Congressman Dave Loebsack received a tour from sophomore Mallory Schulenberg and senior Greg Ellingson.
Thousands of prospective students come to the admission office to start their campus tours each year, and for the student tour guides, the words start to get a little stale after a while.
But two students were energized by someone who showed up for a tour Friday, March 1: Congressman Dave Loebsack. Sophomore Mallory Schulenberg and senior Greg Ellingson, student body president, were the lucky tour guides chosen to guide him around the Pond.
“It was great to give Congressman Loebsack a tour of Central,” said Ellingson. “He was very engaged in the campus and seemed to take a special interest in what we all are doing here.”
Loebsack represents the Iowa’s Second Congressional District, which encompasses eastern and southern Iowa, including Pella. As such, he is the congressman for every student on campus, and he was happy to make his first visit to Central College. In addition to the tour, Loebsack had a private meeting with President Mark Putnam.
“I was excited to visit Central College and learn more about their excellent academic reputation from the faculty, staff, and students who make up the Central Dutch community,” said Loebsack. “I want to thank President Putnam for taking the time to host me and arranging a tour of the beautiful campus.”
Rep. Dave Loebsack and President Putnam met one-on-one in Central Hall.
Loebsack is serving his third term in the U.S. House of Representatives. He grew up in Sioux City, Iowa, and earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Iowa State University before receiving his Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis. Before joining Congress, he was a political science professor at Cornell College.
Especially dedicated to education, Loebsack serves on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and is the co-chair of the bipartisan Rural Education Caucus. He is also a member of the House Armed Services Committee, the Center Aisle Caucus, the Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamine, the Congressional Rural Caucus and the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues, among others.
Along with several other presidents from Iowa colleges, President Putnam met Loebsack on a recent trip to Washington, D.C. and personally invited him to Central.
“We were delighted to host Congressman Loebsack on our campus,” said Putnam. “He is a friend to higher education and at home on a college campus because of his long-term work as an educator. I’m appreciative of our time together in conversation and his commitment to learning.”
