R Connections

Happy 2023! Everyone, everywhere, has had an especially cold start to the new year. Hope you all stay warm and safe from any crazy March/April blizzards! Luckily, it will be warm by our next Alumni Weekend, which takes place June 22 through 25. Would be awesome to see familiar faces just like last year!

More information about the event and activities occurring during Alumni Weekend will be available at Ripon.edu in the upcoming months. There are room blocks at Heidel House in Green Lake (Book here) and at Cobblestone Suites in Ripon (Call 920.748.5500).

On that note, there are other times we could catch up, albeit in smaller groups. These are the Presidential Welcome Receptions happening in cities all over the U.S. Visit alumni.ripon.edu to find out if there is a date near you in the coming months so you can meet Dr. Folse! Hope to hear about lots of fun little gatherings. Take care and stay warm!

Class Notes:

EMMA BRONSON ‘17 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, passed her PHR exam. She and PAYTON BLESSING ‘19 are planning a trip in April to Spain to walk the Camino de Santiago.

KONNER FELDHUS ‘17 of Denver, Colorado, is beginning cardiology research as he continues general internal medicine training.

BEN VALDEZ-HEMPEL ‘17 of Washington, D.C., would like to report everything is the same.

MICHAELA MYERS ‘17 of Broomfield, Colorado, writes: “My name is Michaela Myers and I graduated from Ripon College in 2017 with a BA in Psychology, which I use to work with at-risk youth in residential treatment in and around Denver, CO.”

BEN VORPAHL ‘17 of Portage, Wisconsin, has joined the Seubert Family Dentistry Team in Portage, Wisconsin.

Konner ‘17
303-280-5835 

Emma ‘17
414-721-6619

P.S. There will be a special giving event in conjunction with inauguration weekend, April 20-23, to celebrate Ripon’s 14th President, Victoria N. Folse, and the exciting momentum happening within our campus community. This event will be an extension of the #OneDayRally brand and experience. Stay tuned for more information. We look forward to your participation!

Submitted by: Class Agents: Konnor Feldhus and Emma Bronson

Spring is among us.

Like spring, our alma mater in the middle of Wisconsin’s prairie is also beginning to bud and grow with new life. This spring, we will celebrate the inauguration of a new president, Dr. Victoria N.  Folse, and welcome her new leadership to campus. The college was proud to announce its plans for a newly remodeled science center and on-campus stadium. President Folse and her leadership team are centering around a new strategic plan for the college and, in the style of the spring season, are ready to bring new life to Ripon.

Ripon College is not the only place where we see change. Many of us in our class are now experiencing growth and new life. We’re moving to different areas of the world, finishing advanced education, starting new jobs, building families, and bringing new life into this world. It’s remarkable to see the growth and diversity our class network has across the world.

Looking ahead, Alumni Weekend is planned for June 22-25, 2023. We encourage you to attend with friends. More details about this weekend, lodging, and events can be found on Ripon’s website. Before you know it, we’ll be writing to you about our first five-year reunion in 2024! Finally, we wanted to sincerely thank everyone in our class that has contributed to the Ripon Fund or those who have given back to the institution with time or service. Your contributions mean everything to this college.

Room Blocks:
Heidel House (Green Lake) – Book online here
Cobblestone Suites (Ripon) – Book by calling 920.748.5500
Campus Lodging will be available in April

Class Notes

LANE BARNES ‘19 of Clovis, CA, writes, “Traveling back and forth overseas playing American Football in Germany.”

CORAL EAKINS ‘19 of Boston, MA, writes, “At the beginning of March I will be going to Purser Training in Atlanta for a week, and once I graduate I will be pursuing my new role as the Lead Flight Attendant on international flights! This is a highly competitive position in my company, and I’m very excited to see what my summer travels will bring.”

MELISSA HACKBARTH ‘19 of Germantown, WI, writes, “Happy 2023! In March of 2022, I graduated with a Master’s Degree from Northwestern University and opened my own clinical mental health private practice, Echo Counseling Services, LLC (check us out on social media!)”

RACHEL HAWLEY ‘19 of Madison, WI, writes, “I will graduate with my Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in May 2023 and then move to Boston to start a fellowship in Medical Affairs at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge, MA.”

KENDRA HOLTE FAUCETT ‘19 of Manhattan, KS: The University of Wyoming (UW) Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, housed in the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources, welcomed Kendra Faucett on August 8 as program coordinator for the new Growing Internship program.

MCKENNA MEZA PHILLIPSEN ‘19 of Appleton, WI, writes, “This January, I transitioned into a new position with ThedaCare as an RN Care Manager for the surgery optimization team! I am thrilled to be able to provide more personalized care for my patients and to use the creative side of my brain more often.”

DAKOTA WILCOX ‘19 of Saint Paul, MN, writes, “I graduated with my Doctorate of Chiropractic degree in December from Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington, MN. Now I am currently working in Hudson, Wisconsin as an associate chiropractor.”

Eric ’19
(262) 365-9726

Rachel ’19
(224) 688-3049

Olivia ’19
(262) 408-3785

Tyler ’19
(715) 889-3672

P.S. There will be a special giving event in conjunction with inauguration weekend, April 20-23, to celebrate Ripon’s 14th President, Victoria N. Folse, and the exciting momentum happening within our campus community. This event will be an extension of the #OneDayRally brand and experience. Stay tuned for more information. We look forward to your participation!

Submitted by: Class Agents: Eric, Rachel, Olivia and Tyler

Hello Class of 1982,

We hope that this letter finds you are healthy and happy! It’s good to be able to touch base after winter and share some of our classmates’ news and also news from Ripon College.

Please put June 22-25, 2023, on your calendar for our upcoming Alumni Weekend! Even though we are not celebrating a milestone reunion, it is always fun to come back to campus and take that trip down memory lane. There are sure to be a number of us in attendance, even on an off year, and we welcome all of you to join in on the fun that we always seem to find!

Make your hotel reservations soon so you don’t miss out. Here are some useful numbers:

Boarders Inn and Suites, (920) 748-7578
Cobblestone Suites, (507) 433-9797
Heidel House, (920) 807-0300

Thank you to all classmates who supported Ripon College financially this past fiscal year! Support to the Ripon Fund, #OneDayRally, the 1851 Club and Planned Giving make a huge difference in the lives of current and future students. Remember that many corporations match their employee’s charitable giving efforts.

#OneDayRally will look a little different this year. There will be a special giving event in conjunction with inauguration weekend, April 20-23, to celebrate Ripon’s 14th President, Victoria N. Folse and the exciting momentum happening within the campus community. This event will be an extension of the #OneDayRally brand and experience. Stay tuned for more information and plan to participate if you can.

Class News

KRISTIN KOHLES JANSSEN ’82: “We downsized and moved in August to a ranch style home. We’re busy with updating projects. I did a girls’ trip to Uganda and went on chimpanzee & gorilla treks, as well as white water rafting down the Nile River. Then DAVE ’81 & I went to Egypt and had an incredible experience exploring temples, pyramids & the Sphinx. Our son, Geoff, and fiancée Cleopatra, got married on New Years’ Eve in Colorado. It was a great way to end 2022 and ring in 2023!”          

BRIAN LECLAIRE ’82 will be inducted into the MSIS Cloud of Honor. The Cloud of Honor was established in 2022 to recognize and honor graduates from Oklahoma State University’s information systems programs.

KRISTIN RASMUSSEN OLSON ’82 and husband, Eric, welcomed their first grandbaby in early December. “At two months old, our grandson, Levi, recognizes us and gives us plenty of smiles. We couldn’t be more thrilled!”

Keep on smiling!

Your Class Agents,

Kristen ’82

Peter ’82

Submitted by: Class Agents: Kristen Rasmussen Olsen and Peter Hintz

Greetings Class of ’04,

In December of last year, I had the good fortune to reconnect with KEVIN BLACKBURN ‘04 at a Ripon Holiday Party in Wauwatosa. Aside from the general “catch up”, Kevin shared with me the exciting news of his hobby/passion for woodworking having turned into a legitimate business opportunity. A stump grinder, now a portable saw mill…he’s doing some cool stuff!

This got me thinking, “what else are you all doing out there”? ABBY Windows is an easy one to see here in the greater Milwaukee area, but I’m sure there are others success stories to be told. (Seriously…what a crazy success story, ABBY BINDER ‘04!)

Below are some notes from your classmates, specifically showcasing what they’ve got going on in their professional lives.

I know who I’m calling when I need a tree milled…

Alumni Weekend is coming up quickly! This year, it is June 22-25, 2023. Below you can find information if you are planning to attend.

The College is three hours north of Chicago, and served by airports in Milwaukee (a two-hour drive from Ripon), Madison (a 1.5 hour drive), and Appleton (a 45 minute drive). Milwaukee offers the most frequent service. From the Milwaukee, Madison, Chicago and Appleton airports guests may choose to rent a car. Ripon is served by taxi to and from the Appleton airport.

Room Blocks:
Heidel House (Green Lake) – Book online here
Cobblestone Suites (Ripon) – Book by calling 920.748.5500
Don’t forget: Our 20-year class reunion will take place June 20-23, 2024. Mark your calendar!

LINDSEY HUTCHINSON LOEWE ‘04: “I started private practice 11 years ago in Ripon that has since grown to three locations (two in Oshkosh, one in Ripon) and ten clinicians, plus several interns from area universities each semester. We currently serve ten school districts in the area, we serve at the homeless shelter, and we do professional development, as well as seminars. I also consult for a national organization to bring psychotherapy into the school setting. It’s pretty fun!”

CANDICE NORTH ‘04: “Not a business, but a non-profit that I wouldn’t mind getting a plug in for. My husband, Mo Cisse, and I started a small nonprofit project in November 2019. Little did we know the world was about to shut down and this did cause some roadblocks on fundraising and expansion. There are 39 orphans in Nalerigu, Ghana, that never attended school before our project. School is not free and without a sponsor, the kids have no way to pay fees and buy uniforms. We partner with our on the ground coordinator, a nurse named Issaka, to provide these funds. We are a registered 501(c)3 here and in Ghana. We wire the donations directly to Issaka who pays the school fees and registers the orphans for school. There is zero overhead and 100% of donated funds equate to school fees. We are always looking for more donors as there are still many kids awaiting sponsorship. We visited the kids and their schools in November 2019 when we kicked off the program and gave out school supplies.” https://www.bocat.net/the-nalerigu-orphans-project

JENNY FITZGERALD ‘04: “Not necessarily selling anything, but I have had my own accounting and payroll business since 2011 that I do on the side for many small businesses. I help clients during my lunch break, evening and weekends!  Would love to help out a Ripon classmate if they need help!”

GREG FURDEK ‘04: “It just so happens we moved into my new dental clinic yesterday. It has got to be in contention for the most beautiful clinic! I am very proud we can bring such a building to these smaller communities. The community and my staff really deserve it. We go from two small offices to a whopper. My son was the  first patient.”

