1989-Spring ’19 Class Letter
Class Agents:
Nicole Lindberg
(612) 929-2188
Mitch Rosin
(708) 309-8556
Spring 2019
Greetings in the middle of one of the coldest winters on record! It has been another hectic year for Nik and Mitch with travels everywhere, and tons of family obligations. Mitch hit 2 million miles on United (and that’s not counting any other airline) and Nik has been throwing her expertise and energy behind several organizations that all would benefit from your support. Check out her Facebook page for more details.
- We are also working to make our 30th Reunion the best ever! Mark your calendars for Alumni Weekend, June 27-30! Not only is it our reunion but two of our fellow classmates are receiving the Distinguished Alumni Citation Award: COL James E. Czarnik ’89 and Kathryn R. Schultz ’89. They will be honored at the 1851 Awards Dinner Program on Friday, June 28. Our reunion will be on Saturday night (June 29) in The Bovay Terrace from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Join us for food, drinks and fun! Then head down to The Spot for dessert (complete with a chocolate fountain), live music, and s’mores at the fire pit. Full weekend details and online registration are coming April 1 to www.ripon.edu/alumni-weekend, but also watch your mailboxes for the official Alumni Weekend brochure. We hope you will join us!
Keep an eye on our class Facebook page for updates, tidbits, and other useless information.
We look forward to seeing you in a thawed out Ripon in June!
Mitch & Nikki
Classmate News:
TONYA BARNETT ALLING ’89 moved to a small town, only to learn that dancing there had been banned. She has worked with small group to help the townspeople rethink their rules, and in doing so revitalized their spirits. She plans to be footloose and fancy free at the reunion this summer.
SARAH ALMQUIST ’89 took in a stranger that was left behind. Though she is not sure where he came from, they are working out a way to phone home. So Barb may have a guest with her at the reunion. TBD
KELLY KORDES ANTON ’89, when not working on communications for MillerCoors, is honing her skiing skills on the slopes. She is working hard to master the K12 slope and has started a Go Fund Me page to make sure she always has two dollars. Summer means no skiing, so she can attend the reunion.
DAVE BARRETT ’89 had an amazing day off in Chicago with his two best friends. They enjoyed the Art Institute, took in a baseball game, encountered a parade, and dined on Rush Street. Just a warm up for the fun of our reunion.
TRICIA POTTER BAUER ’89 spent time over the summer with her family at a resort in the Catskills. She and the dance instructor really clicked, and were the stars of the end-of-the season show. This summer, she can show off her moves at the reunion.
CAL BERGMAN ’89, Associate Dean for the College of Letters and Sciences at UW-Madison, is also in an exclusive club. Club members recite poetry, explore philosophical ideas, and enhance their lives through an appreciation of literature. He also appreciates how fun it is to come back to visit Ripon!
KRIS LARSON BESLER ’89, as a high school counselor, oversees Saturday detention. She observes, that students come in thinking they are so very different from each other, when in fact they have more in common than they realize. A fact she thinks we may also see with our Ripon classmates this summer.
BRETT BORK ’89 once a struggling artist, bounced from one dead-end job to another, until he found love while working in a department store, proving that love is more than window dressing. Learn more about this and more this summer.
CRAIG CASPER ’89 and KRISTA CALHOUN CASPER ’89, having tired of living in the attic and feeling invisible, have finally found a way to cohabitate with their new tenants. Maybe they will all join us this summer!
TOBI CAWTHRA ‘89 continues to work as a dancer and lives in Berlin. She recently was appointed as lead dancer, but the woman she replaced accused her of witchcraft. She is working with an inquisitive psychotherapist and a member of the troupe to uncover dark and sinister secrets as they probe the depths of the studio’s hidden underground chambers. She will be bringing her dancing skills to Ripon for the 30th Reunion Weekend.
KATHY HANNES CESARIO ’89 and MARK CESARIO ’92, struck an animal with their car while returning from a hunting trip. The animal appeared to be dead, so they added it to their hunting gains, and drove home. But, as you guessed, “it” wasn’t dead. You’ll have to ask them what happened next if you see them at the reunion.
CAROYLN AGACINSKI CLARK ’89 reports that he has become a mysterious force that will decimate the population, and warns — if you see him, you will die. The survivors must now avoid coming face to face with Healy, who takes the form of their worst fears. Searching for hope and a new beginning, women and children have embarked on a dangerous journey through the woods and down a river to find the one place that may offer sanctuary. To make it, they’ll have to cover their eyes from the evil that chases them — and complete the trip blindfolded. He will present on this journey at the Alumni Reunion in June.
