Little 500 is much more than a bicycle race

	The Walk-On Brian Janosch works as a sportswriter and editor for the Indiana Daily Student for three years now and is currently seeking an outgoing brunette who loves to have fun.
	Believe it or not, the cyclist on the right is had less fun at the Little 500 than the average Indiana student. AP

By Brian Janosch

It wasn't until the final night of Little 500 week that everything made sense. I believe it was right around the time that the 10-pound IBM printer made in 1991 came crashing down on the sidewalk.

Right there, it all came together. Not the printer, though, that fell apart.

The Little 500 is a bike race that dates back to the 1950's and inspired the classic 1979 film Breaking Away, but over the years it has developed the more dubious title of "The Greatest College Weekend" -- a weeklong excuse for raucous partying. The out-dated printer stood for more than a 15-second source of evening entertainment. It symbolized what this weekend is really all about.

A couple of us searched long and hard in an abandoned basement full of trash to find something worthy of being smashed on pavement. We uncovered a machine that looked like it could have printed the Declaration of Independence. So we brought it out to the street whereupon we showed it to everyone and partook in acts of celebration. Finally, with everyone having a clean line of sight, the giant concoction of metal and plastic went sailing through the night sky. Time stood still.

Ka-chunk! The printer exploded. Much jubilation ensued. The night carried on a little longer from there, but it's hard to upstage an exploding printer.

How the hell does this have anything to do with the Little 500, you ask? It's the anticipation. The build up, the long-awaited arrival, the celebration of potential excitement, and ultimately, the climax. Ka-chunk!

The Little 500 is always on the second-to-last weekend before finals. For students, almost an entire year of lectures, homework and mediocre parties must pass before the world can stop and Bloomington, Indiana, reaches an alternate plane of existence. For the race participants, the Little 500 marks the end of more than eight months worth of tedious training. Everyone gets their fill of anticipation-aid.