News
Vet tech students help dogs find forever homes
By Gibson Lowenberg, Creative Director and Kota Winterboer, Photo Editor
- Vet tech students help dogs find forever homes
The Kirkwood Community College Veterinary Technician Program hosted an open house on Oct. 11 where it offered food, drinks and the opportunity to see dogs available for adoption. “We have this open house every year,” said Sophie Jennett, veterinary technician. “We usually get 10-ish dogs from the [Continue Reading »] - Voting 101: Empowering students with voter education
The Kirkwood Civic Academy, a student organization launched in 2024, is helping students across campus connect through open, respectful discussions on current issues and learn how to make their voices heard at the polls. The Academy’s mission centers on promoting civil discourse in a time when political and [Continue Reading »] - Beat the bug with a free flu shotKirkwood Community College Student Life, Recreation and Wellness teams will be hosting the annual free flu shot event on Oct. 22 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the second floor of Iowa Hall. This event is designed to allow Kirkwood students to get vaccinated to protect them [Continue Reading »]
- Students learn to navigate networking
Every year the Kirkwood Community College business department hosts a luncheon to teach business etiquette. This year it landed on Oct. 14 at The Hotel. The event aims to teach students how to introduce themselves and eat while talking to others. It also allows participants to meet other [Continue Reading »]
Feature
- Lisa Folken: Impacting students through communication
Once the Director of the Kirkwood Community College Jones County Regional Center, Lisa Folken now teaches Fundamentals of Oral Communications and Public Speaking at the Cedar Rapids campus. She has been with Kirkwood since 2005 and retired into a lesser role with the college in order to spend [Continue Reading »] - Moving forward with the running clubHow did the club get started? In early 2022, a student who had run competitively during high school connected with the Clubs team in Student Life and expressed interest in starting a running club. They connected her to me and we developed a vision and strategy together and officially [Continue Reading »]
- From classroom to career: Trade programs connect students to industry for career success
When Dean of Industrial Technologies Joe Greathouse talks about trade programs at Kirkwood Community College, his eyes light up with pride. He believes Kirkwood is doing something extraordinary for students who prefer to learn by doing. “Our connection to industry is what makes us unique,” he said with [Continue Reading »] - Building community with Hispanic HorizonsHow did the club get started? Hispanic Horizons got started through the cofounder of the club, Anderes, who spent his whole semester getting this club going, and trusted me, Keily, to lead the group. What is the purpose of the club? The purpose of Hispanic Horizons is to promote comfort [Continue Reading »]
- English professor champions curiosity in the classroom
Kirkwood Community College English professor Mircea Tomus was born and raised in Romania, where he began his lifelong journey with literature. He has taught at Kirkwood for more than 35 years and holds a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Iowa, specializing in Old English poetry [Continue Reading »]
Lisa Folken: Impacting students through communication
By Gibson Lowenberg, Creative Director
Sports
Athletic trainer aims to keep Eagles soaring
By Gibson Lowenberg, Creative Director and Roman Meister, Staff Writer
- Athletic trainer aims to keep Eagles soaring
The Kirkwood Community College Eagles have a new athletic trainer in Lacey Tierney. With degrees from both Coe College and the University of Iowa, Tierney has a strong background in sports medicine. She also worked with Iowa City High as an athletic trainer as part of an outreach [Continue Reading »] - Freshman outside spreads her wings with the Eagles
Freshman outside Carly Wazac has turned heads early in her career with the Kirkwood Eagles. She has been a dominant force for the offense through the first 20 matches of the season, helping power Kirkwood to a 19-1 start to the season. However, the road up to this [Continue Reading »] - Eagles preview: What to expect from Kirkwood athletics this yearKirkwood Community College has a long history of athletic success, having won 16 national championships across all sports in school history. Here’s a look at all six sports offered at Kirkwood. Baseball: After finishing the 2024-2025 season with a 21-12 conference record, the Kirkwood baseball team looks [Continue Reading »]
- Eagles remain undefeated, breezing by Ellsworth Panthers
On Sept. 11, the Kirkwood Community College Eagles (11-0) took on the Ellsworth Panthers (5-6) making for an exciting night of volleyball. Heading into the match up, the Eagles started their season hot winning 11 straight. While Ellsworth had won three of their last five. The [Continue Reading »] - Rec Center fosters well-being: Rec plays a vital role in promoting physical and mental health
