The year 2015 saw the rise of the hoverboard. The once fictional hoverboard from the Back to the Future movies has since become one of the most coveted and hard to get gift this holiday season. Except, unlike in the movies, the hoverboards we are used to, do not actually hover.

The hoverboard is a self-balancing two-wheeled electric scooter. Many online platforms have also dubbed it “a cooler name for a hands-free Segway.”

Brought to fame by celebrities such as singer, Justin Bieber, rapper, Wiz Khalifa, and socialite and model, Kendall Jenner, the hoverboard is becoming increasingly popular in many households.

The hoverboard craze however, has not come without controversy. For safety and fire reasons, many airports, malls, theme parks, and educational institutions have started to ban the use of hoverboards. Many places have also began to ban hoverboards in all public spaces, including sidewalks and boardwalks.

Among this list of places is the Williston Northampton School, which recently announced that students would no longer be able to bring their hoverboards onto campus after the winter break.

In an email to all Williston students and parents, Anne O’Connor, the Director of Security says, “Students should not bring hoverboards back to campus, and any student who does will be asked to mail or bring the hoverboard home.”

Ms. O’Connor says, “Hoverboards are futuristic and fun… [but pose] safety and fire concerns. These concerns have prompted retailers to pull product and schools and major airlines to ban the boards.”

This motion was put in place after repeated cases of hoverboards reportedly sparking and exploding in the

United States. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there have been at least 22 hoverboard fires in the U.S. alone this year.

Ms. O’Connor continues, “Overall, the response to the policy has been very positive. I believe that everyone understands the reasoning behind the policy. It is for everyone’s safety and well-being that hoverboards are not allowed on campus.”

Regarding the new policy, Kohmei Kadoya ’19, arguably the most prominent hoverboard rider at Williston, says, “I feel like it is a good thing because a lot of hoverboards start burning and I wouldn’t want it to burn Williston.”

Kadoya ’19 continues, “My hoverboard broke before the policy was changed… If there was not this rule, I might have considered getting a new one. But after the rule, there’s no way I can use it here, so I am not considering it.”

Although the security department understands that the new hoverboard policy may come as a disappointment to students who just got one this holiday season, they urge students to abide by the rules and not bring their hoverboards onto campus for their own safety and the safety of those around them.