Welcome Week

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

Aug. 7, 2020

Dear Central Family,

With the fall semester about to start, campus plans are well underway to welcome you to Pella and 812 University St. — from Welcome Week to efforts to protect the health and well-being of the campus community.

We sincerely look forward to seeing the return of upper-level students as well as meeting first-year students!

While the pandemic has required us to make adjustments to keep everyone on campus safe while moving forward to meet the needs of our students, many things remain the same, among them are high-quality academics and a team dedicated to your success.

One of those team members is Yana Rouse ’21. Last spring, Yana was elected to the position of the college’s student body president. During the year, she is my co-president and we will work together to foster student success and joy. I encourage you to read the story on Central’s website about Yana so you can get to know her a little bit before you come to campus.

Yana also shares a few words for you here as you prepare to come to campus:

“I’m Yana Rouse ’21, your student body president. I bet you’re just as excited to get to Central as I am! My student government colleagues and I — along with the entire Central community — look forward to welcoming you to campus during Welcome Week. For some of us, we are looking forward to reconnecting with friends and professors and getting back to our home away from home. For incoming students, we are looking forward to having you make connections with classmates, roommates and professors. We are a community that prides ourselves on connections and we can’t wait to make that happen.

During Welcome Week, the incoming class will get to meet their fellow classmates, attend information sessions about Central and our academics and explore campus and Pella. Welcome Week is a time familiarize yourself with campus and all of the fun (and learning) that awaits you this semester.

I’m particularly excited to invite you to join fellow students plus faculty and staff for a brand-new, one-of-a-kind, Forever Dutch Celebration from 2:30-3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25. We’ll gather around the pond for entertainment, speakers, free food and giveaways! To keep everyone safe and healthy, please have a heart for others and follow Central’s COVID-19 protocols and guidelines during this event. It will be a great time to see those whom you’ve missed, meet new Central friends and rejoice in being back on campus where we belong.

Meanwhile, our faculty is doing all they can to ensure we all have a great academic year. Thanks for being a part of the Central community during this unconventional time. Once you are on campus, keep an eye on The Crier and on bulletin boards around campus for events throughout the semester. I look forward to seeing you at many of them. And I hope your academic year is the best it can be!”

— Yana

Safe travels to Pella. We’ll see you soon!

Mark Putnam and Yana Rouse ’21