Little 500 Is Here Again

It's like the Derby is to Louisville, that one weekend you have marked on your calendar the moment you take it out for the coming year. It's the one day of the year you make sure you have nothing else planned except being there for the fun and festivities. It's been dubbed the "Greatest College Weekend", though I'm sure thats a debate that has no end, and I can't help but feel its pretty high up on the list. That's right ladies and gents, Little 500 week is here again.

And thankfully, it looks as if the weather is going to come around right on time. Though the weather would never stop 40,000 students from having a good time, its never bad when the forecast calls for sun and temperatures hitting the 70 mark. Students attempt to stretch the celebration out as long as possible, but tomorrow is the official kick off, and this year its going to be a little more spectacular. Tomorrow's free Dave Matthews concert is hard to out do as the perfect beginning.

Then the struggle begins. How does one get their work done, attend class, and get enough sleep while attempting to make the most out of the celebration? I'm going to be honest and tell you there is no way. I'm sure that everyone who enjoys the week will miss atleast one class. You just have to be strategic and make sure its not that class you have a quiz in. The smart students have saved up their full alottment of absences to be used during the course of the week.

So, what you may ask is going to be causing the struggle this year? Well beyond the abundance of parties thrown almost any day of the week, there are more concerts in Bloomington this year than you can throw a stick at. Unfortunately, this years lineup is not exactly to my liking, but I'll find more than enough to keep me busy. If rap is your thing, you have no shortage of concerts to attend. As you know, Dave will begin the madness on Sunday, and some local big bands will keep things going at the bars on Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday features a lineup of some well known rap artists including a couple of Fraternity sponsored shows that feature DMX and the Ying Yang Twins. Friday has a triple header of concerts, none more alluring than Feist at the IU Auditorium.

Then, the real fun finally arrives. If the Little 5 race itself is your cup of tea, Saturday is the day of the big race and I would highly recommend stopping in at least once in your four years to capture a glimpse of the IU tradition that an ESPN columnist ranked as the #13 sporting event you must attend before you die. After the race, the goal is to have as much fun as you can party hopping until you can't go anymore. Only the strong can survive.

Then as quick as it came, it's gone. This year we get the awesome opportunity to wake up on Sunday, feeling a little worse than we did the night before, click on the television and enjoy the final round of the Masters. I can't think of any better way to rest up after a week of more than any single human can endure.

And then you mark on your calendar for the next year. It's just one of those types of events.