KATIE PLIER BOISVERT ‘04: “I’m a teacher…but during the summer I have been selling people’s items for them for a commission. These sales take place through Facebook Marketplace or eBay.”

AMY RYDZ GREEN ‘04: “JESSICA KINZEL MEULENDYKE ‘04 and I formed a Financial Planning team with Thrivent. I wouldn’t necessarily say we are ‘selling’ anything, but we are doing a fee for advice planning. And it’s amazing to work with her!”

JESSICA KINZEL MEULENDYKE ‘04: “I’m adding to AMY RYDZ GREEN ‘04’s info: Amy specializes in pre-retirement planning. I focus on late-stage college planning.”

ALICE FRIEND ‘04: “I’m not freelancing this yet, but am SO happy to tell you I spend my days helping moms learn how to breastfeed. I work as a hospital-based Lactation Consultant and LOVE my job. Every day is a joy! I’m in New York, so not particularly helpful to WI any longer, but feel free to share the above.”

Enjoy the spring, and go Bucks!

Nick ‘04
262.227.6097

P.S. There will be a special giving event in conjunction with inauguration weekend, April 20-23, to celebrate Ripon’s 14th President, Victoria N. Folse, and the exciting momentum happening within our campus community. This event will be an extension of the #OneDayRally brand and experience. Stay tuned for more information. We look forward to your participation!

Submitted by: Class Agent: Nick Spaeth

Greetings Classmates,

We hope this letter finds you well. We have a couple exciting updates from classmates we want to highlight:

MATT BIWER ‘09 finished his PhD in archaeology at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2019. He is now an Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Archaeology at Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA where he lives with his wife, KORINE VIERTHALER BIWER ‘09.

Way to go, Matthew! We look forward to future updates and hearing some fun stories from your time in the classroom. 

BRYAN NELL ‘09 of Green Lake, WI: “I grew up in St. Germain, Wisconsin before heading to Ripon College (Ripon, WI) to get my A.B. degree in chemistry in 2009. I did my graduate work at the University of Oregon (Eugene, OR) in the lab of David Tyler, earning my Ph.D. in 2014. My dissertation research focused on the synthesis of tetraphosphine macrocycles and their corresponding coordination chemistry, mostly focused on iron. After graduate school, I stayed in Eugene and taught chemistry at Oregon, teaching general chemistry and organic chemistry. I also taught some classes at local community colleges, as well as, Oregon State University. In 2016, I started a postdoctoral fellowship in the lab of Rebecca Abergel at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory working on preparing sulfur-based analogs of the HOPO-type molecules that are well known to capture radio nuclei. After this, I moved to the University of Minnesota Morris as an assistant professor in the chemistry discipline. In 2022, I moved to Ripon College to continue teaching at my alma mater! In my free time, I love to golf, do woodworking projects, and be outside with my wife, daughter, and pups.”

Congrats, Bryan!  We look forward to watching you impact future Redhawks and serving Ripon College as a member of the faculty. 

ELLIS BOSVELD ’10 shares: “It has been awhile since I’ve sent in an update and there is a lot to share. In early 2020, Ellis took a leap of faith and started working as a full time missionary with ReachGlobal Crisis Response, working on long term recovery sites across the nation. He moved to coastal North Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Florence. There, he met his wife, Kristen, and married on 2/22/22. He now has a 5-year-old bonus daughter and they are excited to welcome a baby to the family this July!”

Awesome news, Ellis!  Thanks for updating us, and best of luck on your expanding family. 

Some updates from Emily and Josh:

EMILY MEYER ‘09 continues her work in Residence Life and maintaining the chaos of her house. Last fall, Lily (age 7) was cast in the Fargo Moorhead Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker where she made her ballet stage debut as a mouse. Lily will dance this spring in the FM Ballet’s production of Peter Pan where she’ll continue her animal roles and dance as a fish (how does a fish dance you may ask….I have no idea). Emily’s husband, STEPHEN KENNELLY ‘98, returned from his fifth deployment in November and they’ve been readjusting to having him home full time after three and a half years of military school and work.

JOSH LEGREVE ‘09 is still working as a Spanish Teacher and International Baccalaureate Diploma Program Coordinator for Green Lake Schools. This last fall, his conference presentation “Lenses of Culture: Addressing Culture at the Novice Level” was named Best of Wisconsin by the Wisconsin Association for Language Teachers. He will have the opportunity to present this session at the regional Central States Conference in Columbus, Ohio, this March.

There are some exciting events happening at Ripon in the coming months; please join us if you’re in the area or are willing to travel!

April 22, 2023 – Inauguration of President Victoria Folse
Information and updates available here: Inauguration | Ripon College
June 22-25, 2023 – Alumni Weekend

Alumni Weekend is coming up quickly! This year, it is June 22-25, 2023. Below you can find information if you are planning to attend.

The College is three hours north of Chicago, and served by airports in Milwaukee (a two-hour drive from Ripon), Madison (a 1.5 hour drive), and Appleton (a 45 minute drive). Milwaukee offers the most frequent service. From the Milwaukee, Madison, Chicago and Appleton airports guests may choose to rent a car. Ripon is served by taxi to and from the Appleton airport.

Room Blocks:
Heidel House (Green Lake) – Book online here
Cobblestone Suites (Ripon) – Book by calling 920.748.5500
Don’t forget: Our 15-year class reunion will take place June 20-23, 2024. Mark your calendar!

Watch for more information on our class Facebook group. If you aren’t in the group, let us know!

While we have another year (plus a little) until our 15th College Reunion (we refuse to think it has been that long), the time will soon come when we’ll be looking for volunteers to help with reunion planning. Reunion planning members are generally asked to be at a couple virtual meetings or phone calls in the time leading up to reunion to assist with selecting a location and a few other logistics, and then be present if possible at Alumni Weekend. It is a low-commitment way to give back to the college and reconnect with friends. If you’d like to know more, feel free to reach out to either Emily or Josh, or AMY GABRIEL GERRETSEN ‘04 in the Alumni Office ([email protected]), for more information or to volunteer.

As always, please feel free to share updates with us at any point.

Emily ‘09

Josh ‘09

P.S. There will be a special giving event in conjunction with inauguration weekend, April 20-23, to celebrate Ripon’s 14th President, Victoria N. Folse, and the exciting momentum happening within our campus community. This event will be an extension of the #OneDayRally brand and experience. Stay tuned for more information. We look forward to your participation!

Submitted by: Class Agents: Emily Meyer and Josh LeGreve

Hi friends,

Happy 2023! As I write this, Ripon College just celebrated its 172nd birthday. I love learning about how our little school has grown and changed so much over the years. And did you hear about how Knuth Brewing is taking over the former American House to turn it into a new events center and expand their brewery operations?! I’m so proud of Ripon and can’t wait to check it out the next time I’m back in town. Speaking of changes, thanks so much to everyone who contributed job and life updates to share in this letter. Without further ado:

CAMERON COLLIER ’12 of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, returned home to Ripon College in late June of 2022 to work as an Admission Counselor. Cameron graduated from Ripon College in 2012 with degrees in environmental studies and history. During his time away from the college he held various management positions for the nation’s fourth largest independent garden center.

ARIEL DICKINSON ’13 of Madison, Wisconsin, is living life with a toddler and is planning their first international trip as a family of three to Japan this summer.

RACHEL WEYKER FELDMANN ’12 of Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin, is expecting baby #2 at the end of summer and her little one-year old will be a big sister!

KATHARINE SHADLE GAILS ’12 and RYAN GAILS ‘13 of West Allis, Wisconsin, welcomed baby, Quentin, to their family on December 23!

MICHAEL HEPP ‘13 of Ripon, Wisconsin, is in his first season as an Assistant Football Coach for the Red Hawks, where he will be in charge of coaching the outside linebackers.

SARAH HILL ’12 of Saint Paul, Minnesota, started a new job with Saint Paul Public Libraries and bought a house in Minneapolis with her wonderful husband, JORDAN HILL ’11. This upcoming semester marks the LAST of her Master’s program and she will officially be a librarian come spring 2023!

SAM MUTSCHELKNAUS ’12 of Cedarburg, Wisconsin, has a goal for 2023 to be a Board-Certified Chaplain either through the Spiritual Care Association or the Association of Professional Chaplains.

TONYA REETZ ’12 of Greeneville, Tennessee, recently accepted a promotion at work as a Division Controller, moving her again for the third year in a row to western Tennessee. She’s also a newly appointed godmother to her first niece; she’s born into the family with two older brothers, wish her luck!

SAM STELMACK ’12 of Chicago, Illinois, just launched a new podcast called “Have You Heard About This Case?”

LAUREN STEURER-DREGER ’13 of Belleville, Wisconsin, had another baby girl in September 2022 named Dottie.

BRANDON TAYLOR ’12 of San Francisco, California, is now a Senior Manager within the HR Enablement team at LinkedIn, living with his wife and puppy.

Alumni Weekend is coming up quickly! This year, it is June 22-25, 2023. Below you can find information if you are planning to attend!

The College is three hours north of Chicago, and served by airports in Milwaukee (a two-hour drive from Ripon), Madison (a 1.5 hour drive), and Appleton (a 45 minute drive). Milwaukee offers the most frequent service. From the Milwaukee, Madison, Chicago and Appleton airports guests may choose to rent a car. Ripon is served by taxi to and from the Appleton airport.

Room Blocks:
Heidel House (Green Lake) – Book online here
Cobblestone Suites (Ripon) – Book by calling 920.748.5500
On-campus lodging will be available in April

Thanks again to everyone who shared their updates and we hope to see you soon!

Erin ‘12

Brandon ‘12

P.S. There will be a special giving event in conjunction with inauguration weekend, April 20-23, to celebrate Ripon’s 14th President, Victoria N. Folse, and the exciting momentum happening within our campus community. This event will be an extension of the #OneDayRally brand and experience. Stay tuned for more information. We look forward to your participation!

Submitted by: Class Agents: Erin Schaick and Brandon Taylor

Greetings classmates from DAVID!

I was trying to remember the last time I wrote the class letter, and it must have been sometime during the pandemic. The last two and a half years were a blur as many of you saw my saga going back and forth to Chicago as a caregiver to one or the other parent in the last stages of their lives. It is a chapter in my life that I may miss a little as I get back to the new normal.

I am looking forward to returning to Ripon June 22-25 for our 35th Reunion and I hope you are planning on attending. It may be a little harder to step on campus and remember the first time I visited with my father in the summer of 1984. We drove right on by. We laughed as we saw the sign for Green Lake and looked at each other bewildered. “Did we miss it?” In 1984, Ripon was exactly what I was looking for. Arriving on campus from Chicago as an inner-city student attending a high school with over 2,000 students, I was looking for smaller class sizes and more interactions with the professors. I am so glad my father and I backtracked and found Seward Street.

