Coronavirus and Co-Curriculars

This information is archived as of July 23, 2021, and is saved here for reference. See latest health information.

July 31, 2020

Dear Central Family,

As you all know, “Forever Dutch” is our motto. It’s a permanent identity for Central and for each of us, one we will do anything to nurture and preserve, come what may.

“What may,” at this moment in history, is COVID-19.

To make sure Central stands strong now and in the future, the college has created many health and safety protocols for our students, who we expect on campus in a few short weeks. From academics to athletics and theatrics, the college has been exploring how to preserve as much as we can the enriching traditions of a Central education while ensuring the safety of our students and our community.

Earlier this week, after extensive review and deliberation, the Presidents Council of the American Rivers Conference, to which Central belongs, committed to proceeding with fall conference competition. Team schedules will not exceed 50% of the originally planned schedule. This allows students to preserve their eligibility for future play if they desire to do so. Central has taken the following steps as we move forward with our athletics plans. Revised schedules will be available soon, so please stay tuned.

The model adopted by the A-R-C balances a meaningful athletics experience with concern for public health and safety. I am grateful for the work of the A-R-C and our athletics department in establishing protocols on campus and at a conference level.

Other opportunities on campus also are being adjusted. We continue to plan art events in the Mills Gallery. The theatre department will offer students the opportunity to perform and participate in one drama this fall. The performance, Doubt, A Parable, is set in a Bronx Catholic school in 1964, where a strong-minded woman wrestles with conscience and uncertainty as she is faced with concerns about one of her male colleagues.

Our music department continues to evaluate how music ensembles may be offered as safely as possible. Including these programs, Central offers more than 124 opportunities to get involved on campus — all of which allow students to learn new skills, challenge themselves, meet new people and enrich their time at Central.

And this is the purpose of a Central education. There is much to be learned from these experiences. The adversity we face, the twists and turns we encounter and the resilience we demonstrate all belong to our education.

Co-curriculars at Central are not recess from the academic experience. They are materially important to learning. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted all of our lives. It has required us all to ask each other to do things we never would have dreamed of asking, including changing how we participate in traditional experiences like athletics and theatrics (and more than 100 other programs). The lower density of competition and performance will allow us to continue to live out the fullness of a Central education as much as possible during a pandemic.

As in any year, students will return to a campus dedicated to academic excellence, student-centered care and well-being. This fall, co-curriculars will look different yet still promise meaningful experiences students may enjoy and learn from, allowing them to build strong leadership and team-building skills — things future employers want.

As we prepare for courses and co-curriculars in a few short weeks, please consider starting the routines we are requiring this semester and have a heart for others. Out of respect for the health of all, wear a mask in indoor public spaces and outdoors when six-foot physical distances cannot be maintained. Wash those hands. Carry a personal supply of hand sanitizer. And stay home when you are sick.

Thank you for being Forever Dutch. Even with the modifications the pandemic is requiring us to make, we are excited about our future together.

See you soon,

Mark Putnam
President