COLUMN: Along-standing Penn tradition

From Delia Vallejo's, "Journey to Aztian," Fall '97 From Delia Vallejo's, "Journey to Aztian," Fall '97We as Penn students are fortunate to be able to witness one of the oldest and most prestigious track and field meets in the world. The Penn Relay Carnival predates the World Series, the Rose Bowl, the Kentucky Derby, the Indianapolis 500 and the formation of any professional leagues in football, basketball and ice hockey. Who would miss out on such a great opportunity to witness athletic feats being accomplished and records being made and broken? Well, over the past three years I have not seen many Penn students supporting this event. You really do not have to be a track fan to appreciate the excitement that permeates the air during the Relays. It is even more unfortunate that I have heard people say the Relays weekend is "the black Spring Fling," indicating perhaps that some students feel it is an event for minorities. That attitude only takes away from what the Relays stand for. The Penn Relays are a celebration of athleticism. Track and field is a sport in which you are in competition against yourself -- even more so than against the other athletes. You strive to go faster or further than you did the last time often by sheer mental will. Whether you are running the 100-meter dash or the 10,000-meter run, every hundredth of a second counts as one races towards the finish line. A quarter of an inch can make the difference between championship and defeat in the jumping and throwing events. Whether it was weeks or decades of training, it all comes down to a short moment of time when the athlete is center stage to demonstrate his or her desire for victory. We all have the opportunity to partake in the fun. The spectators contribute to the aura of the Relays as they cheer, jump from their seats and feel the pain of the athletes. Believe me, there is plenty of excitement. Just as the Penn Relays are a track and field tradition, they are a Penn tradition -- no less than Homecoming or Hey Day. No one should graduate without having seen at least one of the events. It is not often we can have a world-renowned event in our backyard. Furthermore, we should support our men and women's track teams as they compete and do well against the finest in the country. Penn's track teams will also have their best athletes on the track, and the home court advantage (that means us) should undoubtedly help. One more thing. The Penn Relays are free with your PennCard on Thursday and Friday (the preliminary events), and it's only $5.00 on Saturday (the finals). The rest of the people, who have to pay mucho dinero, are quite envious of that piece of plastic only Penn students possess -- just ask the scalpers. It seems thousands of people realize it is not every day that we can see Olympic and world champions, such as Gail Devers or Michael Johnson, compete. It would only make sense for students to take advantage of the opportunity as well. The Penn Relay Carnival is a tradition that is frequently overlooked and not often appreciated. As a high school track runner, I actually knew of the Penn Relays before I had heard anything about the University of Pennsylvania. I remember watching tapes of the races in awe and wondering if I would ever be able to see in person what the Relays were like. Awareness of the Wharton School only came later. My roommate, as a senior in high school, came to visit Penn during the Relays. It was probably the main factor in her decision to attend. Indeed, no other university could compete -- there was a possibility that Penn could be that vibrant every weekend. Attendance at last year's Penn Relays topped 86,000, breaking all previous records. Maybe this year more Penn students will go and help set a new record.