KATHY WADE ’88 and I are thrilled that MICHELLE EBERT WITT ’88 has rejoined the Reunion planning committee, and we have added some new faces: KRIS DIEMER HAWLEY ’88, KIRSTEN KNOLL-CARLSON HOLLES ’88, and RANDY ROEPER ’88. Along with the events planned throughout campus over the weekend, we have opportunities scheduled for our class to gather together. On Friday night, RANDY and TANYA SCHWARTZ-ROEPER ’88 have graciously opened their farm in Green Lake, and on Saturday night, our Reunion Party will take place in the Rodman Center in the Caestecker Gallery (catered by Mr. & Mrs. P’s).

We hope that as you plan for Alumni Weekend, you remember that there are still room blocks available at the
Heidel House in Green Lake, which you can book online at here. There is a block of rooms at the Cobblestone Suites in Ripon which can be booked by calling 920-748-5500.

KATHY WADE ’88, KIRSTEN KNOLL-CARLSON HOLLES ’88, KRIS DIEMER HAWLEY ’88, MICHELLE EBERT WITT ’88, RANDY ROEPER ’88, and I are also working on a lofty goal for our Ripon Fund gift. We’ll be sending out communications and making calls over the next two months. In the past we have presented an oversized check with our gift at our Reunion, and this year will be our first to present our gift to Ripon’s newly inaugurated President Dr. Victoria N. Folse.

Hopefully you have received the latest Ripon Magazine or a postcard announcing several welcome receptions leading up to the Inauguration of Dr. Victoria N. Folse on April 22nd. Dr. Folse is Ripon’s 14^th president and the first female! Please consider making an effort to attend one of the welcome receptions as Dr. Folse may be in your area prior to Alumni Weekend. 

Class Notes

JIM CONWAY ’88 writes: “Update 2023: I’m still awesome.”

MARIO FRIEDEL ’88: Please check out this article about MARIO‘s new jazz album and his Grammy ballot. MARIO’s wife, SHERRY THOMPSON FRIEDEL’87, is a background singer on the album.

JAMIE HAWLEY ’88 writes: KRIS DIEMER HAWLEY ’88, and Jamie are excited to share that RACHEL HAWLEY ’19 will graduate with her Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree from UW Madison in May. She has accepted a post-doctoral fellowship as the inaugural US Medical Affairs fellow at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals. Kris is thrilled that they’ll both be working for the same incredible biotech company in Cambridge, MA.

KIRSTEN KNOLL-CARLSON HOLLES ’88 writes: “Hi. My name is KIRSTEN KNOLL or KIRSTEN KNOLL-CARLSON or KIRSTEN HOLLES. I am known by lots of names. What I am not known as is an attendee of college reunions. I joined the year’s reunion committee because I thought maybe if I did, I would decide to attend. The majority of my friend group doesn’t attend reunions and I fear I will not have people to hang around with or won’t know anyone to hang around with. I’m hoping that maybe others will decide to attend for the first time, and we can be lost together – much like day one. So, if you have never attended before, come join me for another Ripon first.”

DEB WESTFAHL ’88 writes: “I am traveling to Europe and Africa this year! I added visiting all continents to my bucket list!”

MICHELLE EBERT WITT ’88 writes: “I am really looking forward to our 35th Reunion this summer. As much as I enjoy the random ‘Do you remember when….’ that pops up in conversation, I’m more interested in what folks have been doing the past 35 years – travel, adventures, kids….. grandkids? (Yeah, that’s a possibility!) You’ll have a chance to see the enhancements made to the campus and marvel at how there are no longer payphones that would ring until someone took pity and answered them.

In October, I attended the funeral for Dr Mary Williams-Norton, one of my advisors in the Physics Department at Ripon. She embodied the Ripon Experience for me – not only as a professor, but someone who added in comments on life, education, and work. I watched as she balanced being a mom and scientist/professor, even sleeping one night a week in her office to avoid the long drive home after astronomy labs. She invited me to stay overnight at her home in Poynette and took me to a seminar in Madison the next day. Hopefully many of you also had connections with some of the staff you knew at Ripon.” 

In Memory Of

Thomas Caestecker of Green Lake, Wisconsin, and Kenilworth, Illinois, age 90, passed away peacefully on Thursday, October 6, 2022, at his home in Green Lake. He was a Ripon College Trustee from 1985 to 2002 and received an honorary degree and the College’s 2017 Founders’ Day Award.

Beth Lau of Bloomington, Indiana and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, died of metastatic cancer on November 2, 2022, in Bloomington, IN. Beth taught at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces and at Ripon College prior to becoming a professor at California State University, Long Beach, where she taught for twenty-two years. She enjoyed her students and was always an active scholar in her field.

Mary Williams-Norton of Poynette, Wisconsin, passed away at 76 years of age after battling metastatic breast cancer at Meriter Hospital in Madison, WI, on Tuesday, September 27, 2022. Mary served as a professor and department chair in the Ripon College Physics Department for 37 years, retiring in 2012. She not only taught physics and astronomy; she was a role model, emphasizing the contribution of women in science. She worked closely with the Ripon College Education Department to inspire elementary education students to love science teaching. She also worked with the Wisconsin Elementary and Middle Level Science Teachers organization to promote science education in public schools. Outside of the college classroom, Mary led Girl Scout troops in Poynette, WI and enthusiastically supported the Poynette School District.

Evelyn Kain, emerita professor of art, died on December 30, 2022. Professor Kain taught at Ripon for 28 years from 1983-2011. She was the Helen Swift Neilson Professor of Cultural Studies and received the James R. Underkofler Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award in 1994. She performed with Collegium Musicum, Ceresco String Band and the college choir for decades. 

Ripon News

For more news from Ripon, go to ripon.edu/news/!

In Closing from KATHY!

I look forward to seeing you all during Alumni Weekend!

David ’88

Kathy ’88

P.S. There will be a special giving event in conjunction with inauguration weekend, April 20-23, to celebrate Ripon’s 14th President, Victoria N. Folse, and the exciting momentum happening within our campus community. This event will be an extension of the #OneDayRally brand and experience. Stay tuned for more information. We look forward to your participation!

Submitted by: Class Agents: David Jonas and Kathy Wade

Greetings Class of 2010,

As we are writing this letter spring is seemingly upon us, with the melting snow giving way to something even more beautiful; the fresh life of spring with flowers and trees blooming all around. This year marks 13 years since our graduation from Ripon College; while it seems like a long time, in many ways it feels like it was only yesterday we rushed around campus, studied abroad, and participated in the many wonderful activities Ripon College provides.

Recently as we are sure everyone has read the College announced a $35 million strategic investment in the campus infrastructure. President Folse, along with the Board of Trustees is embarking on a transformation of the campus that will bring about a new phase of growth and innovation for the college. Upgrades to Farr Hall and the addition of an on-campus stadium are the beginnings of what is sure to be a multi-pronged approach to invest in the college. It will be exciting to have world-class science facilities on one side of campus while also for the first time being able to take a short walk over to Sadoff Hill to catch what will be many activities at the new on-campus stadium.

It is because of strategic investments like this that make it so vital we all support our alma mater in whatever way you can. Whether that be a gift to the college or volunteering your time, anything helps go a long way to maintaining the high academic standards of Ripon College.

We hope to see everyone on-campus this summer for our 13th reunion, June 22 to 25! It will be a great time to connect with fellow alumni of all ages!

Room Blocks:
Heidel House (Green Lake) – Book online here
Cobblestone Suites (Ripon) – Book by calling 920.748.5500
On-campus lodging will be available in April

Class Notes

NICK BAKER ‘10 of Carol Stream, IL, has started a new position with The Cincinnati Insurance Company as a multi-line claims specialist. While still single, he has found his time is taken by helping his mother, Pat, who is doing well after her single lung transplant in May of 2022!

JEFFREY DAVIS ‘10 and GWENDOLYN CASEY DAVIS ‘12 of Waukesha, WI, found chaos descended upon their household following the birth of their fourth child (January 2022). They also relocated to Waukesha to be closer to Jeff’s employer, Uline. Both were devastated to no longer live only ten minutes from LINDSAY KUEHL LAMB ‘11. Gwen puts her education degree to good use as she homeschools their four children ranging from ages one to six. Her sanity is surprisingly still intact.

CHELSEY FOSTER LODERHOSE ‘10 of Milwaukee, WI, and her husband, Jake, and welcomed a baby boy to the family. Levi Loderhose was born on September 12, 2022. His toothless grin lights up the room, and he loves exploring all the trails near our new house in Wauwatosa.

KATHERINE STOTIS ‘10 of Minneapolis, MN, now works for the Hennepin County recorder’s office in Minnesota. Her job title is long, but essentially works with legally recording real estate documents for the county.

Take care and go Red Hawks!

Nick ‘10

Tomissa ‘10

P.S. There will be a special giving event in conjunction with inauguration weekend, April 20-23, to celebrate Ripon’s 14th President, Victoria N. Folse, and the exciting momentum happening within our campus community. This event will be an extension of the #OneDayRally brand and experience. Stay tuned for more information. We look forward to your participation!

Submitted by: Class Agents: Nick Baker and Tomissa Porath Freisleben

Hello Fellow Classmates,

What a year it has been for Ripon! We hope you and your families are doing well and you can make it back to campus soon. If you have not heard, Ripon is overflowing with exciting updates. Not only did Ripon welcome their first female president, but in December, Ripon announced a Strategic Infrastructure Plan that will see a major renovation and expansion of Farr Hall, a new campus stadium on lower Sadoff, and upgrades to residence halls. You can read more about the plan here.

Alumni Weekend is scheduled for June 22-25! More information about the event and activities occurring during Alumni Weekend will be available soon. There are room blocks at Heidel House in Green Lake (Book here) and at Cobblestone Suites in Ripon (Call 920.748.5500).

If you haven’t done so already, please consider making a donation to Ripon College. Any amount is impactful and our overall participation percentage is vital in so many ways for Ripon. Let’s all work together to get our participation above 50% in 2023 and keep the exciting developments out of Ripon coming!

Class Notes

Now it is time for some updates, fun facts, and memories of Ripon from your classmates:

ZACHARY NORTON ‘07 of Chicago, IL: “I came to Ripon thinking I would major in the sciences, but ultimately majored in English. Nevertheless I remember Summer Orientation and the late Professor Williams-Norton demonstration of the night sky dome. Also, early morning biology lectures with Skip Wittler.”

ELIZABETH MOLITOR TAFT ‘07 of Franklin, WI returned to Ripon College and is now the executive director of marketing and communications.

Other Notes

Kathy Welch of Ripon, Wisconsin: Kathy Welch’s last day as the Director of Health Services at Ripon College was January 6, 2023. She has taken another position with SSM Hospice Care. Kathy has enjoyed documented positive satisfaction scores from record numbers of visitors to Health Services during her 19 years at Ripon College. She was the first to provide a variety of health initiatives including on campus flu shots, Narcan training, CPR training and other programmatic outreach efforts to our College community. Kathy took the lead organizing and responding to the very challenging Covid crisis over the last two years. The College is grateful for her years of commitment and contributions. 

