Tradition put to the side

Forty-eight years of tradition has been thrown to the wayside by the IU Student Foundation. Citing a decline in spectator interest, worn-down tricycles and a hope that the new Little Fifty relay running race will fill the void, IUSF cancelled the annual Mini 500 tricycle race, ending the Mini 500's 48-year run as a highlight of Little 500 week. We feel that IUSF's decision to cancel the race was made hastily, without considering alternative solutions.\nThe Mini 500 started as the women's only alternative to the Little 500. With the advent of the women's Little 500 race in 1988, the Mini 500 became a fun alternative for those who did not have the athletic ability or the time to train for and compete in the Little 500. Every year, hundreds of trikers would show up at Assembly Hall in crazy costumes, much to the delight of the thousands of spectators. And while the crowd was not over 10,000 (as it often was before the women's Little 500 race was added), the Mini 500 consistently drew at least 3,000 spectators, which is certainly not too shabby for an intramural event.\nAttendance issues aside, what we find most troubling is the excuse that worn-down tricycles helped lead IUSF to the Mini 500's cancellation. While safety is certainly a concern, we cannot recall any stories of injuries resulting from tricycle crashes (at least not for people older than four), and we feel that IUSF could have looked for other alternatives before simply canceling the race.\nOne such alternative would be fundraising. The Mini 500 has been around since 1955, and there are certainly former riders who would be willing to donate money to purchase new trikes rather than allow the Mini 500 to perish. Additionally, IUSF could target businesses and corporate sponsors (for instance, Bloomington's costume shops, which certainly have benefited in the past from Mini 500 riders' quests to outdress their opponents).\nAnother alternative is to let each team purchase its own tricycle, just as Little 500 teams must purchase their own bikes for their race. This creates an incentive for each team to keep their trike in good shape, and it will also allow teams to pass their trikes down year-to-year, encouraging future participation in the Mini 500. Similarly, another viable alternative would be to make each team pay a security deposit to receive a team trike. This would also increase the incentive for teams to take care of their trikes.\nAll in all, we feel that IUSF is short-changing future IU students, past trikers, and future would-be trikers. While the Little Fifty is a great idea, it will certainly not fill the void of the Mini 500. Simply stated, it's hard to run on a cinder track in a chicken costume.\n-- Andrew LeMar for the Editorial Board