Iona College officially banned the use of hoverboards, NexBoards and segways on campus and in buildings. The ban was put in place to enhance pedestrian and vehicular safety on campus.

Charles J. Carlson, vice provost for student life, sent out an email through a Campus Communiqué announcing the ban in mid-December.

The beginning of the debate over the use of hoverboards was discussed in an SGA meeting in October.

“The Student Government Association was made aware of students concerns regarding hoverboards at one of our weekly meetings this past fall,” said sophomore LeeAnn Renda, the SGA vice president of communications. “Our job as the student government is to hear all concerns of students, and after hearing concerns about the hoverboards on campus, we sent a recommendation forward to ban these items.”

According to Carlson, the ban was then approved by “all governance constituencies.”

Hoverboards, sometimes referred to as NexBoards, are a self-balancing two wheel transportation device. They can be charged and come in many different colors and styles.

These devices became popular in the United States last year and were a popular gift for the past Christmas season.

Lawsuits and many laws have been put into place all over the country regarding the use of these hoverboards. Many families claim the boards self-ignite while charging, causing injuries and household damages.

New York City has officially banned hoverboards recently, as well.

Freshman Walter O’Hanlon does not think the use of hoverboards on campus is safe but is upset that Segways are included in the ban.

“I’m certified to operate a Segway, so I feel if people had certifications to operate them, it would be safe,” O’Hanlon said. “Having use of the Segway was great in the fact that it was a great talking point where, being a freshman it’s difficult to talk to some people. The Segway completely broke those barriers.”

O’Hanlon also attended the SGA meeting in October to defend the use of Segways.

Other students agree with the ban, wanting to ensure safety on campus.

“I don’t own a hoverboard, but I definitely think that it’s a good thing that they were banned,” junior Angelica Szeller said. “People would cross North Avenue while using them, which was dangerous because some cars go really fast there. I feel like someone would have gotten hurt or something eventually.”

“I think that hoverboards are ridiculous because they show how lazy our student body is because those with hoverboards don’t walk around,” sophomore Amanda Cifelli said. “They are dangerous and have a history of exploding while they charge. As a resident, we can’t have candles in our rooms, therefore, we should not be able to charge a hoverboard in our dorms.”