Nearing Manzanita Hall, clacking and scraping against the pavement grows louder and louder. These noises belong to none other than the Manzanita skateboarders as they perform their various tricks, resulting sometimes in success and sometimes in hands hitting pavement.

“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, these people are terrifying.’ They scared me so much – they look so cool,” Jahde Bryant, ecology and evolutionary biology major, said when asked about approaching the skateboarders who circled the building.

The skaters reassured Bryant everyone would welcome her with open arms if she ever wanted to hang out with them.

The skaters possess a wide range of skills and experience. Some began skating when they were little, while others barely started a year ago and are still getting a handle on their boards.

“I got my first board when I was four years old, but I think I took it seriously when I was 12,” Bryant said. “My dad used to skate, so it was always around the house.”

Another skater, business management major Kedric Virgill, got his first skateboard when he was 12 and has now been skating for eight years.

“In first or second grade, I saw skateboarders, and I thought it was cool, so I imitated them. I ran sideways to pretend I was on a skateboard,” Virgill said.

Most of the skaters hang out at Manzanita Hall, waiting during gap periods or simply spending time with one another. The answer as to why Manzanita Hall, of all places, was concluded to be a domino effect.

“Everyone who goes to CSUN who skates for a long time has skated here. But to my knowledge, out of the people that we know, me and my friend Gavin were the first ones to discover it or really skate here,” Virgil said.

Choosing Manzanita Hall as the central hangout spot was primarily due to the quality of the flat and smooth ground.

“This is like flat and smooth ground, and not many interruptions. Even though we’re on wheels, small stuff still gets us,” said business major Diderot Herit. “Like, run into a small little pebble – you could get flung off the skateboard. It happens so many times. It’s like at one point, you’re gonna eat s— on campus.”

CSUN, however, does have a policy on the use of skateboards, scooters and other similar transportation methods. Its purpose is to ensure pedestrian safety, and states any type of skating to which the wheels leave the ground goes against it.

Due to this, the skaters have confirmed that they have been reported by staff and students and have been involved with campus police numerous times. Despite consistently being told to leave, the next day, they continue to return as if they were never reported or told to leave in the first place.

The group understands how they can be perceived at times, but skateboarding is their form of expression. They remain focused on their academic goals while also gathering around Manzanita Hall to practice kickflips and enjoy their years at college with friends.

Students say that gathering together has given them the chance to make new friends, and helps some break out of their shells.

“I like that everybody is friendly with each other, and we all have a common goal of progress and friendships have evolved from that,” Bryant said. “I think it’s really nice because some of the people here, I feel like they wouldn’t have flourished as much as they have in school without this place. I know I’m one of those people. It was just so welcoming.”