CSU – Pueblo Writing Marathon to Take Place in Union District
 
Pueblo – We are all familiar with the concept of a running marathon, but how about a marathon involving writing? The Southern Colorado Writing Project (SCWP), a part of the National Writing Project, and the Pueblo City-County Library District will attempt to mirror a marathon made famous in the New Orleans French Quarter with the first Pueblo Community Writing Marathon.
On Saturday, Oct. 29, teachers, parents, and adult community members will be encouraged to write not as a chore, but for personal growth and pleasure. According to SCWP Director Katherine Frank Dvorsky, the purpose of the day is to encourage, promote, and engage writers. Participants must be 21 years of age or older. Future marathons are planned for writers of all ages. This year’s marathon will take place at several locations within the historic Pueblo Union District. The writers will move in groups of 3-5 from one establishment to another and spend time simply thinking and writing.

The event will begin at 1 p.m. in the InfoZone News Museum on the 4th floor of the Robert Hoag Rawlings Public Library. The marathon will conclude at 5 p.m. at the Cock and Bull Tavern, where participants will gather to share their work. A published anthology of community marathon writing pieces will be one tangible result of the four-hour event.

Jointly sponsored by the National Writing Project, Colorado State University-Pueblo, and Pueblo School Districts 60 and 70, Southern Colorado Writing Project offers many opportunities for educators, including a Summer Institute, under the premise that writing promotes learning in all areas and that teachers who are writers themselves are the most effective writing teachers. The National Writing Project (NWP) is the premier effort to improve writing in America. Through its professional development model, NWP builds the leadership, programs, and research needed for teachers to help their students become successful writers and learners.

Only 40 slots are available for this year’s marathon. To take part in this special community event, contact Katherine Frank Dvorsky, SCWP Director and associate professor English, at (719) 549-2595 or katherine.frank@colostate-pueblo.edu by October 21.

The following five individuals will be honored as part of the 2005 Distinguished Alumni Awards:
• Outstanding Achievement; Dr. Robert Novak, ’70, Champaign, IL
• Outstanding Alumna; Priscilla Lucero, ’99, Pueblo
• Outstanding Alumnus, Michael Konshak, ’81, Louisville, CO
• Service to the Community, Patricia Erjavec, ’79, Pueblo
• Service to the University, Kiyoshi Ukon, ’99, Pueblo

On Friday and Sunday, alumni have a chance to cheer on the ThunderWolves soccer teams. The women play at 1 p.m. on Friday versus Mesa State and 2 p.m. on Sunday versus Fort Lewis, while the men compete against Fort Lewis at 3:30 p.m. on Friday and Westminster (UT) at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday.

For reservations or more information about any of these events, please call Laura Brandt, Director of Alumni Relations, at (719) 549-2858, or e-mail her at alumni@colostate-pueblo.edu.

 Colorado State University - Pueblo is a regional, comprehensive university emphasizing professional, career-oriented, and applied programs. Displaying excellence in teaching, celebrating diversity, and engaging in service and outreach, CSU-Pueblo is distinguished by access, opportunity, and the overall quality of services provided to its students.