Runners and walkers will raise money for the general scholarship fund tomorrow by participating in the Annual Blaufuss wich Scholarship Walk/Run.

Runners and walkers will raise money for the general scholarship fund tomorrow by participating in the Annual Blaufuss Scholarship Walk/Run.

The event is named for John Blaufuss, a former Emporia State controller who was killed in December 2005 after being struck by a vehicle while out jogging. Blaufuss was an employee at ESU for over 30 years, becoming the controller in 1973 after serving as the business manager for the College of Emporia.

“(He) was a big believer in Emporia State and he wanted to see students succeed, so when he was killed the university thought that it would be good to honor him by doing this event every year,” said Shanna Basset, development officer for the event.

Basset said the event has been in existence for six years and is split into two different courses. Participants can choose between a five kilometer run or a two mile walk. Both courses begin at the Sauder Alumni Center and run through the campus, eventually returning to the finish line at Sauder.

Participants can register for the event at the Sauder Alumni Center during business hours or at the event itself beginning at 4:30 p.m. The cost is $25. Anyone who has already registered can also pick up their race packet which contains a T-shirt and bib number at the Sauder Alumni Center during business hours.

“I have volunteered at the Blaufuss Run with the ESU Ambassadors for the last two years,” said Lacee Hanson, senior communication major and intern for Basset. “Previously my job has been to direct runners and walkers on the route and cheer them on.”

Other participants in this year’s run are also previous volunteers.

“I am doing the Blaufuss run this year because I wanted to help donate to the General Scholarship Fund, support the Blaufuss family and because it is part of Senior week,” said Drake Foster, senior secondary social science education major.

Foster helped direct runners and walkers, handed out water and helped with the reception that followed the event last year.

The event begins at 6 p.m. tomorrow at the Sauder Alumni Center, followed by a reception at Sauder.

Luke Bohannon

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FOSTER

For Drake Foster, sophomore secondary social sciences education major, Emporia State is the perfect place to be. That is why he decided to help as many students as possible make the decision to attend ESU by working as an ambassador.

“I really wanted to bring students to Emporia State to show them all the opportunities they could get,” Foster said. “They could make a connection with any student organization. It’s small and there’s a great student to teacher ratio. I also get to work with the president and the alumni.”

Originally, Foster was going to attend Kansas University to study pharmacy.

“It was about the money, rather than the profession,” Foster said. “Education was a little bit better. I would rather take the pay cut because it’s more rewarding.”

Since Foster came to Emporia, he has been involved in several activities on campus. During his freshman year, Foster was a senator on ASG, a chair for Up ‘til Dawn and a member of the Towers Complex Government.

“He’s really, really nice,” said Ellen Hansen, chair and associate professor of social sciences. “He is just one of the nicest people you could hope to meet. He’s so warm and sincere and he truly is a lovely person. And he’s really bright.”

Foster was also one of the 20 founding members of Alpha Kappa Lambda, the newest fraternity on campus.

“What I really liked was that it was based on Judeo-Christian principles,” Foster said. “That was something, coming to college that I was looking for. These guys have the same morals and values that I do. They weren’t just looking to drink or party and got involved in leadership roles on campus.”

As a member of Up ‘til Dawn, Foster had the opportunity to travel to Memphis, Tenn., where he visited children who were hospitalized at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“It was life changing,” Foster said. “Their parents were pulling them in wagons and they had masks on and their IVs in. They were really sad. I was not on the executive board this year (for Up ‘til Dawn) and that’s something I regret.”

This year, Foster is part of Ambassadors and will be a Resident Assistant for 2009-2010.

“I really missed the community since I moved into the fraternity house,” Foster said. “I missed the resident hall life.”

Fellow ambassador Carrie Leach, junior elementary education major, had good things to say about Foster.

“He is always happy and very energetic,” Leach said. “He is very much a people person. He is someone that I can always rely on.”

In his spare time, Foster really enjoys reading. Among his favorite books are “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck and books by C.S. Lewis, although he’s never read any of Lewis’ most well known books, “The Chronicles of Narnia.”

“I’m going to be teaching history and the Great Depression was a big influence in my grandparents’ time,” Foster said.

Foster also had the opportunity to study abroad last summer. He said that his trip to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania was “amazing.”

“We went to the Estonian parliament and they gave us a book that was the entire contents of the Estonian constitution,” Hansen said. “He read the entire Estonian constitution. Other people were out drinking and Drake is in his room reading the Estonian constitution. He was so interested in learning about this place.”

Foster would eventually like to teach at Mulvane High, in Mulvane, where he went to school.

“I played soccer for four years and I want to coach it and teach (at Mulvane),” Foster said. “I’ll probably go back there and teach.”

Choosing education as a career was Foster’s way of changing people’s mind about history.

“A lot of people think history is so boring,” Foster said. “I just want to change that perception and make history fun.”

While Foster has been involved in several activities during his two years at ESU, he says that his life motto is “lead by example.”

“That’s something I always try to do through my morals and my beliefs,” Foster said. “Someone is always watching you so you should always be on your best behavior.”

Ashley Peaches/The Bulletin

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