News
‘Into the Woods’ we go but not without guidance
By Alice Blackbriar, Photo Editor
- Student Ambassadors provide student-led toursEvery other Friday, and other times in between, students may see a big group accumulating in Iowa Hall or around the main part of campus on a tour. They may also recognize current Kirkwood students within this group or leading these tours. Those current students are part of [Continue Reading »]
- Broaden horizons with study abroadIf a student is looking to expand their skills, one opportunity stands out: Studying abroad. Kirkwood Community College offers a range of study abroad programs, including options for spring and summer, as well as semester-long trips, allowing students to gain global experience and broaden their horizons. Hiromi Narita, [Continue Reading »]
- President Kristie Fisher prioritizes student growth, successNow in her second year as president at Kirkwood Community College, Dr. Kristie Fisher is maintaining her focus on student success, while being recognized for her strength as a leader. According to a recent college press release, Fisher is “…one of 25 innovative leaders selected from across [Continue Reading »]
- Public Safety shares winter readiness tips for studentsWith the end of autumn coming up quickly, it’s time for students to start prepping for winter weather. According to the Iowa Weather website, Cedar Rapids typically experiences its first snowfall from Dec. 4 – 11. Snow aside, cold snaps can be intense and happen at any [Continue Reading »]
Feature
- International resources available at the libraryInternational Education Week is Nov. 18 – 22, so what better time to let you know about the international resources provided by the Sundberg Library here at Kirkwood? The library has more than 100 country specific books in the Culture Smart customs and culture series. We also have [Continue Reading »]
- How Thanksgiving has evolved over centuriesOctober has come and gone, and with it, the students of Kirkwood Community College turn their attention from the macabre merriment of Halloween to the coming banquets of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving break is a reprieve for students in every corner of the country; either as a brief pause [Continue Reading »]
- Academic coach helps students achieve their best
Myranda Hadley is one of Kirkwood Community College’s academic coaches. This wasn’t Hadley’s original role at Kirkwood, but when she heard of the opportunity, she immediately jumped on it. According to the University of the District of Columbia, “Academic coaches are professionals who work with college students to [Continue Reading »] - 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 »]
New Director of Instrumental Music
By Alice Blackbriar, Photo Editor
Sports
Eagles dominate DMACC: Volleyball team wins 3 – 1, remains unbeaten in ICCAC
Photos by Alice Blackbriar, Photo Editor
- Men’s basketball rebuilds for new season
Following a heartbreaking semifinal loss last season, the Kirkwood Community College’s Men’s Basketball team enters the new season with an opportunity to get back to the finals for the first time since 2019. Head Coach Tim Sandquist said he never loses motivation to come and work with his [Continue Reading »] - Eagles prepare for home opener
With the start of the basketball season, the Kirkwood Community College Women’s basketball team is looking to double down on their success from a season ago and capture the program’s 10th national championship. The team is gearing up to have another successful season at the helm of Hall [Continue Reading »] - Rec Center spotlight: improvement always a focus for rec supervisor
The Michael J. Gould Rec Center is one of the main hubs at Kirkwood Community for student events and intramural competitions. The semester has gone well so far for the Rec Center, according to Brett Baumgart, Rec Center supervisor, as they saw a high turnout for flag football [Continue Reading »] - 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 »]
Art & Life
- Culinary Arts cooks up competition in The Café
The Culinary Arts program took over The Café at Kirkwood Community College, serving three-course meals for $14 from Oct. 22-24, and featured a menu based on the fall season. This is the third “dry run” where Jeremy Ralph, professor of hospitality, and Michael Barshis, associate professor of hospitality, [Continue Reading »] - Calling all artists – Kirkwood needs students to tell its storyLooking to see your art featured in Kirkwood Community College’s collection? How about winning $300 while you do it? Well, here’s your chance – Kirkwood is hosting an art competition and all students are invited to participate. Five to six winning submissions will be chosen for a [Continue Reading »]
- 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 »]
Civics Academy Debuts with Voting 101 course
By Gibson Lowenberg, Managing Editor
Capture Kirkwood
Opinion
- Social problems in Iowa: Prevention is better than cureCurrently, I am studying social problems at Kirkwood Community College, where I have learned about various challenges that communities face today. One of the key issues that stand out is the difficulties experienced by new immigrants, particularly their lack of understanding about the laws, culture and customs of [Continue Reading »]
- SAD and beating the wintertime bluesShorter days, longer nights, frosty air that often bites – does winter leave you feeling under the weather? It could be SAD that’s getting to you. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that onsets during seasonal changes. Although SAD can occur in the summer [Continue Reading »]
- Survey fatigue impacts response ratesIf you’ve spent even a semester at Kirkwood Community College, you know that a wide margin of school emails are survey requests. Survey requests are often repeated every three to five days until a student fills out the survey or it expires. Often, these are course surveys, [Continue Reading »]
- College’s attendance policy needs attentionKirkwood Community College’s policy regarding class attendance has room for improvement. The general policy leaves attendance up to instructor discretion with few exceptions for college sponsored activities, jury duty, and military duty or veteran status related appointments. There are many reasons a student may require a day off [Continue Reading »]
- Your vote is your voice: Don’t go unheardIt’s that time again. Political ads are dominating TV and social media, signs are in seemingly every yard. The candidate who is best suited for the presidency is a hot topic in many conversations. Yes, it’s election year. And while it may be frustrating to see your media [Continue Reading »]
- Smooth transfer from Kirkwood to University of Iowaonal part of students’ lives where many changes and new things occur. Several students stick to a four-year university or complete their two-year degree at a community college. Kirkwood and the University of Iowa have many different options for transfer students. As former Kirkwood students, we’ve experienced lots [Continue Reading »]
Kirkwood Student Productions
Images courtesy of Alice Blackbriar | Kirkwood Communiqué, Yixiang Lee Wei | Kirkwood Communiqué and KCCK