Riding in reverse

In May the IU Student Foundation passed the "Student Coaching Initiative," which bans nonstudent coaches from the pits on Little 500 race day. IUSF made the decision without consulting alumni coaches, who were later notified via a letter. In a recent forum designed to gauge riders' response to the new ruling, the nearly 60 riders present unanimously opposed the decision. Yet despite the widespread resistance, IUSF leaders have agreed that the rule will be implemented for this year's race.\nWe wonder: Knowing that the coaching of a Little 500 team is vital to its success, knowing that many teams have nonstudent coaches and knowing that the Little 500 race is an integral part of the life of its riders, who in their right mind made the decision to contact neither the coaches nor the riders prior to making the initiative final?\nIUSF has made a monumental error in judgment. In defense of IUSF's decision, Matthew Ewing, assistant director of IUSF, told riders that the organization has a responsibility to ensure the success of the race. But when making that decision, IUSF left out a vital part of the continued success of the Little 500: the riders and coaches! This omission has caused an uproar that could have been avoided had IUSF conducted itself in the proper manner.\nIUSF did not stop with the poor practice surrounding the making of this initial decision. After receiving the news that riders and nonstudent coaches were upset, it is refusing to reconsider the decision, even seeming to mock the riders' effort to petition for their cause.\nWe get it, IUSF. You're the boss, the master, the ruler, the king. Your word is Little 500 law. We also get this: The manner in which IUSF is conducting itself is, at best, child-like. When those vital to the success of the organization's most important (or at least most popular) event stand up and express a plausible criticism about the conduct of its organizers, it is not only to the benefit of IUSF to listen -- it is one of its highest responsibilities.\nSo this is how our student foundation is portraying itself: a bull-headed practitioner of Little 500 misconduct. That leaves the riders of Little 500 in a difficult situation. How are they to deal with an organization that turns a deaf ear to them when they express opposition How do they change the decision of those who regulate them?\nThe best way, of course, would be to boycott the race, but Indiana tradition is too great and the race too \nimportant to the riders for this to be possible. The only chance \nriders have is to continue \nto voice their opinion and \nhope reason wins out over stubbornness.