1992-Spring ’19 Class Letter
Class Agents: JuDee Stojsavljevic Fischer
Bonni Dembroski Fredrick
Erin McCormack
Spring 2019
Hello Fellow 1992 Classmates!
Happy end of winter/beginning of spring – it’s time again for the class letter. This one is going to be focused upon Ripon College and Ripon area updates, because we didn’t receive any individual class member updates to include in this letter. Hopefully that means everyone is too busy enjoying the change of seasons regardless of where they live. I am writing this letter in Colorado Springs looking out at our view of the Garden of the Gods, the Front Range of the Rockies and Pikes Peak which are covered with snow and really looking gorgeous. Winter in Colorado is honestly a lot of fun. For future letters, I would like to encourage everyone to share their life updates with the Office of Constituent Engagement ([email protected]) at the college, or contact Bonni, JuDee or me, so we can highlight them in an upcoming letter.
One piece of news that JuDee recently shared is that the Heidel House will be closing on May 20 this year. Our class certainly has some fond memories of that place, so it probably feels as bittersweet for you as it did for me to hear this news. If you are in Wisconsin or find yourself visiting before May, it’s your last chance to head there for the classic Heidel House experience. According to local news reports, the property has been up for sale since 2016 and declining profits have led the corporate owner to decide to cease operations. Anyone want to change careers into hotel ownership in Green Lake?
Did you see the article in the recent Ripon Magazine on the career of Ripon alumna ERIKA DOSS ’78? Her last name may ring a bell. She’s the daughter of one of my favorite Ripon professors of Philosophy, Seale Doss, and she’s a professor at Notre Dame, where she teaches art courses. Art and Philosophy – classic liberal arts subjects – Ripon’s influence is everywhere, it seems.
The college wasn’t unaffected by some of the significant winter weather that hit the Midwest this season. Classes were canceled and the college was closed due to snowstorms and severe cold. Thinking back on our experiences, it seems almost unthinkable that classes were canceled due to the negative temperatures. Despite our complaints about winter in Ripon, I don’t think we ever had the crazy low temperatures that the Polar Vortex brought to the Midwest this year. BRRRRR.
Some interesting upcoming/past campus events include:
- Washington Semester Program Information Session
- Those of you who participated while you were attending Ripon may be interested to know that this perennially popular exchange program continues on.
- A regularly scheduled EGOR group meeting in early March
- Current students still care about the campus environment, just like our class did…
- “Wisconsin and the World,” was hosted by the Ripon College International Relations club in April, it featured several leading experts in national security, international relations, foreign policy, domestic energy and economics
- Presenters included former CIA Director Jim Woolsey, former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson, and retired U.S. Army General and NATO commander Wesley Clark.
Some recent accomplishments by Ripon students include:
- LEXI REETZ ’19, a Ripon Softball pitcher, received the MWC Pitcher of the Week award – sounds like Ripon Softball’s season is off to a great start.
- Ripon’s Cycling team completed in Wisconsin Cyclocross events this past season as they target inclusion in the Collegiate Cyclocross Nationals next year.
As you can see, there’s a lot going on throughout the campus, and this time of year is when the students are hunkering down to work on their Senior Seminars. Speaking of academics and students, as always, the college needs and appreciates your support to continue the great traditions we enjoyed while also improving and growing to serve the needs of the current students. A great example of the difference that strong alumni support makes at Ripon is the Willmore Center which has revitalized Ripon athletic teams and supercharged the Exercise Science major which is hugely popular.
You won’t want to miss out on Ripon’s Second Annual Giving Day, #OneDayRally which is Wednesday, May 1! If you were planning on making a donation to the college this year, this day might be a great one for you to put on your calendars. Last year’s inaugural day was a big success, and we will need your help to achieve this year’s donor goal of 1,035.
Wishing everyone a wonderful spring, and please don’t forget to stay in touch with Ripon.
Sincerely,
JuDee, Bonni, and Erin