn
hart Hall.
Miscellaneous
DPS received two emergency call
reports, seven alarm reports and
one report of a traffic offense. DPS
also received four requests to tow
from a reserved space: one from the
UO Annex parking lot, one from a
disabled space in the Student
Health Center staff lot, one from
the Emerald Street parking lot and
one from the Knight Law Center.
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