Little 500 a race toward progress

I have been interested to read the debate on the IDS editorial pages about the positive and negative aspects of the Little 500.\nBut I think one of the most constructive parts of the event -- in fact, a key reason for its founding -- is too easily overlooked. The Little 500 raises money for scholarships for working students. Earlier this month, 34 IU students each received a $1,000 scholarship at the annual Little 500 scholarship reception.\nThat focus on scholarships dates from the first days of the Little 500. Howard "Howdy" Wilcox worked his own way through IU in the late 1930s and early 1940s. When he became executive director of the IU Foundation in 1949, he was instrumental in establishing and promoting the Little 500 as both an athletic and a fundraising event. During the years, the Little 500 has raised more than $800,000 for scholarships.\nIt is easy to see how this aspect of the event can be overlooked. The excitement and camaraderie of the Little 500 itself is what packs the stands at Bill Armstrong Stadium every April. It is a great spectacle. While the year's participants and spectators create their own memories, former riders and spectators come back to campus to catch up with old friends and classmates and relive their own experiences.\nThere will be parties surrounding the event, but I think we have all made great progress in recent years in respecting the law and maintaining reasonable limits. Of course, we also all know of tragic incidents that have happened when alcohol use gets out of hand.\nBut at Little 500 time, I have been pleased with the renewed focus on the competition itself, in both the women's and the men's races. The competition is terrific -- a spirited show of good sportsmanship. And without many hours of practice and conditioning, none of those cyclists would have a chance for victory.\nThat's why I have always thought that Little 500 is an outstanding campus event. Hard work, dedication and teamwork lie at the heart of so much that we all hope to accomplish at IU. Those attributes are exemplified not only by the riders in the Little 500 races, but by the recipients of the scholarships that these events support. They, too, have worked hard and long to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals.\nNo matter what teams make it across the finish line first, those scholarship winners, and the University community as a whole, are the real winners of a safe and successful Little 500 weekend.