Jeanne Williams of Ripon, Wisconsin is continuing her long career in education as she returns to Ripon College to teach ENG 402 Secondary English Teaching Methods this fall semester. Since her retirement from the RC Educational Studies Department in 2017, Professor Williams has been the Director of Education at the First Congregational Church of Ripon adjacent to the college campus. She is currently president of the Ripon Education Foundation, a not for profit organization that raises funds to support teachers and students in the Ripon Area School District. Over a 50 year career in education, Williams has taught at every level from preschool through graduate education and in four states. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English Education from Ohio State University and Masters and Doctoral degrees from Kent State University. Williams areas of expertise are literacy education and the social and cultural foundations of education.

Mary Williams-Norton of Poynette, Wisconsin, passed away at 76 years of age after battling metastatic breast cancer at Meriter Hospital in Madison on Tuesday, September 27, 2022. Mary served as a professor and department chair in the Ripon College Physics Department for 37 years, retiring in 2012. She not only taught physics and astronomy; she was a role model, emphasizing the contribution of women in science. She worked closely with the Ripon College Education Department to inspire elementary education students to love science teaching. She also worked with the Wisconsin Elementary and Middle Level Science Teachers organization to promote science education in public schools. Outside of the college classroom, Mary led Girl Scout troops in Poynette, WI and enthusiastically supported the Poynette School District.

Evelyn Kain, emerita professor of art, died on December 30, 2022. Professor Kain taught at Ripon For 28 years from 1983-2011. She was the Helen Swift Neilson Professor of Cultural Studies and received the James R. Underkofler Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award in 1994. She performed with Collegium Musicum, Ceresco String Band and the college choir for decades. Professor Kain earned a degree in art history from Columbia University and a Ph.D. from the University of Vienna, Austria, where she lived for 13 years. Fiber arts were her greatest passion. As an art historian, she wrote and lectured about medieval art, women artists and Vienna 1900, and translated scholarly books from German to English. Survivors include her husband, Eugene J. Kain, associate professor emeritus of art and two sons.

Be sure to keep up updated with your memories, promotions, babies, moves, and exciting updates! We look forward to seeing you all very soon!

Your Class Agents,

Adam ‘07

Lindsay ‘07

Liz ‘07

Stacy ‘07

P.S. There will be a special giving event in conjunction with inauguration weekend, April 20-23, to celebrate Ripon’s 14th President, Victoria N. Folse, and the exciting momentum happening within our campus community. This event will be an extension of the #OneDayRally brand and experience. Stay tuned for more information. We look forward to your participation!

Submitted by: Class Agents: Adam, Lindsay, Liz, Stacy

Hello Everyone!

Wow! It’s 2023. Time seems to be moving at warp speed. I feel like it was only a handful of years ago the class graduated from Ripon and scattered across the country and beyond. Here’s the latest news I have for you about Ripon College, along with some notes from members of the class.

COLLEGE NEWS

Ripon College Announces $35 Million Infrastructure Investment
Ripon College has announced plans to move forward with a $35 million strategic infrastructure plan which will address the renovation and expansion of the 61-year old Farr Hall of Science, creation of a new on-campus stadium, and upgrades to residence halls. The first phase will prioritize a $24.5 million investment in the science center and an $8.5 million investment in the campus stadium, both of which are projected to break ground in the spring of 2023. Planning for upgrades to the residence halls has commenced and the College hopes to finalize plans within the next year.

The renovation and expansion of the science center, scheduled for completion by the Fall of 2024, will provide more than 19,000 square feet of new construction, with innovative laboratory, classroom and collaboration spaces throughout, as well as renovation of the existing building areas.

The new on-campus stadium will be built on lower Sadoff field between Willmore Center and the Quads. The mixed-use space will be the home field for the Ripon College football team and men’s and women’s soccer teams, as well as serve the entirety of the student body and Ripon community through potential intramural offerings, concerts and other student life programming. The new facility will feature a 2,000-seat grandstand and press box, a formal entrance on the corner of Thorne and Union streets, viewing opportunities on Sadoff Hill, and lighting for evening programming. Ripon College is the only school in the Midwest Conference without its own campus stadium. The stadium is projected to open in the Fall of 2023.

More information about the infrastructure projects, including architectural drawings of the proposed renovations and new construction, go to ripon.edu/infrastructure/.

Ripon Student Athlete Named Academic All-American
CORMAC MADIGAN ’22 of Rosendale, WI, was named Academic All-America Division III Football Team Member of the Year in recognition of his achievements on the competition field as well as in academics. Madigan, a chemistry-biology major, holds a perfect 4.0 grade-point average. On the football field, he was one of the most dynamic players in the country this past fall, putting up a league-best 1,491 all-purpose yards to go with 14 touchdowns in just 10 games. He led the Midwest Conference with 1,150 yards on the ground, ranked second with 115.0 yards per game and averaged 6.4 yards per carry. He was the cornerstone of a Ripon football program that turned in its best season in more than a decade, posting a 9-1 record and scoring nearly 40 points per game.

Ripon Music Dept. Holiday Concert
A spectacular holiday concert was presented by the Ripon College Department of Music on Sunday, Dec. 4 in Great Hall. All of the musical ensembles of the College performed: Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Orchestra, Choral Union, Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combo. Pre-show music was provided by the Ripon College Brass Quintet and by members of the guitar studio.

PoliSci Prof. Quoted
John P. Harden, Assistant Professor of Political Science, was quoted in two recent articles.
“How Can We Predict a Nuclear War?” ran in Newsweek. He also was interviewed for “Narcissism and War,” published on Political Violence at a Glance, which is run through the UC Institute of Global Conflict and Cooperation.

History Prof. is Panelist at Chicago Conference; Presents Talk at Oshkosh Public Museum
Professor of History Rebecca Matzke was a commentator on the panel “The Social World of Jack Tars: The Royal Navy and British Maritime Culture 1815-1940” at the North American Conference on British Studies annual meeting, The meeting was held in Chicago Nov. 11-13, 2022. On Dec. 7, 2022 she presented the talk “More than Rosie the Riveter: U.S. Women in World War II” at the Oshkosh (Wisconsin) Public Museum. The talk was linked to the museum’s current traveling exhibition called “Manufacturing Victory: the Arsenal of Democracy” about American industry that supported World War II. The exhibition is on loan from the National World War II Museum.

Student and Prof. Present at Conference
Henrik M. Schatzinger, Professor of Political Science, and AARON O’HALLORAN ’24 of Oshkosh, WI, presented new research at the annual meeting of the Southern Political Science Association in January in St. Pete Beach, FL. Their presentation: “The Effects of Outside Money on City Council Elections in New York.”

Ripon Athletic Director Leaving
Ryan Kane, Athletic Director and Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Ripon College, has been named the next athletic director at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He will coach the remainder of the basketball season and continue to serve as athletic director at Ripon before assuming his new role at Carthage April 1.

Ripon College Honored in National Rankings
Ripon again has been placed on national rankings lists of the best institutions for undergraduate education.

• Ripon is ranked the top school in Wisconsin for promoting social mobility by U.S. News & World Report. The ranking is included in the 2022-2023 U.S. News Best Colleges rankings. It ranks 38th among colleges nationally.
• Ripon is included in The Princeton Review’s 2023 edition of The Best 388 Colleges. Ripon also was named to its Best Regional Colleges list for the Midwest.
• Ripon was named to Money Magazine’s 2022 Best Colleges in America and Best Liberal Arts Colleges lists. The list ranks schools that successfully combine quality and affordability, based on factors such as tuition costs, family borrowing and career earnings.

CITY OF RIPON UPDATE

The Republican House was torn down December 19 and 20, paving the way for the Boys & Girls Club of the Tri-County Area to build a facility in Ripon. The Boys & Girls Club purchased the more than 165-year-old building after it sat vacant for around 14 years. With demolition now complete, the club has its eyes set on moving forward in 2023. NOTE: Information above from the Ripon Commonwealth Press newspaper.

FUTURE DATES TO SAVE

Inauguration
The Inauguration of Dr. Victoria N. Folse as the fourteenth President of Ripon College will take place on Saturday, April 22, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. All alumni are invited to attend. In addition, there will be special events taking place that entire weekend. More details will be available soon at ripon.edu/inauguration. There will be a special giving event in conjunction with inauguration weekend, April 20-23, and will be an extension of the #OneDayRally brand and experience.

55-Year Class Reunion
I am planning to organize a reunion for our class on Saturday, June 22, 2024 over Alumni Weekend. Please save that date on your calendar and make plans to attend. More info as it becomes available. If you would like to help organize the reunion, please contact me.

SAD NEWS

Jack W. Powers of Brevard, NC, a professor of chemistry at Ripon College from 1957 through 1969, died Oct. 28, 2022. He also served as a Scoutmaster for Troup 40 while in Ripon. He earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from Purdue University in 1957 and completed post-graduate work at the University of Utah and the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. He later worked for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY, as well as Davidson College and St. Andrews Presbyterian College in North Carolina. He also ran a consulting firm, was active in arts and historical societies and church activities, and enjoyed golfing, camping, fishing and creating artwork.

Personal Note: Knowing Jack Powers got me my first job. In 1970, I was interviewing with a Ph.D. of the R&D Department for a lab job at Corn Products Co. when he said to me “I see you went to Ripon College. My college roommate was Jack Powers. He teaches Chemistry at Ripon. Did you take any courses from him?”

DANIEL DYKSTRA JR. ’69, of El Macero, CA, passed away on January 4, 2023. Dan was a member of Delta Upsilon fraternity and participated in music and student government while at Ripon. He was born in Madison, WI. His family later moved to Salt Lake City, UT, where Dan’s dad became dean of the University of Utah Law School. Dan’s many accomplishments include an immensely distinguished career as the Deputy District Counsel for the San Francisco District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (“the Corps”). After earning his B.A. in History at Ripon while serving in ROTC, he was commissioned to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. He earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Arizona College of Law, then went on to earn a Masters of Law in Labor Law from George Washington University Law School. After law school, he served as an Army Judge Advocate General (“JAG”) Captain where he worked as a Claims JAG for the U.S. Army Claims Service, Fort Meade, MD and then for the Claims and Medical Care Recovery Judge Advocate, 9th Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, WA. He began his distinguished career with the Corps in the Norfolk District in 1978, transferring to the South Pacific Division in 1987. In 2004, he began his career in the San Francisco District where he served as Deputy District Counsel and served in Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom in 2010, 2011, and 2012. His awards include the De Fleury Medal and Commander’s Award for Civilian Service, three times. Of all his numerous accolades and awards, his most coveted was the San Francisco District’s “Gallery of Distinguished Civilians” that Dan received in 2017. Beyond his love of the law and public service, Dan deeply loved his wife, Moira (Mitty). They married in 1972. Dan and Mitty raised two sons, Jack and Sam, in Rohnert Park, CA, where he served as a volunteer soccer coach for years, traveling with his team throughout Northern California. After Dan retired, he and Mitty moved to the town of El Macero, CA, where he joined the HOA Board, eventually serving as President. He made the most of his retirement years by traveling the world with Mitty, playing golf at the local Country Club, summering in McCall, ID and relishing quality time with his wife, his children, and his grandchildren. He will be sorely missed by his family and many friends and colleagues.

