Community
The College occupies a high-density urban campus on a bluff
overlooking the Mississippi River, only a few blocks from downtown
Davenport. The campus is close to banking, shopping and entertainment
facilities.
The metropolitan QCA and surrounding area provides many recreational
and cultural opportunities to students. The climate is compatible with a
variety of outdoor activities. With 5,000 acres of forest preserves, 80
parks (municipal, county and state), numerous boating marinas, summer
water-skiing shows, excursion riverboats, many superb public golf
courses, two zoos, winter sports areas, an indoor skating/soccer complex,
more than 100 miles of well-maintained bicycle trails, fishing lakes,
streams and rivers, eagle-watching sites, many public tennis courts,
municipal league softball diamonds and a minor-league baseball stadium
(Swing of the Quad-Cities) there are ample opportunities for outdoor
sports activities in the community. Several of the local communities have
served as host for national sports competitions including; an annual PGA
sanctioned golf tourney (John Deere Classic) and an annual marathon (Quad
City Times Bix 7). The legendary Mississippi River, which flows east to
west through the Quad Cities, is a major tourist attraction. In-door
sports are well represented in minor-league championship hockey (Quad
Cities Mallards) and in-door football teams (Quad City Steamwheelers).
These minor-league teams are complemented by a strong interscholastic
football, basketball and baseball program in the local schools and
colleges.
The educational opportunities in the QCA are outstanding with two
universities (one private and one public), a graduate center associated
with other universities (including the University of Iowa and Western
Illinois University), one liberal arts college and two community
colleges, in addition to several excellent community school districts and
private schools. Students who have children will find good public school
systems throughout the area. Other educational opportunities abound,
including a children’s hands-on museum, a well established art gallery, a
community arts center, a planetarium and a variety of other museums
ranging from geology and natural history to military and local history.
The area is rich in sites chronicling significant events in American
History – including those of Native American life, the revolutionary war
and the civil war. Each community has established, restored and
maintained residential areas that are significant to the history of the
region. That history comes alive on guided tram tours of many of these
sites, especially the Civil War sites of Arsenal Island. The Rock Island
Arsenal, located on Arsenal Island between Davenport, Iowa and Rock
Island, Illinois) was established by the US Congress in 1862, and is
listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Opportunities to worship abound in the QCA, with the major religions
represented. Each of the communities has vibrant and growing
congregations representing all the major denominations. There also are
several inter-denominational organizations, providing strong support to
those with special needs in the community.
Cultural opportunities are exceptional for a community the size of the
QCA. The Broadway Theater League brings touring companies of major
productions and the Quad City Symphony hosts visiting artists. The Adler
Theater and The Mark of the Quad Cities are focal points of Quad-City
cultural life, bringing to the area concerts and celebrity performances
by internationally known performers. Those who enjoy participating in
community theater will find many opportunities through Playcrafters,
Genesius Guild, Quad-City Music Guild and other organizations. In
addition to these organizations, festivals and fairs abound in the QCA.
The Bix Biederbecke Memorial Jazz Festival is an international event
accompanied by the Bix 7 road race.
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