The ‘Trike-a-Thon’ serves a greater purpose

One of the great things about being in the Honors Program is the opportunity to do things like the annual “Trike-a-Thon,” which was held last Thursday morning in the parking lot behind the tennis courts.

Essentially, students from all of the freshman Honors Program classes built a course (filled with bridges, teeter-totters and tunnels) that the children who attend the daycare facility on campus can ride through. The children were all approximately five years old, and most of them were big enough to ride a tricycle. They rode through the course for nearly an hour before losing interest.

Although it was cold, the children were fueled by pure adrenaline and competitive spirit. While it served a simple purpose for the children, I believe that the Trike-a-Thon served a larger purpose for the college students involved.

Not only was this an opportunity for Honors Program students to work on something besides schoolwork, but it was also a time for students to simply relax and smile. It almost felt like a stress-reducing exercise, because seeing the kids having fun made me forget about my classes for a couple of hours.

It also allowed students to see the bigger picture. When we were children, things were simple and easy and we did what made us happy. Students that were involved in the Trike-a-Thon were brought back to those times through these five-year-olds. The event allowed us to realize that we need to reserve time in our lives for happiness and creativity, because it is important.

So, last Thursday morning was cold and happy. It took me back to my roots for a couple of hours and let me smile. It was fun for the kids, but even more important to the students.