NOTE: Dan is the 30th member of the Class of 1969 known to have passed away.

CLASSMATE NEWS

Here are the updates I received from members of our class. I love hearing from you guys.

MARK BAUER ’69 of Pewaukee, WI: “Watching my three grandsons playing basketball, 19 year old at Concordia College, 16 year old at Pius XI high school and an 8 year old 2nd grader. Future travel plans: Viking cruise around Iceland, with shore excursions, in early June. I stay busy with my two main hobbies: carnivorous plants and German language, plus reading (history, philosophy, sports) and listening to various types of music. Occasionally attend musicals. Enjoy videotaping and editing. May seem boring to others, but I like simple things.”

DON CHESTER ’69 of West Palm Beach, FL: “Greetings from sunny and occasionally very windy/rainy south Florida. My sympathy goes out to all of you who were impacted by Hurricanes Ian or Nicole. Recently did a video promotion for the weather team at our local NBC affiliate. Friends now asked me for the forecast.  Very few frozen iguana so far this year, but it’s early. In spite of my boosters having boosters I still got COVID. Why am I still working full-time? During the first wave of COVID I was told to work from home since I am considered high risk. Very busy for the first few weeks, but in week five, I suggested to my wife that I wanted to go back to my office at the medical center. Her response was, ‘over my dead body.’ In week six I asked again, her response was, ‘I think that’s a good idea.’  Lesson learned.”

TERRY BROWN ’69 of Richmond, VA: “I have just returned from a cruise around the bottom of South America and into Antarctic waters. Although I have cruised twice before, this one is worth mentioning. My best friend from fifth grade (he went to West Point) and I flew to Buenos Aires to start the cruise. After leaving the mainland, we stopped at the Falklands before crossing the Drake Passage. Elephant Island was the first land we saw, then Deception Island, so named because it seems like a solid island, but is actually a caldera (last erupted about 1970) and is home to massive penguin colonies. After returning to Argentina, the ship followed the Magellan Strait to Ponte Arenas, Chile.”

BOB FERNBACH ’69 of Castle Pines, CO: “Since October, when we took a trip to visit our son and daughter-in-law in South Carolina, we have been at home. We did stop in Nashville and went through Great Smoky Mountain National Park on the way home.  We visited our favorite guitar stores in Nashville and really enjoyed the Country Music Hall of Fame. We hope to go to Seattle and Portland to visit friends and family in a few weeks, weather permitting (since we drive on all these trips). Stacy and I enjoy seeing our grandchildren about an hour away, playing music most days, reading, and keeping up on news/national/international events.”

ALICE HALL HAYES ’69 of Washington, D.C.: “With Covid still around, we have changed family tradition and did not host large family Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings. Then in mid-January, 2023, after believing that we were being passed over, Covid caught up with Ed and me. It was mild but it shut us down in isolation for a while. Now, we are looking forward to the rest of the year because we will be celebrating our 50th Anniversary throughout the year. One event will be a train trip from DC through Chicago to Minneapolis, Seattle, Vancouver, and San Francisco – visiting family and friends along the way.”

ERIC “RICK” HENRY ’69 of Longboat Key, FL: “I’m enjoying retirement most months of the year now on Longboat Key in Florida, working on a couple of boards, writing Apple apps, playing golf/pickleball/drums in a band, and visiting kids in NYC.”

DAVE LEACH ’69 of Mesa, AZ: “December 3rd I took off with a group from my Congregation to Israel for 10 days! Amazing bucket list trip of a Lifetime! Spent four or five days in Jerusalem and Judea (including Masada and the Dead Sea), then the rest of the trip in the Galilee. I will go back again, hopefully next year. It was amazing to stand and walk and experience the sites the Bible describes and where our Savior/Messiah taught, healed and sacrificed himself for us. And in addition to that, Israel is an amazing country to visit with an exciting wonderful life of its own. I can’t recommend a trip there highly enough. After Israel, I continued on to France where I visited my sister-in-law in Brittany. We went to the Normandy Beaches and the American Cemetery there; an overwhelming experience. Lastly, I traveled to England and stayed with a friend who was our exchange student from the former East Germany in the early 90s. He is now a ‘Fellow’ at Selwyn College at Cambridge University. I stayed with him and his family for Christmas and until the end of December. We visited Cambridge, several museums, The Biggin Hill Memorial Hanger (where they restore, rebuild and fly Spitfires) and the Battle of Britain Memorial. All in all, quite a trip. Generally life is very good, I’m busy and healthy and keeping on the go.”

ARTHUR “SANDY” LEE ’69 and HELEN USITA LEE ’69 of Portsmouth, RI: “We have moved to: 11 Pocasset Lane, Portsmouth, RI 02872. It was just a two mile move from our Bristol home across Mt. Hope Bridge. But it’s a move from an 1850’s home with steep narrow stairs to a condominium with potential MBR on the first floor — though we intend to use the MBR on the second floor as long as we are able. New place also has a large walk-out basement for Helen’s big loom and basket-making and my model ship hobbies. And, of course we no longer have to mow grass and take care of house exterior!”

PAUL GELB ’69 of Palm Springs, CA: “Greetings from Lisbon. I’m here for three months to see if I want to move here permanently and so far it is a strong contender. Because I have to leave the Schengen Area after 90 days I rented a flat in London for three months starting mid-March and will overdose on theater since I haven’t been in NYC since 2019 mainly due to the pandemic. Then, to cross another item off my bucket list, I’m spending the month of August in Edinburgh for the Fringe Festival.”

BOB KAHN ’69 of Portland, ME, writes: “Greatly inspired by a recent Class Letter update of JIM LEATZOW ’69, I am offering my humble back-of-the-envelope life’s sketch memoir; thus beginning on my first Friday evening at Ripon on my hands and knees outside the SAE house dorm easing my stomach of its disagreement of all contents from The Spot. The indignity of my compromised situation was somehow witnessed as promising, therefore being pledged by that fraternity. A more interesting, fascinating, intelligent (scratch that), amusing, debauched group of individuals I have yet to meet. Mostly because I now avoid those with depraved indifference.

After Ripon, there was soul searching (euphemism for good times) in Boulder, CO, where I was a partner in a handcrafted wood working shop. This led me to Boston for a grinding work/study program in architecture, which led to a MA degree in the same at California Polytechnic University, Pomona. Somewhere in my youth almost gone awry, I got married. Big surprise. We have two children. All three are much, much smarter than me. No surprise. It has been an honor, but often humiliating, witnessing their achievements.

But enough about them. You might be wondering, how did a lackluster bio-major end up an architect and why? Well it was somewhat due to Karen Wienke, with her robin’s egg blue Jaguar XKE, teaching her first cell-bio class. It was the structure and function of living cells that stuck, contributing to my contemplating a career in design. You might be thinking of architects like: Paul Newman (Towering Inferno), Woody Harrelson (Indecent Proposal), Tom Hanks (Sleepless in Seattle) or Wesley Snipes (Jungle Fever). Forget about it. Think Wilber in the TV show, Mister Ed. I got my talking horse from: [email protected]

Many years later, Karen Wienke (now Karen Holbrook), Ph.D, then president of THE Ohio State University, gave a commencement address at Ripon. Afterward, ignoring the sensible advice of my wife, I wrote to say that it was her first cell-bio class which influenced my future architectural career and that all the guys in class thought she and her Jag were hot. Amazingly, she wrote back on THE Ohio State University letterhead saying how she and her staff had a good laugh from my letter and that she still drives a Jag. Remaining somewhat shy, I didn’t write back asking if we could meet up for a ride in her new Jag. An opportunity lost? Oh well.

Anyway, I’ve met some interesting, creative and smart people along the way: artists, scientists, shiftless philosophers, you know, creative people. Some I met in bars, others panhandling, but all showed some tolerance towards me. I’ve been fortunate that way, even with my family. For inexplicable reasons, I’ve had Forrest Gump-like run-ins with notable politicians since living in Maine. Mostly with our state delegation, but also Ted Kennedy and Nancy Pelosi. Before she became Speaker of the House, I arrived late to a function and ended up standing six feet behind her. Not today. But who cares?  My wife got personalized, after-concert autographs from most of the British Invasion during the early 60’s, including The Rolling Stones. She was at Candlestick Park, up against the stage for the last Beatles concert, and made eye contact with George. From a college roommate, whose father had ‘connections’, she got a pair of Nancy Sinatra’s knee high boots. Concert tickets, autographs, boots and all that memorabilia thrown away over the years. Good grief! Sometimes watching rock memorabilia appraised on Antiques Roadshow I end up weeping. And then there’s our son. During college he worked summers at Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. I asked him, ‘Have you met Paul Newman?’ ‘Yes,’ he replied, ‘Sometimes he comes by and shoots pool with us’. Hardly containing myself, I asked, ‘You mean you’ve shot pool with Fast Eddie Felson?’  ‘Who’s Fast Eddie,’ he wanted to know? That was crushing. While working in Boston, our daughter had mafia clients, but she won’t talk about it.

Well. I guess that’s about it – so far. Leave it to Leatzow to keep reminding me that, ‘It’s a short parade.’ Thanks Jim, that’s always an uplifting notice. Oh, and my luck with beer has gotten better. I live in Portland, ME. Per capita, it’s got the most craft breweries in the nation. Living here is a daily reminder of a quote from one of our nation’s most intelligent founders, Benjamin Franklin: ‘Beer, it’s God’s way of saying he loves us’. Ben, the nation in your debt. So, should any of you ’69ers’ (SAE’s not sure) be passing through Portland, I can show you around our Beer Mecca. But you’re buying.”

PHIL MCCULLOUGH ’69 of Woodstock, IL: “Still seeing patients and doing a little teaching at Northwestern med school. Have been busy with my retirement job as partial owner of a golf club in Woodstock. Daughters are all doing well. Karen is teaching on-line classes for Rasmussen University and living frugally on an adjunct’s salary with no benefits, KRISTEN ’04 has a busy psychotherapy practice and is raising three boys in Evanston, and Kate currently in Wales doing a post doc and taking care of two young daughters. She is an archeologist. My wife, Patricia, is doing well after three joint replacement procedures.”

