I am writing this because I feel that there is a need to build a skatepark in Ames. As everyone has probably noticed there are a lot of people skateboarding on campus. However, college students aren’t the only ones, there are high school, junior high, and elementary students that skate also. The first plan for a skatepark didn’t work out because the land that it was going to be built on isn’t available anymore. In other times, university and city co-ops have always been beneficial. The ice arena and Cy-Ride are two perfect examples. DPS (Department of Public Safety) likes to kick us out of where we’re skating whenever possible. It seems like everyday someone has an encounter with DPS, or the Ames police. The problem won’t be solved by ignoring it. Kids will always skate wherever they can, even if it’s against the rules. With Veishea on our minds, try to invest in avoiding future problems instead of trying to fix the current problems.

Brad Antisdel

Ames resident