What's the point of Midnight Mile?(News)

What's the point of Midnight Mile?

On May 13, my 13-year-old daughter participated in the Dundee Middle School Midnight Mile. This was her second year doing so and my second year wondering -- what was the point?

In the May 14 Daily Herald covering the event, it stated that it would test participants' "commitment, goal-setting and mental toughness." The 24-hour event required the camped-out children to be wakened every hour to run a mile.

What fun!

Upon returning home and sleeping for 18 hours, I asked her what was the point? "Fun," she said as she dozed off again.

Commitment, mental toughness and fun are not goals. They are byproducts of working toward a goal. A traditional goal of events like this is a charitable cause such as diabetes, cancer or MS.

Seeing as the Midnight Mile is not involved in a charity, I had to wonder what the point was.

Friday morning, I walked through the sea of tents to drop off my daughter's gear and I got my answer. Tents large enough to park my minivan in, portable heaters, actual mattresses, powered coolers stocked with the best food and beverages, and every device imaginable that can be powered via battery; one set up more extravagant than the next.

The point of this event became evident to me. DMS is teaching our children to be committed to extravagance, become mentally tough in learning entitlement and set the goal of keeping up with the Joneses. An event that teaches our kids to be self-absorbed and not work toward helping others in need is a value I don't care to have taught to my daughter.

To DMS, I quote Steve Martin addressing John Candy in the movie, "Trains, Planes and Automobiles."

Here's an idea, have a point.

Brian Olsberg

Hampshire

Elgin's Wing Park in need of attention

Recently in your paper's Neighbor section was a great picture and article on Brad Legnaioli.

This superintendent of Elgin's three golf courses is quoted as saying, "Because I enjoy the game, I want to make sure all our customers and residents get the same thing that I would want when I am playing."

Has he played Wing Park lately? I and many friends played Wing and old Spartan Meadows for years and never found Wing as bad as now. Why doesn't he and our new mayor walk the course? It's a shame Wing, the oldest nine-hole public course in Illinois, is in such condition.

Louis Haefling

Elgin

Internet has made libraries obsolete

So you are about to pay your tax bill, too. I think it's long since time we take a good hard look at why our libraries take such a big bite out of our wallets every year.

Police, fire departments and schools are a necessity. Libraries are a mere luxury and the majority of their costs should be paid by the less than 25 percent of the population that actually use them.

There should be a token charge to check out a book, video or use of a computer -- say a quarter. If you cannot afford it and are a legal citizen, then perhaps there can be arrangements made to accommodate.

Library staffs are bloated, and as a taxpayer I resent footing the bill for a building and staff that have long since been replaced by the Internet.

Doug Eden

St. Charles