LINDA GLAUBITZ DECRAMER ’89 and LAIRD DECRAMER ’77, write, “The Ripon tradition continues. Although our kids are polar opposites, Callista (suave, sophisticated and likes to tango) and Sullivan (overzealous, long-haired and always looking for cash) they both work tirelessly towards their goals.
PAUL DONALDSON ’89 joined Professor Jones in pursuit of the Holy Grail of dressage. This has proven to be harder than expected, and only for the pure of heart. Maybe his quest will be fulfilled at the reunion.
GIGI HICKS DECKER ’89 took a road trip from Chicago to New York, during which she argued with a friend about whether men and women can ever truly be strictly platonic friends. During the reunion, we can try to help her answer the question of whether men and women can stay friends without sex becoming an issue between them. Guess we will find out the truth after he road trip to Ripon in June!
CHERYL FRANZKE FEATHERSTON ‘89 reports that she recently shared a contentious car ride from Chicago to New York, during which she argued with a friend about whether men and women can ever truly be strictly platonic friends. Ten years from now, they plan to meet at a bookstore, and in the company of their respective best friends, in an attempt to stay friends without sex becoming an issue between them. Updates will be provided in June!
DARLENE HONIE-LOYER GERICK ’89, like Tobi, had an adventure in babysitting. Responding to a frantic friend’s call, Darlene with three kids in tow, went to pick her up at the bus station, only to blow a tire on the expressway. Having forgotten her wallet at home, she couldn’t pay for the repair. Long story short, she protected the kids from some unsavory types, rescued her friend, and had everyone tucked in before the parents got home. Fill in the details during the reunion.
JIM GLADE ’89, worried that his wife might be playing Patty-cake with someone else, hired a detective to snoop on her. But what the detective discovered was a plot by an evil developer to take over the community where they live. The three join forces to stop the take-over, and that’s all folks, until the reunion.
JULIE TAYLOR GONDAR ’89 and MICHAEL GONDAR ’88, and their two sons live in a town plagued by bikers and some mysterious activities. Armed with holy water filled squirt guns and a trunk filled with wooden stakes, they are sure they can continue to enjoy this beautiful beach community. If not, at least they can take a break in Ripon this summer.
ELIZABETH NICHOLS “SCOTTIE” GIROUARD ’89, in order to save her home from foreclosure, has set out to find a pirate’s treasure. Find out if she found the booty during the reunion!
GRANT GRUDZINA ‘89 writes that as a German immigrant living in a trailer in Kansas he is the victim of a botched sex-change operation, but continues in his search for stardom and love. He plans to drive his trailer to Ripon in June for alumni weekend.
RAMON GUZMAN ’89 has signed with the Cleveland Indians, despite having poor pitching skills. Meanwhile, RUBEN GUZMAN ’89 is following the voice in his head, and has started construction of a baseball field. Strike up a conversation with the twins at the reunion to learn more.
PHIL HARTY ’89 reports that he is troubled that he has little access to his children, and decided to hatch an elaborate plan. With help from his creative brother, he dressed as an older British woman and convinced his ex-wife to hire him as a nanny. He will not be joining the reunion, as he is working to replace parts of his wardrobe that recently caught fire.
TED HARWOOD ’89, while babysitting, and desperate to quiet the child, wished the child to be taken away, and was shocked it worked. Now guilt ridden, he had to retrieve the boy from a maze. Fortunately she is back in time to join us at the reunion.
KATHY HAYEVSKY ‘89 reports that her kingdom has become trapped in perpetual winter. She is proceeding without fear, and has joined forces with a mountaineer named Kristoff and his reindeer sidekick to find Kathy’s sister, Snow Queen Elsa. They hope to break her icy spell. Her epic journey has led them to encounters with mystical trolls, a comedic snowman, harsh conditions, and magic at every turn, but she continues to bravely push onward in a race to save her kingdom from winter’s cold grip.
DAVE “CHUCK” HILLMAN ’89 has seen his days as a daredevil (some might say maverick) pilot have come to an end. He looks forward to having more time to play volleyball, sing Righteous Brothers tunes, fish, and attend Ripon reunions.
MARC HEALY ’89 was accidentally sent thirty years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the maverick scientist, Michelle Trujillo Brown-Droese ’89. Marc’s wife, Heidi Zwart Healy ’90, seems unfazed, and will assume they will both be back for the reunion.
SUE CLOT-JOSEPH ’89, having just returned from a trip to New York City, is the new owner of a used leather jacket and some Egyptian earrings. She is going to be in the groove at the reunion.
