News
CITA-Kirkwood Fire school
By Jeff Sigmund, Staff Writer
- Midterm Marathon offers support for success
The Sundberg Library and Learning Commons has a week full of activities planned to help you be successful in your midterms, and throughout your college career. Come by each day to meet some of the many people working at Kirkwood just to support you in your classes. We [Continue Reading »] - CITA-Kirkwood Fire school heats up
At the 38th annual CITA-Kirkwood Fire School, local and state firefighters attended classes to learn new techniques or refresh their skills in such areas as Basic/Advanced Auto Extrication, Basic Firefighting and Class “A,” Big Rig Rescue Extrication and many other areas. This year’s programs were held at [Continue Reading »] - 380 Express offers alternative transportation
Many students at Kirkwood Community College commute between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids. This causes gas expenses to go up and allocated study time to go down. However, there is an alternative option for traveling to class: The 380 Express. While tickets typically cost $3.50 per ride, Kirkwood’s [Continue Reading »] - Ag program expands: Board of trustees approves 80-acre purchaseAg program expands:
The Kirkwood Community College Board of Trustees approved the purchase of 80 acres of land near the main campus to expand the agriculture program. The land is located across the street from the Airport National Golf Course along Wright Brothers Boulevard. “It actually borders two of our other [Continue Reading »]
Feature
- New Director of Instrumental Music
Chris Navarrete brings extensive experience to Music Department “I love Jazz, it embodies freedom. It’s really just freedom of expression,” said Chris Navarrete, Kirkwood Community College’s new director of instrumental music who started in July. Navarrete was the former director of bands at California State University, Chico. [Continue Reading »] - Journey from Kirkwood to bakery for pets
Many people have concerns about the ingredients in the treats they give their pets. With a plethora of recalls, one business owner decided to take matters into her own hands. Stephanie Riffey, owner of The Barkery, has taken this need to the next level by creating handmade, healthy [Continue Reading »] - Activities Council plans, promotes student eventsCan you tell us about how this club got started? The group got started in the late 1960’s shortly after the college opened its doors. The group has been known by several names in the past including Student Senate, KAPS, Student Leadership Council and most recently, Activities Council. What [Continue Reading »]
- Welding degree popular among students The welding program at Kirkwood Community College is a fast growing and popular program among students. The college offers both a one-year diploma and two-year degree for welding. Other programs, such as industrial maintenance and diesel mechanics, also take advantage of the welding lab in Jones Hall. “We [Continue Reading »]
- Pride Club offers support, awareness of LGBTQ+ issuesCan you tell us about how this club got started? There was a need for a safe space and community for LGBTQ+ folks here at Kirkwood and many issues facing us LGBTQ+ folks here so we decided to group up and discuss these issues. We also have a [Continue Reading »]
New Director of Instrumental Music
By Alice Blackbriar, Photo Editor
Sports
New Athletic Director to continue legacy of growth
By Gibson Lowenberg, Managing Editor
- Eagles golf dominates in back-to-back tournamentsThe Kirkwood Eagles golf team has started their year off right, showing why they are the number two ranked team in the country securing dominant team and individual performances while also breaking records on the way. The #2 Eagles started strong with a second place finish in the [Continue Reading »]
- New athletic director to continue legacy of growth
Following the departure of former Athletic Director Doug Wagemester, Kirkwood Community College has named new a leader for the athletic department: Todd Rima. Rima, the head coach of the Eagles baseball team, has an extensive coaching background. He has won 726 games as a coach, according to [Continue Reading »] - Alumni’s love of golf leads to careerThe following is a Q&A with Kirkwood Community College Alumni Matt Erger, Class of 1995. Erger is owner and club PGA Professional of Airport National Public Golf Course in Cedar Rapids. Why did you choose to go to Kirkwood and what was your major? It was as [Continue Reading »]
- Alumni, nurse operates martial arts school
