Central College Releases Latest Issue of “Synaptic”
May. 1, 2025
The 2025 Synaptic showcases outstanding Central student creativity.
“Leading Across the Arc of Time” offers a roadmap for navigating today’s shifting higher education landscape.
May. 1, 2025
The 2025 Synaptic showcases outstanding Central student creativity.
Apr. 28, 2025
Mark Putnam announces the public phase of the $50 million comprehensive campaign.
Apr. 23, 2025
Central rocked another excellent Hoo-Rah Day.
Apr. 14, 2025
Central art majors will showcase their end of semester art projects, April 16 to May 9.
Apr. 7, 2025
Garrett Hill, Class of 2009, finds creative way to support Central.
Apr. 3, 2025
Central will perform “Bonnie and Clyde” April 9-12.
Apr. 2, 2025
The inspirational legacy of Jim Graham lives on through the new Jim Graham Adventure Fund for Off Campus Travel.
Mar. 27, 2025
Central College welcomes students for Leadership Youth Summit, June 3-4.
Mar. 26, 2025
Central students lead organization for the 2025 Out of the Darkness Walk at Central.
Central College
812 University St.
Pella, Iowa 50219
1-877-462-3687
Photo Caption: The north side of Central College’s Roe Center acquired a new look with the installation of graphic window stickers to deter bird collisions. Graphics were created by art majors Amelia Brown, Fynn Wadsworth and Madilynn Peitzman, all in the Class of 2025.
Pella, IA (11/28/2023) — Central College continues its commitment to environmental stewardship with the installation of a second student-designed sticker mural on the windows of the Roe Center. The window, which faces north, has caused significant bird deaths for many years.
Russ Benedict, professor of biology, and Mathew Kelly, professor of art, collaborated with students across the biology and art programs to create and design CollidEscape stickers for this window. According to Benedict, he typically records 10-20 bird deaths at that window each year.
"Birds are drawn to the windows because they reflect the sky and trees so well. They cannot differentiate between what is real and what isn't real until it's too late," Benedict says. "One of the leading causes of bird deaths is collisions with windows, with an estimated half a billion birds dying across the U.S. annually."
Funding for the window mural came from an Iowa Department of Natural Resources grant and the Green Fund from the Central Student Senate. Cassie Severson, Class of 2023, co-authored the grant along with Jocy Timmerman, Class of 2024, and Benedict.
The art majors who designed the window coverings to prevent bird collisions were Amelia Brown, Fynn Wadsworth and Madilynn Peitzman, all in the Class of 2025.
Central students, who volunteered to help install the window stickers, are Summer Chambers, Class of 2027; Jillian Fairbanks, Class of 2027; Jordan Helmick, Class of 2027; Carley Underwood, Class of 2027; and Madi Whalen, Class of 2026.
Central College of Pella, Iowa, is a private, four-year college known for its academic rigor, engaged citizenship and character formation, experiential learning, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), athletics and service. For more information about Central College, visit central.edu.