BARRY MORTON ’69 of Laguna Hills, CA: “In a number of uplifting ways 2022 was not like the prior year or the year before!  If those years seemed, somehow, ‘misplaced,’ 2022 was a welcomed reawakening. Here at The Willows (our senior living community), we’ve progressed from being quiet with all the social functions and spaces set aside, and with our dining room staff delivering everyone’s’ nightly meals right to our doors. Now we’re all back outdoors having block parties to get reacquainted with one another, and to meet with the many new neighbors who moved in over the past couple of years. As they say at hockey games after the penalties have been served, we’re ‘back at full strength.’ Jane & I are back to our pattern of heading up to the mountains to our little lake cabin at Big Bear Lake most weeks and helping out each week with our little twin grandchildren – I guess not so little – they’ll be four in February! We also love seeing our other five grandkids, too when ALL the schedules allow. They range in age from 24 to 13! Sidney moved out on his own, Maya graduated from High School in June, and Lucas, her brother was promoted from middle school to Glendora High School. Zurhi and Ameenah had a full season of volleyball. All the cousins love the few times they can get together across town. We also entertained BOB FERNBACH ’69 and his wife, Stacy, at both our home in Laguna Hills and the mountain cabin on Big Bear Lake. Lots of reminiscing, bragging about all our grands, and a little music.”

SCOTT NYQUIST ’69 & CYNTHIA SANBORN NYQUIST ’69 of Naples, FL: “In mid-September, Scott flew into Chicago and spent a night with fraternity brother MASON SHERWOOD ’68 in Milwaukee, before heading to Ripon for a long weekend. He got to meet Vickie Folse, Ripon’s new president, and spent some time walking around campus. He saw a Milwaukee Brewers game (complete with pre-game tailgate) with his dear friends and fellow baseball fans Professor of Biology Emeritus Skip Wittler and his wife MICHELE BARAN WITTLER ’76. In October, Scott and six Beta Sig fraternity brothers took their annual “Brocation.” This year they rented a house in Gainesville, GA on Lake Lanier, about 40 miles northeast of Atlanta. Amazingly the logistics of five guys flying and two driving into Atlanta came off without a hitch. The weather for five days at Lake Lanier was perfect: daytime highs in the 70s, overnight lows in the upper 40s. As usual, the guys passed the time mostly talking and laughing (a lot of laughing), along with daytime walks and evenings cooking together. January 2023 they celebrated 57 years since they all pledged Beta Sigma Pi and became friends. Cynthia continues to volunteer at the Naples Botanic Garden and make stuffed animals for the Golisano Children’s Hospital. She still has not missed a day of online German class in 2 1⁄2 years. Most mornings you can find her gardening in the many areas she planted around our Naples home. Her orchid collection has grown to more than 70 plants. Her daily FaceTime chats with our 11-year old granddaughter continue. We are planning a trip to Germany in August to visit our daughter and granddaughter. Haven’t been there since 2019.”

BOB “OTTO” WACHHOLTZ ’69 of Papillon, NE: “Not much has happened since the last Class Letter. My bride and I ‘summered’ in New Hampshire arriving in early August waiting for the trees to change color. It was a long, but relaxing wait as the colors “popped” around October 10th, but perhaps the best colors we have seen during our almost annual visits beginning in the 1990s. Other than that we survived Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year.”

CHIP RETSON ’69 of Aiken, SC: “My fiancé Kawanna Durden and I are in Jerusalem on a Greek Orthodox Church-sponsored pilgrimage. We spent five nights in Jordan beginning with her being baptized in the River Jordan at the same location where John baptized Jesus. Other sites including Petra and desert camel rides. We are winding down nine nights in Israel and Palestine visiting all the locations where Jesus was born, lived his ministry, was crucified and resurrected. Tonight we will attend a Greek Orthodox service in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher which will include Kawanna taking her first communion.”

ART SCARLETT ’69 of Glenshaw, PA: “I made a total career shift at the turn of the century, went back to community college to get my associates degree and a license to release ionizing radiation. After my clinical training, I accepted an offer to join the radiology staff at the Veterans Administration Hospital here in Pittsburgh. I retired from my radiological technologist’s position 15 years later. (FYI: a rad tech runs the very expensive technology that provides radiologists with the images they interpret.) Fascinating experience. Say what you will about the V.A. administrators, but the MDs, RNs and other healthcare providers are excellent, second to none, and the V.A. didn’t skimp on buying the latest technology. I could show you body parts you didn’t know you had. I miss the people I worked with, but not the screwy hours. SHERRY SWENNES SCARLET ’70 and I have one son (Jim). He and his wife will be celebrating their 5th wedding anniversary this year. This past May, our favorite daughter-in-law, Nichole Anne Scarlett, was awarded her Ph.D. Her dissertation was titled ‘Instructional Technology & Leadership’ and each time she attempts to explain it to me, I understand just a little more. Seriously, her area of study will affect how your grandchildren will be taught.

So what do I do now that I’m retired? About 15 years ago I bought a 1988 mid-engine, Pontiac Fiero. Yeah, yeah, I know! Trust me, I’ve heard it all, but what a fun little car! It’s not only a fun machine to drive but fun for the adventures it has taken us on and the people we’ve met. Lots of local car shows and cruises where kids look in the front and then ask, ‘Where’s the engine?’ I’ve driven it to car shows and fundraisers from the East Coast to the Midwest and even won a couple of trophies along the way. One of my favorite Fiero gatherings is held in Frazee, MN, to help raise funds for families coping with catastrophic illness. St. Charles, IL’s annual Fierorama show, Davenport, IA, and The Heartland’s Fiero gathering are some of the Midwest’s better shows. I was asked to Harrisburg, PAto support The Wounded Warrior Project. The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix is actual racing of vintage cars on city streets. And no, 1988 is not old enough to qualify as ‘vintage.’ Lots of food, fun and over 2500 cars, old, new and exotic machines, to admire. Every five years there is a five-day extravaganza celebrating GM’s birth of the Fiero. One was held in Indianapolis, IN. We had the opportunity to spend a day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and I drove my car on the track! Unforgettable. The Fiero 40th is happening in July 2023 in Pontiac MI. Tours of GM facilities, presentations by Fiero designers & engineers and a day at the test track are planned. I already have my reservations. Will Sherry and I see you at Alumni Weekend this year? Hope so.”

Standing (l to r): Frank Anders ’69, Don Park ’69, Art Scarlett ’69, Rob Handeyside ’69.
Seated (l to r): Mason Sherwood ’68, Scott Nyquist ’69, Rick Brandt ’69.

AND IN CONCLUSION . . .

Ripon College (and I) would like to thank all of the members of our class who sent a gift to the College in the past year. Some of you donated more than once! Thank you! Thank you! If you haven’t donated and would like to give to Ripon, visit the College’s website, ripon.edu, or call the Advancement Office at 920-748-8351.

You can give unrestricted, allowing the College to use your gift where most needed, or you can direct where your gift is to be used: scholarships, endowment, faculty, building fund, library, athletics, etc. You can also give in memory of a favorite professor or a classmate. You can give annually or have a gift sent to Ripon monthly from your bank account. Ripon College accepts check, cash or credit card payments (and probably even bitcoin). You can also give a gift of stock, real estate or any of your other assets.

Please support Ripon College by making a gift. I could write pages on why you should give back to Ripon. My own experience at Ripon shaped my life in so many ways. I know many of you feel the same. This year, in addition to the Ripon Fund, please consider a second gift to help fund the renovation of Farr Hall, the new campus stadium or the upgrades to the dorms.

Keep in touch. Please let Ripon College (or me) know if you have a new address or new email.

Always for Ripon,

Scott ’69

P.S. Enjoy the RC 1960s Trivia Test. No Googling for answers!

Ripon 1960s Trivia Test
(email [email protected] for answers)

RC Sports Trivia

• 1968 RC football team starting RBs ______________________________________________________
• Where RC plays football __________________________________________________________________
• RC Head Football Coach in the 60s _______________________________________________________
• RC Basketball Coach in the 60s __________________________________________________________
• Where RC basketball games were played before 1968 __________________________________

RC Celebrity Alums

• AKA Hans Solo and Indiana Jones (Class 1964) ___________________________________________
• 8-Time Grammy Award Winner (Class 1962) _____________________________________________
• Made films with Katherine Hepburn (Class 1925) ________________________________________
• RC’s Second Rhodes Scholar (Class 1968) ________________________________________________
• RC Biology Prof. for 40+ years (Class 1960) ______________________________________________

RC Buildings

• Oldest building on campus _______________________________________________________________
• Tri Dorms names _________________________________________________________________________
• Demolished in May 1969 _________________________________________________________________
• Original use of Kemper Computer Center building ______________________________________
• Newest building on campus ______________________________________________________________

Anagrammed RC Professors

• LESSA DOES (Philosophy) ________________________________________________________________
• GILLOGRE REEM (History) ________________________________________________________________
• BLITZ ALRM (English) _____________________________________________________________________
• ODIN IZE (Physics) ________________________________________________________________________
• SONJE PYRRMOTH (Religion) _____________________________________________________________

RC Women

• Elderly women dorm residents __________________________________________________________
• Frosh female star of Homecoming parade _______________________________________________
• First female chair of the RC Board of Trustees ___________________________________________
• Percentage of women in RC’s first graduating class (1867) ______________________________
• Known as the “Mother of Ripon College” _________________________________________________

Around Ripon

• Favorite place to hang out 1965-1969 ____________________________________________________
• Off campus site of keg parties ___________________________________________________________
• Name of bar that sold “greeker” dogs & burgers _________________________________________
• Bar & grille at Watson & Seward Streets 1965-1969 _____________________________________
• Grease pole fight location Homecoming 1965 ___________________________________________

Submitted by: Class Agent: Scott Nyquist

Ripon people! A bunch of us turned, or are about to, turn 30 this year, and so I’ve been thinking about 3. Numerology is definitely pseudoscience (Don’t worry, I’m not turning on my psych minor.), but it still got me thinking. And singing “3, It’s a Magic Number” while running today. So here are 3 ideas on the number 3 before you carry on with the rest of your day (or just skip ahead to the updates, whichever).

1: Quality of life matters a lot more than quantity. Hopefully we’ve all hit the human essentials of food, water, shelter, and warmth, so we can start thinking about quality, too. What does that look like to you? Each person has their own definitions and resources. If you haven’t “made it”, if you want to, can something be changed? Maybe, maybe not. I’m a big believer in making little waves of growth, such as stretching before/after exercise, attempting meditation, and remembering to drink water. Stay hydrated, y’all!

2: Can you give yourself 2-3 hours of uninterrupted work? This work doesn’t have to be for a paycheck, it could also mean service work, working out, creative work, working on your dating profile, or some other definition. Choose your own (work) adventure. Maybe it’s the Montessori environment I’ve been exposed to the last couple years, but my 2-3 hour work cycles have given clarity and confidence. Instagram, Slack, and even email will still be there when you get back. Trust me on this. Turn off the notifications and get to work.

3: If you can’t figure out what to do, in your work, relationships (even the one with yourself), or leisure time, take a note from some influencers, and try the 2 minute rule. In the spirit of that magic number 3, I’ll give you 1 more minute. In concept, the 2-3 minute rule is simple enough: If you can get something done in this timeframe, just get ‘er done. Don’t let it become yet another thing on the to-do list. I’ve added another minute so you can procrastinate or figure out what that item is. You got this. Go do that thing!

