It takes only three minutes to zip the half-mile from Simpson Residence to the Splex on an electric scooter. Walking takes about 12 minutes, and for a growing number of players on the Hillsdale football team, that difference is enough to justify the purchase.

“Believe it or not, it actually gets you from Simpson to the sports complex faster than a car,” said freshman Ryin Ruddy, a defensive back for the football team. “With a car you have to go park and everything, but with a scooter you can go right up to the door.”

Ryin and his brother, Shea Ruddy, journey to the George C. Roche Sports Complex (Splex) everyday — sometimes twice per day — for practices and lifts.

“I don’t want to have to walk there every time,” Shea said. “I just figured it was a good investment to get a scooter.”

At least eight of the football players own scooters that they ride around campus, according to the Ruddy brothers. The model of choice, for most riders, is a Hiboy S2 Electric Scooter, which costs about $300, according to the company’s website.

The trend started with junior Connor Pratt, whom Ryin said got the first scooter among the players last fall. Then, other players started to see the benefits. Shea got his scooter in the spring, and Ryin bought his over the summer. 

Players say convenience is the main reason behind their rapid acquisition of electric scooters.

“It’s just a good way to get around,” Shea said. “It makes it easier and quicker to get from place to place.”

They also save gas — some athletes drive to the sports complex instead — and they say scootering around is fun.

Shea currently ranks third in all of NCAA Division II for all-purpose yards, and saving energy may seem the most obvious advantage of scootering over walking, especially for athletes. But Shea said that is not why he rides.

“You could say it saves my legs, but I’m not really worried about that,” Shea said.

But football players aren’t the only scooter enjoyers on campus. Sophomore Nathan Furness, another Simpsonite, said zipping to class is an overdue modern innovation for a traditional campus.

“In an age where we have everything at our fingertips and put negative effort into many of our daily tasks, it’s perfectly reasonable to glide your way around campus and not have to take a single step,” Furness said. “I think they’re a great addition to campus.”

Not all Hillsdale students support the emergence of this new transportation method. Sophomore tennis player Ane Dannhauser said the riders disturb the peace of campus and keep pedestrians “on the lookout, otherwise they might run you over.”

“It is also ironic that most of them are football players, who are supposed to be athletes,” Dannhauser said. “I am sure that a 10-minute walk won’t end up killing them.”

Shea said he has heard that some people oppose the scooters, but he has not had any direct complaints.

“It’s a shared sidewalk,” Shea said. “We’re allowed to go on it. Also, people ride bikes on sidewalks, and we’re not flying past people. We’re slowing down and going around you safely.”