Your School, Your Town, Your Community

Experience Ellensburg and Get Involved with CLCE’s “Kittitas Connect”

Did you ever study algebra? Of course you did; you’re in college right now, so algebra must have been a part of the academic path that led you here. It has been a long time since I studied math (and as a writer and English major that subject certainly is not my forte), but there is one theory that I vaguely remember: the law of transitive relation. It states that when element A relates to element B, and element B relates to element C, then element A also relates to element C. If A=B and B=C, then A=C. Look familiar?

Chew on this: you are element A, CWU is element B and the Ellensburg community is element C. So, with this in mind let’s take another look at the law of transitive relation. You (element A) just moved into your new dorm room at CWU (element B), and CWU (element B) is a part of the Ellensburg community (element C). Therefore, if A=B and B=C, you are now a part of the Ellensburg community! Simple, right??

Listen, my point is this: don’t keep yourself locked away in your dorm room! As a member of the CWU community you are also a part of this great city and all it has to offer. Our region of the state is absolutely full of outdoor recreational opportunities and community engagement projects, and you owe it to yourself to take advantage of everything that is within your reach. Education is more than books and quizzes; it’s about exposure, engagement, growth and interaction with the world in which you live.

In pursuit of this side of higher education, the Center for Leadership and Community Engagement (CLCE) presents their series, “Kittitas Connect.” According to CLCE Program Manager Kim Jellison, “Kittitas Connect” is a series of events that brings Central students together with a purpose of getting them involved with their community in positive ways while heightening a sense of civic responsibility and developing leadership skills.

“The (Kittitas Connect) projects focus on connecting students with their beautiful surroundings,” Jellison said. “It gets them out into the community and involved in Ellensburg and its surrounding areas. It’s a shame how many students can spend their entire college experience here without ever discovering what Ellensburg has to offer and how beautiful this part of the state really is.”

Kittitas Connect will offer students various community engagement opportunities throughout fall quarter, including a Yakima River Canyon cleanup effort, a downtown storm drain stenciling project and a downtown “Make a Difference Day,” in which students can participate in preparing the 65 downtown flower pots for winter.

Volunteers are always welcome at the CLCE. For more information about the center, its mission and projects, or to register for Kittitas Connect events, visit the CLCE website at http://www.cwu.edu/leadership-engage or stop by their offices in SURC room 256.