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Hi, I'm Robin Root, a voice from the past
I'm sorry I couldn't be with you all today
but I'd like to say a few words for this wonderful occasion
when I came to Colorado College looking for a job out of grad school in 1983
I was fortunate enough to cross paths with Ruth Barton
It was summer and she met me in her office wearing a denim jumper and beat-up
birkenstocks
Her feet were caked with dirt from working in the garden
and I thought that here is someone I can work with
Little did I know what grand scheme she had for the college and the part I would
come to play in it
as the first full-time director of the writing center
Ruth's passion was writing
and the teaching of it
She and a core group of sympathetic supporters had a vision for four part
commitment to writing at Colorado College
writing across the curriculum courses with emphasis on writing
cutler publications, including the Catalyst
which she guided in nurtured for twenty five years
and a writing center
much of this was new or still in the planning stages when I came along and it
was an unforgettable experience being part of it and watching Ruth's dream
unfold
The writing center was first located
in Cossit hall
a lot of dancers wandered in at first
but students soon found their way to us
It was a hard sell initially
as many of the Professors thought we would be writing the students papers for
them
and some of the students were disappointed when we didn't
I had to be careful in describing to outsiders what I did at the college
Often when I would say I was the director of the Writing Center, people
would say, "Oh, I didn't know they had an equestrian program"
With the help of Ruth's many ideas and suggestions and despite a shoestring
budget we promoted the writing center aggressively
I made posters and table tents, visited classrooms at the beginning of the
school year
spoke at faculty meetings and held workshops in the dorms
We participated in Tribes
a program to attract Native American students
which included an unforgettable three-day outward bound adventure in
Leadville
and with Ruth's guidance, I designed a tutor training workshop for our wonderful
student tutors
with so much writing being done in so many classes
it soon became clear that we were in the central part of the process
and both professors and students soon embraced us
it was also the first year for campus wide computer access (imagine that)
and many students came in for help with those pesky new appliances
often it was the first time that students, especially freshmen, had been
really challenged to write competently
and there were occasional tears and drama
We had tea and cookies and tissues for those times and the writing center
became a warm and inviting place where students felt comfortable coming for
help
Through it all Ruth Barton was an unfailing friend and mentor and the un
bossiest boss I've ever had
bringing out the best in me
the students and faculty as support for the program grew
Her garden bore fruit for many years to the delight and nourishment of countless
students and will, I hope with her name on the door
and the memory of her good works as inspiration
continue to grow for many years to come