THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2005
NEWS
3A
EVENT
Six friends travel to Nashville for marathon
The students will run 13.1 miles Saturday after training for 10 weeks
Ryan McGeevey/NANSAM Taylor Mann, Hutchinson freshman, Carolyn Yang, Manhattan sophomore, Heidi Wetzel, Manhattan sophomore, Holly Maygers, Lawrence sophomore, and Maria Zielinski, Saline, Mich., sophomore, go for a brief jog through the Oread neighborhood Wednesday afternoon. The five women are part of a group that is traveling to Nashville for this weekend's Country Music Marathon & 1/2 Marathon.
BY MICHELLE SPREHE
msprehe@kansan.com
Zielinski, Saline, Mich, sophomore, said running a marathon was something she had wanted to do for a long time.
Maria Zielinski and five of her friends are driving 597 miles tonight and Friday to Nashville, where they will run 13.1 miles Saturday in the Country Music Marathon & 1/2 Marathon.
"I would make this New Year's resolution for the past three years to run a marathon," Zielinksi said. "But I never got around to it — I'd make up excuses."
When Zielinski proposed the idea to her friends, she was surprised they agreed because they were not runners.
Ryan McGeenev/KANSAN
"A few of the girls and I kind of peer pressured the rest into doing it." Zielinski said. "We don't want it to be all serious and competitive, we just want to have a fun time, laugh and run 13.1 miles together."
Zielinski said they planned on running in the Lawrence marathon, but when it was canceled, they decided to go to Nashville. This is the tenth year for the Country Music Marathon. Zielinski and her friends paid an $85 registration fee that goes to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training.
"A big thing about finding a marathon was the date," Zielinski said. "We wanted to make sure we
could miss classes to drive there.
The girls, who have been training for ten weeks, found their training schedule on runnersworld.com and used mapmyrun.com to decide on routes to run.
"We've been all over planning new and exciting routes so we don't get bored." Zielinski said.
Zielinski and her friends usually run in pairs or groups so they can keep each other motivated throughout the run.
Holly Maygers, Lawrence sophomore, was dubbed "most improved" by her friends because she has struggled the most with running and staying motivated.
"I started out not being able to run two miles straight," Maygers said.
Maygers is now able to keep up with the others and has gone on two 10-mile runs.
"My roommate Molly picked a 10-mile route for us to go on and it was the hilliest, most awful thing I've ever done," Maygers said. "I was 20 feet behind my roomsate the entire time, but I made it."
Maygers said she struggled the most with getting motivated to go on a run.
"I've said all along my motto for this has been it's not just about finishing a half marathon, it's my quest for self-discipline," Maygers said. "Getting that out of it and having some sense of accomplishment will be the best."
Molly Flyer, Lawrence sopho
more, who has been friends with Maygers since they were four years old, said she liked watching the progress Maygers made.
"Weve all been really good at
keeping each other motivated." Flyer said.
Flyer and Maygers said they realized from the training experience that they both enjoyed running
and they didn't dread it as much as they used to.
"Ive never been a runner and I don't really feel comfortable calling myself a runner now." Maygers
said. "But it's a good release for me and I glad I found that out."
Edited by Heather Melanson
SPEAKER
Guest lecturer opens creativity to all
BY MIKE BONTRAGER mbontrager@kansan.com
Dr. R. Keith Sawyer will give a lecture on creativity at 7:30 p.m. today in Spooner Hall. Sawyer, professor of psychology and education at Washington University in St. Louis, has written nine books on creativity. The event is part of the 2009 University Lecture Series at The Commons and will be sponsored by the Honors Program and the School of Journalism.
Tim Bengtson, professor of journalism, nominated Sawyer to speak for the University Lecture Series.
up with something positive."
Bengtson said he had used two of Sawyer's books, "Explaining Creativity" and "Group Genius: The Creative Power of Collaboration," to teach students in his creativity courses at the Edwards Campus.
"It can show students that creativity is not some mystical thing totally beyond our comprehension," Bengtson said. "Rather, it is within our reach, and all we have to do is develop an attitude that says we can do these kinds of things and then if we work hard, we end
Bengtson said "Explaining Creativity" focused on the creative process.
"The two things that stand out in my mind is if one wants to create ideas," Bengtson said, "one better prepare to work hard and to keep one's eyes and ears open, so one doesn't miss something that appears to be pretty minor, but is significant to the eventual outcome, the solution."
"The book had an insightful perspective on creativity — it seeks to dispel myths about creativity," Hardy said. "I would say that this perspective has informed my approach to creativity."
Hardy said the average student would benefit from going to the lecture, and those interested in the topic of creativity should check out the book. Hardy said he planned to attend the lecture tonight.
Bengtson said "Explaining Creativity" focused on the myth of creativity occurring in a vacuum.
"The stereotypical view, the historical view, is that creative people work alone and in isolation and they go through a creative process," Bengtson said. "Here's this Sawyer guy saying, 'Forget all that stuff.'
Bengtson said people like Darwin and the Wright brothers had to have input from others to come up with their ideas.
Beverly Mack, professor of African and African American Studies, taught the HNRS 492 course this semester, in which the students read "Explaining Creativity."
"The students who took this course this spring would agree that creativity is possible for all individuals." Mack said. "The students found it very helpful as an overview that offers a wide range of perspectives on the topic of creativity."
Mack said she had experienced the process of creativity in her own life.
"I have collaborated with two colleagues in the publication of three books, and have found the experience to be enriching and satisfying." Mack said. "Two different perspectives are brought together in a work that is much richer than it could be were it to be authored by just one person."
Bengtsson said Sawyer's work could be applied to anyone's life.
"He really has taken creativity from this pedestal where it's beyond us folks so don't even think about it," Bentson said. "He's put it on the kitchen table for all of us to start enjoyning."
- Edited by Susan Melgren
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choice between prosperity and decline." Obama said in his first post-election trip to Iowa, the state that launched him toward the White House.
Obama was at the plant to highlight his energy proposal that has slowed on Capitol Hill. Republicans and some Democrats from coal-producing states complain that it will increase costs for consumers, send jobs overseas and hurt businesses.
NATION Obama pitches energy plan on Earth Day
944 Mass.
NEWTON, Iowa — Marking Earth Day with a pitch for his energy plan, President Barack Obama on Wednesday called for a "new era of energy exploration in America" and argued that his proposal would help the economy and the environment
"The choice we face is not between saving our environment and saving our economy — it's a
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