And so, whether you’re turning 30, 32, or 54 this year, I wish you quality of life, good work, and discernment of what to do or not do (as Yoda said). Of course, being a good person is a mighty, noble start. And onto the best part of the letter, the updates from some very good people, our classmates.

Alumni Weekend is coming up quickly! This year, it is June 22-25, 2023. Below you can find information if you are planning to attend!

The College is three hours north of Chicago, and served by airports in Milwaukee (a two-hour drive from Ripon), Madison (a 1.5 hour drive), and Appleton (a 45 minute drive). Milwaukee offers the most frequent service. From the Milwaukee, Madison, Chicago and Appleton airports guests may choose to rent a car. Ripon is served by taxi to and from the Appleton airport.

Room Blocks:
Heidel House (Green Lake) – Book online here
Cobblestone Suites (Ripon) – Book by calling 920.748.5500

Class Updates

KATIE BIEDLER ‘15 is making magic, or rather, tea. After years of preferring coffee, she has learned all sorts of steeping techniques, such as the benefits of owning a simple electric kettle.

ELLE DAVIS ‘15 is becoming a real-life Elle Woods and writes, “I survived my first semester of law school and even found a little time to still ride at 3 Gaits! Trevor and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary. I also made my first ever on the record appearance at the defense table in Milwaukee Circuit Court… as a student observer! Currently contemplating what clinic to do next year and thinking it might be time to buy a pink blazer…”

PETER HAYES ‘15 got engaged in October and will be getting married in August. He started a new position back in January at Envestnet, where he’s been for six years. Peter is now an Investment Specialist. He completed his MBA program this spring at DePaul University and is very grateful to be done with school. 

SAM KAY ‘15 celebrated six years at her job as Global Outreach Manager for the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy. She is finally traveling internationally again with trips planned for Montreal and Brussels. In December, she celebrated her 30th birthday by flipping her cake in the air and successfully catching it. If you don’t know what that means, search #cakeflip.

CHRISTIAN KRUEGER ‘15 is continuing her PhD in Early American History at Marquette University and was recently named a Filson Fellow at Louisville’s Filson Historical Society. She looks forward to spending March in Kentucky, including archival work at the Filson and presenting her paper, “My Old Kentucky Home: Race and Power on Bluegrass Horse Farms,” at the Living with Animals conference at Eastern Kentucky University.

MICHAEL LANPHIER ‘15 and JOHANNA BURTON LANPHIER ‘13 are pregnant with their first child! They are due in July.

EMILY FISCHER LENSMIRE ‘15 and her husband, Sam, welcomed twins, Bennett and Lucy, into the world on June 5, 2022.

KAYLIE LONGLEY ‘15 is listening to AOC’s mantra to “take up space”, and so she is showing up as her energetic, enthusiastic self, on social media feeds, in meetings, and while trail-running. She’s marketing Montessori School of Denver (where she is quite literally code-switching between CSS and Canva), coaching Girls on the Run, watching dogs, supporting PawsCo, occasionally freelance editing, and sharing book research, goals progress, and creative spotlights on kaylielongley.com.

KATIE JO HEATH MCGEE ‘15 is finishing her teaching gig in China, then will head to Alaska for a new teaching role, starting this May.

BRIAN KOLLATZ ‘14 and EMILY MENGERT ‘15 moved back to Wisconsin and bought a house in Appleton.

MADDIE POULLETTE ‘15 will marry her fiance, Peter, on June 24, 2023.

BRIAN SCHUMACHER ‘15 and KATIE DREW SCHUMACHER ‘14 celebrated the birth of their second child in January, Natalie Elizabeth Schumacher.

LAURA SHIVELY ‘15 was promoted to Auntie Laura back in August with the birth of SUSIE SHIVELY CONDON ‘17’s first child. In October, Laura and her husband, Ryne, eloped. In February, they celebrated the one year anniversary of moving into their home. Laura is proud to have read 108 books in 2022 and looks forward to crushing her “to be read” pile this year. 

JOHN SPADONI ‘15 and KRISTY OGLESBY SPADONI ‘15 bought a house in Whitewater, Wisconsin. They are enjoying their big backyard space with plenty of room for Izzy and Bruce to roam.

Peace,

Kaylie ‘15

Sam ‘15

P.S. There will be a special giving event in conjunction with inauguration weekend, April 20-23, to celebrate Ripon’s 14th President, Victoria N. Folse, and the exciting momentum happening within our campus community. This event will be an extension of the #OneDayRally brand and experience. Stay tuned for more information. We look forward to your participation!

Submitted by: Class Agents: Kaylie Longley and Samantha Kay

Happy Spring Class of 1996!

If your 2023 is anything like mine already, everything seems to be back to the grind that I was used to (or even more so). Working in the travel industry, it is amazing to see how things have rebounded, and rebounded in a way that most were not originally ready for. This means that I can either see you as you visit New York or I might be heading to your neck of the woods. It would be amazing to see you all.

I want to thank all of you again for those who have supported The Ripon College this past fiscal year, especially those who supported the Ripon Fund, as well as #OneDayRally. Even though it is not our reunion year, these donations are so integral for the college to sustain. If you have not done so already, please do.

Alumni Weekend is scheduled for June 22-25! More information about the event and activities occurring during Alumni Weekend will be available soon. There are room blocks at Heidel House in Green Lake (Book here) and at Cobblestone Suites in Ripon (Call 920.748.5500).

For our next newsletter I would love to include more information from members of our class, including you. So please email me everything that has happened in the past couple years from changes in employment, changes in positions, moves to new cities, positive changes in relationships/family, etc… Or if you want to, send over an original Haiku. It will be just great to hear from you.

Here is to a great summer of 2023.

Regards,

Jason ‘96
201-747-7719

P.S. There will be a special giving event in conjunction with inauguration weekend, April 20-23, to celebrate Ripon’s 14th President, Victoria N. Folse, and the exciting momentum happening within our campus community. This event will be an extension of the #OneDayRally brand and experience. Stay tuned for more information. We look forward to your participation!

Submitted by: Class Agent: Jason Wood

Dear ’95 Classmates,

I hope your start to the 2023 year has been a good one! Spring will soon be here along with commencement weekend for the Ripon College Class of 2023. As I write this, we are bracing for the largest snow event in five years. Even with that, winters are becoming milder and a little more tolerable, though as we age, I can see the appeal of the snowbird lifestyle.

It sounds like some of your children are attending and/or are considering attending Ripon.  That is great to hear. The campus has many really nice upgrades, and the small college life is definitely an experience students will appreciate and cherish forever.

Thank you to everyone in the Class of 1995 that donated money, time, and effort to Ripon College. It is truly appreciated! If you would like to make a donation to Ripon College, click here.

If you are interested in more information regarding news at Ripon, you can do so, here.

Introducing Ripon’s Newest President: Victoria N. Folse

On April 22, 2023 Ripon College will inaugurate its 14th President Dr. Victoria N. Folse. Dr. Folse is the first woman to serve as president of the college. Click here if you are interested in learning more.

Alumni Weekend is scheduled for June 22-25! Even though this is not an official reunion event year for the Class of 1995, you are welcome to attend and visit with your fellow alumni. More information about the event and activities occurring during Alumni Weekend will be available soon. There are room blocks at Heidel House in Green Lake (Book here) and at Cobblestone Suites in Ripon (Call 920.748.5500).

Class Notes:

SAMANTHA GRANT HENRIQUES ‘95 of Kapa’a, Hawaii: “My son, ALEX HENRIQUES ‘26, is now a freshman enrolled at Ripon College. I have been the athletic trainer at Kapa’a High School, located on the island of Kauai since 2000. I became the executive director of the local non-profit therapeutic riding center here in 2019.”

Have a great Spring/Summer season.  Go Red Hawks!

Sincerely,

Tom ‘95
920-479-5323

P.S. There will be a special giving event in conjunction with inauguration weekend, April 20-23, to celebrate Ripon’s 14th President, Victoria N. Folse, and the exciting momentum happening within our campus community. This event will be an extension of the #OneDayRally brand and experience. Stay tuned for more information. We look forward to your participation!

Submitted by: Class Agent: Tom Luft

Greetings Classmates,

I hope that this letter finds you well. Spring is always a great time of year as it points to renewal. Thinking back on 50 years since our graduation from Ripon College I realize how fortunate we are to have had such a great education. Many of our classmates went on to achieve advanced degrees and certificates in a wide variety of disciplines. Many have had great careers and are now retiring to spend time traveling, perfecting hobbies and spending time with children and grandchildren.

Alumni Weekend this year will also be special as several classmates will be celebrating with their spouses and other close friends in the Class of ’73. Mark your calendars to attend June 22 – June 25, 2023. Below you can find information if you are planning to attend.

The College is three hours north of Chicago, and served by airports in Milwaukee (a two-hour drive from Ripon), Madison (a 1.5 hour drive), and Appleton (a 45 minute drive). Milwaukee offers the most frequent service. From the Milwaukee, Madison, Chicago and Appleton airports guests may choose to rent a car. Ripon is served by taxi to and from the Appleton airport.

Room Blocks:
Heidel House (Green Lake) – Book online here
Cobblestone Suites (Ripon) – Book by calling 920.748.5500

As we continue to age gracefully, we lost one of our own:

JEREL REYNOLDS ’72 died Dec. 23, 2019. At Ripon, he majored in history. He was a co-owner of Britches Excavating. Survivors include a sister, LORI REYNOLDS ’83.

On April 22, 2023 Ripon College will inaugurate its 14th President Dr. Victoria N. Folse. Dr. Folse is the first woman to serve as president of the college. Classmates who attended the Golden R celebration had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Folse and hear about her vision for the college. I encourage all of you who live in the area to attend the Inauguration and show your support for this historic occasion.

Thank so many of you for your continuous support of Ripon College, especially during the #OneDayRally and for a great Class Gift. I trust that you will continue to support the College and thank you in advance for your generosity. I encourage all classmates to support the ongoing work of the college and remember the positive role education plays in a successful, productive life.

Stay well.

Stephanie ‘72

P.S. There will be a special giving event in conjunction with inauguration weekend, April 20-23, to celebrate Ripon’s 14th President, Victoria N. Folse, and the exciting momentum happening within our campus community. This event will be an extension of the #OneDayRally brand and experience. Stay tuned for more information. We look forward to your participation!

Submitted by: Class Agent: Stephanie Greene

Hello from the suburbs of Chicago, where we have had a very strange winter so far. At the moment, there is no snow, the temperatures are relatively mild, and the early spring bulbs are starting to show. Only the snow lovers are complaining!

Up north, “far within Wisconsin’s prairie”, Ripon has had its share of snow and cold, but I know plans are being made for Alumni Weekend, June 22-25, 2023. The Class of ‘73 is hard at work planning their 50th Reunion, and they have graciously invited us to join them. I know many of us have good friends in that group, so I hope you will make plans to be there for the fun. It will be wonderful to meet up and celebrate with old friends – in fact, it will be a blast! There are room blocks at Heidel House in Green Lake (Book here) and at Cobblestone Suites in Ripon (Call 920.748.5500).