DAVID LUONGO ‘89 writes that he doesn’t have much going for him during the weekdays. He still lives at home and works as a paint store clerk in his Brooklyn, N.Y., neighborhood. But he lives for the weekends, when he and his friends go to the local disco and dance the night away. When a big dance competition is announced, he convinces his friend to be his partner. The two have started training for the competition, but he thinks there is a romantic element, also. He will demonstrate stayin’ alive at the Reunion in June!
JAMES MADDISON ’89 is proud to announce that his band, the Wyld Stallyns, have gained quite a following. It hasn’t come easy, however. He has had to spend an inordinate amount of time in a phone booth, and with lot of crazy characters. Maybe he will play for us this summer.
JOHN MATHEWS ’89 and MEAGHAN MAHONY MATHEWS ’91 had a typically crazy holiday: the light display wouldn’t light, obnoxious family members pumped sewage into their drain, and his annual bonus turned out to be a jelly of the month club subscription. They hope their plans to drive out West to visit a theme park go more smoothly. Either way, they plan to be back in time for the reunion.
ANNE BURCHMORE MIES ’89, along with seven friends and a saxaphone, are still trying to navigate life after college. Her friends gather nightly at their favorite bar, where relationship and work drama play themselves out. Friendships are tested, and in the end some seem to be adulting better than others. See who navigates their way to the reunion this summer.
DON MCCREATH ’89, has experienced it all in his travels: difficulties getting a taxi, getting bumped from first class, flight cancellations, delayed trains, even a burning car; but rooming with a shower curtain ring salesman pushed his limits. Learn about his escapades this summer.
KRISTIN ADOMEIT MOORE ’89, had her life turned upside down by an inheritance — of a baby. More suited to the board room than the playground, she struggled to find her way. Thinking moving to a Vermont cottage would help, she realized, through batches and batches of applesauce, she hadn’t found that balance. However, she has been able to leverage her sauce making skills into a profitable company, and now indeed does have it all. See what else she can dish up this summer.
BARB THOMPSON PAMPERIN ‘89 reports that she is living in an England of the future, and spends her time getting high at the Korova Milkbar before embarking on “a little of the old ultraviolence,” while jauntily warbling “Singin’ in the Rain.” She has agreed to submit to behavior modification technique to earn her freedom; and is conditioned to abhor violence. She will be at the reunion, but isn’t sure if she will be sane.
MITCH ROSIN ’89 writes that he has been running an art gallery in a small Greenwich Village hotel for many years. The management wants to replace his less-than-thriving gallery with a coffee shop. Always irascible but now increasingly erratic, Mitch is a cause of concern to family given the effect of senility on the family.
AMY ROSNER ’89, along with two others, have started a spirit removal service, housed in a refurbished fire station. She could hold the key to a fun reunion.
PATRICK SCHMIDT ’89, completed his apprenticeship with the notorious sailor, Roberts, and now captains his own ship, complete with a swashbuckler wardrobe of black. It would be inconceivable for him to not make it to the reunion.
KATHRYN SCHULTZ ’89 reports that being a wealthy and uptight person, her children when faced with the prospect of a new nanny, were pleasantly surprised by the arrival of the magical Mary. Her children embarked on a series of fantastical adventures with Mary and her friend, Bert. The children tried to pass on some of their nanny’s sunny attitude to their preoccupied mother. Kathryn will be at the Reunion, complete with her umbrella, which allows her to fly!
DAVID STAPELFELDT ’89, enjoys kickboxing and spending as much time as he can with the beautiful, intelligent valedictorian before she leaves to study in England. Hopefully he, and his boombox, can make it for the reunion!
CHRISTOPHER STOTT ’89 saved Brooke Shields from drowning. Blows reward money hiring Van Halen to play his birthday party. A party to remember, just like our reunion.
TINA MUDGETT TINCHER ’89 drove her crappy blue Chevy Nova to Beverly Hills, where she is involved in an investigation involving bearer bonds. (What? Those again.) Now back in Detroit, she thinks Ripon will be the perfect place to reunite this summer.
JOHNNY VERNON ’89, an entrepreneur, automobile dealer/hustler/bookie, learned his estranged father left him from his will, yet $3 million went into a trust fund to be distributed to someone. That “someone” is Raymond, his unknown autistic brother. Who’s on first? That’s right. See you at the reunion.
MICHAEL WAUGH ’89 owns a pizza parlor in the Bedford-Stuyvesant district of Brooklyn. Do the right thing, and come to the reunion!
TIMOTHY WIEDMEYER ’89 has been hired to help drive an aging widow. He can drive his way to Ripon, too, and join us at our reunion.