The Kirkwood Community College Rec Center is a premier fitness and wellness facility and one of the pillars of the Student Life Program at the college. As the 2025 spring semester comes to a close, Recreation Services Supervisor Brett Baumgart looked back over the 2024-25 academic year and [Continue Reading »] - MVP finds his future: Lucas Lueth blazes trails on and off the court
By the time redshirt freshman Lucas Lueth, Eagle basketball’s dynamic guard, ICCAC All-Region Academic award winner, and NJCAA Division 2 National Tournament MVP, was approaching graduation from Ames High School, he had already garnered several collegiate offers, including offers from NCAA Division II schools. Lucas had also attracted [Continue Reading »] - Eagles’ star guard trading in wings for Panther claws
In her two years at Kirkwood Community College, sophomore guard Jenna Twedt, science, averaged 15.1 points per game on 38.7% shooting from three, won 68 games and helped deliver a national championship as a freshman. In the fall, she will be taking her talents to Cedar Falls to [Continue Reading »]
Art & Life
- Glass artist and former faculty fuses fire and form
Upon entering the Iowa Hall Art Gallery on Oct. 9, guests were immediately drawn to the gorgeous, detailed and carefully crafted pieces that hung like a statement of how wide the spectrum of art and creativity really is. The event was an artist reception for Barbara Shultz-Hetrick, a [Continue Reading »] - Jazz and Java in Iowa Hall: Music faculty compose tunes for students
Faculty members from the music department took the stage Oct. 8 with the Standard Java session on Iowa Hall Stage. A new house band featuring choir director Fred Kiser, director of instrumental music Chris Navarrete and piano instructor Julia Andrews made its debut in front of a small [Continue Reading »] - Jazz Jam: Students lighten up Iowa Hall with live music
Kirkwood Community College hosted the Jazz Jam in Iowa Hall on Sept. 23. The group consisted of the college’s Jazz Band and Director of Instrumental Music Chris Navarrete. While many of the songs played were instrumentals, a handful were not. The voice of the Jazz Jam was [Continue Reading »] - Urine-vited to this year’s fall musical
Kirkwood Community College presents its 2025 fall musical, “Urinetown: The Musical”, a campy comedy about a 20-year drought-induced water shortage, leading to a government-enforced ban on private toilets. Greg Kotis and Mark Hollmann bring their writing and musical talents together to satirize the justice system, bureaucracy, capitalism, [Continue Reading »] - Fall colors come to the corridor: Eastern Iowa embraces the arrival of autumnal activities
With temperatures still threatening to climb into the 90s, it can be hard to get into the spirit of the approaching fall season. But as we lose more than an hour of daylight by the end of September, it’s hard to resist the smell of pumpkin spice and [Continue Reading »]
Jazz and Java in Iowa Hall: Music faculty compose tunes for students
By Gibson Lowenberg, Creative Director
Capture Kirkwood
Newscast
Opinion
- The growing difficulty of securing student visasFor many international students, studying abroad is a lifelong dream: a chance to access world-class education, gain global exposure, and pursue careers that can transform their lives and communities. However, in recent years, that dream has become increasingly difficult to achieve. The process of securing a student visa [Continue Reading »]
- Expanding bus routes for studentsWhether by choice, circumstance or necessity, many people find themselves without a car or a driver’s license, and that reality shapes their everyday lives in powerful ways. That’s where public transportation comes in. When it comes to students trying to get to and from school, many ride the [Continue Reading »]
- Respect, Media, and Unity in a Time of Division The death of Charlie Kirk on the Utah Valley University campus has shocked people across the political spectrum. Kirk was known for his far-right positions, which often made him a controversial figure. What has stood out, though, is how even groups and media outlets that strongly disagreed with [Continue Reading »]
- Making friends is good for your healthStarting college is a unique change in everyone’s lives. Sometimes you have to worry about so many things, such as finances and grades, that you forget one important part: friendships. It can be hard to socialize when you come to college. Everyone keeps to themselves for the most [Continue Reading »]
- Students hunger for healthier optionsThe area surrounding Kirkwood Community College almost perfectly fits the description of a food swamp. According to The Humane League, a food swamp is when people have access to healthy options like fruits and vegetables; however, they are flooded with less nutritious alternatives like fast food restaurants and [Continue Reading »]
- Kirkwood’s lack of parking is an issue that can be addressedParking in crunch time is a pain, no matter how clear the parking lot may be at Kirkwood Community College. It’s a safe bet that if students could teleport into class the moment it begins, they would. Sadly, they can’t, and those who commute to campus can find [Continue Reading »]
Kirkwood Student Productions
Images courtesy of Kota Winterboer | Kirkwood Communiqué, Gibson Lowenberg, Roman Meister | Kirkwood Communiqué, Gibson Lowenberg | Kirkwood Communiqué and KCCK