Occidental Roller Bladers & Skaters (ORBS), a student organization on campus, is often seen on the quad skating throughout the day. According to e-board member Arelí Fernandez, the club is dedicated to helping Oxy’s skating community flourish.
“[Our] mission is [to create] a safe and inclusive environment for all to learn how to roller skate [and] roller blade, and have a really fun time,” Fernandez said. “Skating is just such a liberating thing, and we just want more people to experience that.”
According to Fernandez, ORBS began as a club last year and is a close community that naturally formed on campus, led by founder and e-board member Yanori Ferguson.*
“I saw that there was a place for me to meet other people that were like-minded. That’s kind of how ORBS grew its members — just people seeing each other skating on the quad,” Fernandez said. “We introduce each other, and we keep getting more and more people to join.”
Fernandez said ORBS members frequently skate together on the quad. ORBS guest instructor Emily Lee (junior) said it’s valuable to have a group to learn with when you start skating.
“It’s scary when you first start to skate — maybe you don’t necessarily want to start skating on the quad, which is such a public place,” Lee said. “I think that ORBS is great for beginner skaters to have a form of community when they embark on the performance of skating on the quad.”
According to Lee, roller skating is all about fluidity and is a great form of exercise and movement.
“It’s the closest I’ll feel to flying,” Lee said. “With roller skates, it’s about the weight distribution on each foot. Technically, you don’t need to lift your foot up to actually propel yourself forward. You can gain a lot of speed with really fluid movements.”
According to Lee, ORBS provides skating classes for beginner, intermediate and advanced experience levels. Lee said the classes are a great way to learn a skill and get to know other skaters.
“I’m looking forward to teaching more classes and forming a better community,” Lee said.
Rianna Baecher (first year) said that she appreciates the range of experience levels in ORBS and how everyone can learn from each other. According to Baecher, the club is very supportive and inclusive.
“I feel like teaching someone how to [roller skate] builds a strong connection and [is] enjoyable and less scary if you’re not a great skater,” Baecher said. “With the group, I don’t feel judged — I can still be a roller skater [and] I’m accepted for my ability level.”
Baecher said that ORBS provided a valuable community for her first year at college.
“[ORBS] definitely helped a lot, especially last semester. It was scary coming to college and not really knowing where to belong,” Baecher said. “I feel like a lot of the clubs here are really great — there’s a lot of niche clubs so different people can find what they enjoy. And even [with] a small group — I feel like that creates a close-knit community. It makes you feel more connected to the school.”
Baecher said that she became involved in ORBS earlier this school year after learning about the club when spoke with Fernandez, who she saw roller skating on campus.
“Before [I saw] Arelí [Fernandez] skating, I was skating on the quad as well and it was really fun. It was just a really nice way to wind down and connect with myself,” Baecher said. “But then [after] I met her, we would skate together on the quad. It was really nice to have people that also understood the enjoyment of it.”
Fernandez says that she finds a lot of personal value in skating, particularly a carefree state of mind.
“I find that whenever I skate, I can really express myself more fully than I can in everyday life,” Fernandez said. “I think that the movement is really grounding to be connected to the earth and to be in motion. And then you put a couple of AirPods in and you’re all set for the night — [a] good playlist sounds great.”
Fernandez said she started skating as a child and that skating has been a way for her to reconnect with her childhood self.
“[Skating] is kind of like a meditative state — it can be a really self-reflective space for you to process emotions and connect back to yourself,” Fernandez said. “It’s really energizing for me [and] it’s a way to decompress after a long, stressful day.”
According to Fernandez, ORBS is looking to lower barriers to skating access and get more people involved. She said the club recognizes that access to skates and personal protection equipment can be a hindering factor for the activity.
“We want to kind of bring skating to Oxy [by] putting on more skating events on campus,” Fernandez said. “Last year [SLICE] brought a roller rink to campus and it was super popular. It was awesome to see the community really come together over skating.”
According to Fernandez, ORBS is an inclusive club and open to the entire Occidental Community.
“I would say that the audience is anyone who wants to try skating,” Fernandez said. “So that really includes anyone and everyone.”
Contact Julian Villa at jvilla@oxy.edu
*Yanori Ferguson works at The Occidental.
