October 6, 2015
MARSHALL NEWS MESSENGER (10/6/15) - East Texas Baptist University students and faculty ducked, dipped, dived and dashed but could not dodge the dust during the Centennial Hall second annual 2K in Color Run/Walk on Monday.
The race snaked around the central section of campus, with volunteers waiting at checkpoints ready to sufficiently douse runners in a rainbow of neon-colored dust.
At the end of the race, participants gathered in front of Centennial Hall and unleashed a "color bomb," tossing dust high up in the air and creating a smoky haze.
Around 300 participants signed up again this year, but close to 400 showed up for the race, said Director of Residence Life Larissa Leifer.
"Our freshman residence hall (Centennial) really puts this on and it's really just to encourage healthy living and active lifestyles," Leifer said. "You can do a walk or run, so people that aren't really athletic can still engage with this event."
A main difference from last year is that more community members, ETBU faculty and their families showed up to participate, not just students, Leifer said.
"It's really exciting to make it more of a community event and not just students," Leifer said. "Our president ran, our provost, our vice president of academic affairs; that's a really cool thing for students to be able to see."
(Used by permission www.marshallnewsmessenger.com. Story by reporter Ryan Wagoner)