The following is a Q&A with Kirkwood Community College Alumni Katy Sebers (class of 2018). She and her husband, Wyatt, co-own Guardian Institute of Martial Arts in Marion. Sebers graduated Kirkwood with an Associate of Science in Nursing. What brought you to choose Kirkwood and your major? I [Continue Reading »] - Former college athletes make history
Kirkwood Community College inducted its third class at the Athletic Hall of Fame Dinner on Feb. 9. This year the winners were Vicki Ellison, volleyball, Kylee (Knop) Vargason, softball, and the 1998 Kirkwood Men’s Basketball Team. The idea for the Hall of Fame was in the works [Continue Reading »]
Art & Life
- Active Minds promotes mental health awarenessHow did the club get started? Active Minds is a national student-run organization started by Alison Malmon after losing her brother to suicide. The Kirkwood Active Minds club was started in the spring of 2012 by the Kirkwood counseling staff in an effort to open up the conversation about [Continue Reading »]
- Civic Academy Club debuts with Voting 101 course
Kirkwood Community College hosted a Voting 101 course on Oct. 1 to educate students, many of whom are eligible to vote for the first time this year, on the concepts and importance of voting. The event was hosted by Assistant Professor of English Shawnacy Kiker-Perez and the Civic [Continue Reading »] - Kirkwood Music: Student choir spotlight
The Kirkwood Community College choir, led by Fred Kiser, associate professor of music, is working with students to prepare for the upcoming fall concert on Sunday, Nov. 24, at 3 p.m. in Ballantyne Auditorium. Kiser said the choir is working on a variety of opera pieces for the [Continue Reading »] - Student Leadership kickoff
Participation can lead to Eagle Leadership Certificate On Sept. 4, the Student Leadership Kickoff Series event began and students gathered in Iowa Hall to learn more about the activities planned for this year. Student Leadership includes three clubs: Student Ambassadors, Student Leadership Council and Dance Marathon. [Continue Reading »] - Rachel Eckroth and the Kirkwood jazz bandsGrammy nominated pianist and singer-songwriter Rachel Eckroth took the stage in an appearance with Kirkwood’s jazz bands on April 13, 2024, in Ballantyne Auditorium. The event highlighted pieces written by Eckroth including, “A Beautiful Friendship,” ‘Poem,” “Beyond the Sky,” and “Suburbia,” which Eckroth performed with the Kirkwood [Continue Reading »]
Civics Academy Debuts with Voting 101 course
By Gibson Lowenberg, Managing Editor
Capture Kirkwood
Opinion
- Moderation of generative AI is crucial for collegeThe use of Generative AI is a controversial topic in schools. Many schools have moved quickly to ban the use of ChatGPT but Kirkwood Community College has taken a different path. In August, Kirkwood professors met to talk about the use of AI in their classes. No concrete [Continue Reading »]
- Does social media hate self-esteem? After watching a TikTok video, I opened the camera app on my phone and stared into my eyes looking back at my reflection. I said to myself, “Maybe there is something wrong with my nose.” Social media is ruining perceptions of beauty and forcing people to not [Continue Reading »]
- Students should take advantage of food pantryHere at Kirkwood Community College, we have a food pantry that is free to use for all students. The food pantry is located on the third floor in Iowa Hall, and students can get groceries once a week. The food pantry has a wide variety of groceries. You [Continue Reading »]
- Staff Editorial: Ignoring parking laws can lead to finesParking lot safety is a serious concern. So far in 2024, Kirkwood Community College’s Public Safety reported they have responded to 31 accidents on the main campus, with the vast majority taking place in our parking lots. This statistic does not include the number of accidents that go [Continue Reading »]
- Tips for navigating online and hybrid coursesRegardless of what your reasons are for attending Kirkwood Community College, most of us will experience one of the many online or hybrid courses that this college has to offer. In doing so, we face obstacles in figuring out how to still stay connected and stay on top [Continue Reading »]
- Take advantage of your EagleCardStudents can use their EagleCards for free activities here at Kirkwood Community College, including bus transportation, sports activities, access to the Rec Center and tickets to school musicals. You can also use your EagleCard like a debit card, where you can deposit funds into your account and use [Continue Reading »]
Kirkwood Student Productions
Images courtesy of Jeff Sigmund | Kirkwood Communiqué, Alice Blackbriar | Kirkwood Communiqué, Josh Ngari, Yixiang Lee Wei | Kirkwood Communiqué and KCCK