Central College will kick off the academic year on Saturday, Aug. 20, the start of our annual Welcome Week. First-year and transfer students move into their residence halls on campus beginning at 8 a.m.
“The purpose of Welcome Week is to assist students in acclimating to their new home at Central both socially and academically,” said Bonnie Dahlke, director of student involvement and orientation. “Students learn about the expectations we have of them as part of the Central family in the classroom, the residence areas and throughout the community.”
Highlights of the week include a transfer student barbeque at Lake Red Rock, the president’s picnic, a bonfire by the pond, a session about sustainability on campus, academic information sessions, a luau-style dance and the Pella Business Fair. The comedian Pete Lee, brought to Central by the Campus Activities Board, will finish off the week with a performance on Aug. 27.
“Students make new friends and learn about the resources available to help them succeed here,” Dahlke said about Welcome Week. “It is the start of a great four years and a lifetime connected to Central.”
Over 400 freshmen and 40 transfer students are expected on Saturday, Aug. 20. That afternoon, they will attend Turning Over the Class in Douwstra auditorium, where Carol Williamson, vice president for enrollment management, will present the class to President Mark Putnam.
Upperclassmen move in Monday, Aug. 22, and classes begin Wednesday, Aug. 24. Opening Convocation takes place in Douwstra Auditorium on Thursday, Aug. 25.
Another highlight of the week is the common reading book discussion on Tuesday, Aug. 23. This year, first-year students, as well as faculty and staff, are reading “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot. The book is about a poor tobacco farmer who died from cancer in 1951. The research done on her tumor cells became the foundation for modern science and led to breakthroughs in gene mapping, cloning, fertility and knowledge of cancer development. All first-year students are asked to read the book over the summer as part of Intersections, a required first-year experience course designed to introduce students to intellectual life at a liberal arts college.