CLASS NOTES

MARY FERRIS GRAY ‘74, has moved to Indiana! Her new address is: 3703 Mansfield Drive, Brownsburg, IN 46112. They settled in just before the holidays, and Mary says being close to her family – especially the grandkids- is just the best. Hope to see you in Ripon this summer!

BARB BLECHLER FLYNN ‘74, and her husband, Jim, both retired on January 1, 2023. I predict lots of fun times ahead, and I hope they include a trip to Alumni Weekend.

RICK GLAD ‘74 also retired in December, 2022. I imagine there will be lots of hunting and fishing trips in his future, but I hope he makes time to join us in Ripon.

VIRGIL STUCKER ‘74 writes that he has sold his therapeutic consulting practice but will still act as consultant to the new owners as they grow the practice. Virgil says he will be stepping away slowly but welcomes email from any of us who may have questions about these services.

OBITUARIES

I am deeply saddened to report the passing of two of our dear classmates.

LINDA LANDIN KAROW ‘74, of Silver Spring, Maryland, died on December 1, 2022 after heart surgery. Survivors include her husband, Jay, one son and one daughter.

GEORGE SENTENEY ‘74, of Madison, Wisconsin, died on December 28, 2022. Survivors include his wife, Sukanya, and one daughter.

In closing, I’d like to thank everyone who has continued to remember Ripon with annual gifts to the Ripon Fund. One of the reasons I encourage all of you to return to Ripon is to see the amazing transformation your gifts have made to the various dorms and campus buildings, and to the overall look of the campus in general. You would be proud of how it looks, and to know that your gifts are enabling a whole new generation of students to benefit from a quality Ripon education. I truly hope you will come back to campus and “feel the love” that’s still there.

Stay healthy and happy,

Jan ‘74
630-460-0320

P.S. There will be a special giving event in conjunction with inauguration weekend, April 20-23, to celebrate Ripon’s 14th President, Victoria N. Folse, and the exciting momentum happening within our campus community. This event will be an extension of the #OneDayRally brand and experience. Stay tuned for more information. We look forward to your participation!

Submitted by: Class Agent: Jan Petrovski MacLeod

Greetings, Class of 1971,

It is hard to believe another school year has about passed by. One has to wonder where the time has gone. One thing I do know is Ripon is still providing the same quality education we experienced so many years ago. Our continued financial support of this vital mission will ensure incoming classes will experience the best quality education possible.  Also consider making plans to attend Alumni Weekend June 22-25, 2023.

The College is three hours north of Chicago, and served by airports in Milwaukee (a two-hour drive from Ripon), Madison (a 1.5 hour drive), and Appleton (a 45 minute drive). Milwaukee offers the most frequent service. From the Milwaukee, Madison, Chicago and Appleton airports guests may choose to rent a car. Ripon is served by taxi to and from the Appleton airport.

Room Blocks:
Heidel House (Green Lake) – Book online here
Cobblestone Suites (Ripon) – Book by calling 920.748.5500

COLLEGE NEWS

JoAnn Wickstrom of Newton, Kansas, died on November 17, 2022 at age 89. After earning her BA in English, she received a Masters in Communications from the University of Iowa in Iowa City. She taught speech both at Wichita State University and in high schools before having children.  Jo married Ralph Wickstrom in 1957. They moved to Ripon in 1961 when Ralph accepted a position as a full professor at Ripon College. Several years later she began using her extensive skills to edit his books. Jo had a passion for teaching and art which led her to create the “Art Presenter Program” for children in 1st through 5th grade. She raised funds for framed replicas of famous paintings and found willing volunteers to present a new piece to each class every month. The program introduced art to many students who would not otherwise have been exposed to the masters.

THOMAS BACHHUBER ‘71 met up with GEORGE CLAM ‘71 (left), and JACK BENNETT ‘71 (right) and got lunch at Harry Cary’s in Rosemont, Illinois mid-February. 

As we look back at our experiences at Ripon, we can all see the benefits we derived from that special time. In some way, the Ripon Fund assisted all of us. It underwrites all aspects of yearly operations, including but not limited to laboratory supplies, technological innovations, library resources, faculty support, financial aid and scholarships, athletics, opportunities to study abroad, the arts and facilities. I urge your consideration to increase this year’s gift in recognition of all we have accomplished because of Ripon College.

Always for Ripon,

Jim ’71

P.S. There will be a special giving event in conjunction with inauguration weekend, April 20-23, to celebrate Ripon’s 14th President, Victoria N. Folse, and the exciting momentum happening within our campus community. This event will be an extension of the #OneDayRally brand and experience. Stay tuned for more information. We look forward to your participation!

Submitted by: Class Agent: Jim Beisner

Greetings All,

Just like the Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, I’m late in preparing the Spring 23 Class Letter. Blame part on me recovering from the Old People cough, and me just being a bit lazy. It is a good week because on Friday, both the Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams will be in action in the Midwest Conference Tournament at Illinois College for the Men and at the Weiske Gymnasium in the Wilmore Center for the Women!!  

Alumni Weekend is scheduled for June 22-25! More information about the event and activities occurring during Alumni Weekend will be available at Ripon.edu in the upcoming months. There are room blocks at Heidel House in Green Lake (Book here) and at Cobblestone Suites in Ripon (Call 920.748.5500).

Here are the latest snippets that I have from various classmates.

Class of 1979 News and Notes

ROYCE DUNBAR ’79: Royce and Brenda Dunbar are moving back to Eau Claire, Wisconsin from outside Denver, Colorado.

RANDY SLONE ’79 of Bartlett, Illinois, was newly appointed as the 2023 PCCAC Leader. “Randy joined  the leadership team serving as PCC Member-at-Large, on January 1, 2023. This includes serving as the Central Area PCC Industry liaison and serving on the PCCAC Membership Growth and Recruitment and Education Programming sub-committees. Randy has more than 22 years as a Direct Mail professional. In his previous position as Postal Affairs and Mail Manager for TEAM Concept Printing, he was responsible for coordinating and managing postal and mailing activities, delivering effective strategies and tactics on all direct mail initiatives. Throughout his PCC leadership tenure Randy helped achieve multiple awards for the SSPCC, was nominated for PCC Industry Member of the Year Award in 2018 and was awarded the SSPCC Excellence in Service Award in 2018.”

Other News

Ripon College Announces First Phase of $35M Strategic Infrastructure Plan

Ripon College has announced plans to move forward with a $35 million strategic infrastructure plan which will address the renovation and expansion of Farr Hall of Science, a new on-campus stadium and upgrades to residence halls. The first phase will prioritize a $24.5 million investment in the science center and an $8.5 million investment in the campus stadium, both of which are projected to break ground in the spring of 2023. Planning for upgrades to the residence halls has commenced and the College hopes to finalize plans within the next year.

In February 2022, the Ripon College Board of Trustees authorized the College to begin preliminary exploration on both the science center and stadium. In just eight months, the College has documented $15 million in cash and pledges specifically designated for the infrastructure enhancements, 80% of which is designated for renovation of Farr Hall.

For more information about Ripon College’s strategic infrastructure plan and to see renderings of the new buildings please visit here.

Athletic Director and Head Men’s Basketball Coach Ryan Kane named next Athletic Director at Carthage College

Ryan Kane, athletic director and head men’s basketball coach at Ripon College, has been named the next athletic director at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He will coach the remainder of the basketball season and continue to serve as athletic director at Ripon before assuming his new role at Carthage April 1.

Closing

As always, it is a pleasure to write to y’all. Also, when you get news, don’t hold on. Drop me a note so I can make your Class Letter the best!!!

Go Red Hawks!!

Love Always,

Kevin ’79
(773) 220-5360

P.S. There will be a special giving event in conjunction with inauguration weekend, April 20-23, to celebrate Ripon’s 14th President, Victoria N. Folse, and the exciting momentum happening within our campus community. This event will be an extension of the #OneDayRally brand and experience. Stay tuned for more information. We look forward to your participation!

Submitted by: Class Agent: Kevin Warmack

Hello everyone!

Did I mention it’s a reunion year? June 24 is our 45^th Reunion! Many of you, and a good number of our great faculty, have already responded positively with plans to be there! See the list below. ROD HAYNES ’78 was our most recent addition as of this writing. If you are not on the list, there is still plenty of time to make plans to join us! If you have any requests for Alumni Weekend (June 22-25), please let me and the reunion committee know. Once again, this reunion year, two of our classmates, JUSTIN NIEBANK ’78 and JERRY WAUKAU ’78, will be recognized on the Friday evening before the reunion as Distinguished Alumni.

Speaking of the reunion, on December 4, THOMAS VAN LIESHOUT ‘78 (left) called me and told me he plans to join us this year. This was great news, because late last year, his family posted on Facebook that he was in the most serious situation a person could be in with his heart failing and an upcoming heart transplant operation. Several of you reached out to him at that critical time. WILL HIGGINS ’78 and Norm Loomer (right) were two he mentioned that helped to lift his spirits before the operation. The operation was successful, THOMAS has a new heart, is on the mend, and says he plans to be back up to “fighting weight” by June 30. While THOMAS reminded me that he spent only two years at Ripon, he was inspired by that caring connection that I think we all continue to have with the great friends and faculty we met at Ripon.

• 45^th Class Reunion – June 24, 2023!
  • Distinguished Graduates!
  • Other Events of Interest
  • Early Reunion RSVPs (updated)!
• ’78 Classmate Updates
• Sad News
• Faculty Updates of Interest/Ripon’s New President
• #100for100 Annual Giving (aka Our Class Gift) and #Ripon Rally Days April 20-23
• Wrap-up

Please make your hotel and travel reservations/plans soon! Our reunion will be Saturday, June 24, and it will be here before you know it. Based on our early robust number of RSVPs, Reunion Committee members EDDIE SMITH ’78, LOUISA GEBELEIN JONES ’78, LISA WOLLAN ’78, LIZ PECHA-POELKER ’78, and I have secured the Great Hall in the Harwood Memorial Union for the Saturday night celebration. We’ll have heavy hors d’oeuvres on high tops and a FULL bar in the rotunda shared with the Class of 1983 who will be celebrating their 40^th Reunion in the MLK Lounge.

Of the three Ripon alums recognized as Distinguished Alumni Citation recipients this year, two of them come from the Class of ’78! On the evening of Friday, June 23, JUSTIN NIEBANK ’78 and JERRY WAUKAU ’78 will be honored at the 1851 Awards Dinner program. I encourage all of you who are attending the reunion to also join me and attend this event in Great Hall to support our two classmates. 

• Bird, Bug & Plant Walk (Friday, 8 a.m., Ceresco Prairie) – led by an all-star team of current Biology Department Chair Professor Memuna Khan (birds), Professor Benjamin Grady (bugs/pollinators), and Professor Emeritus Skip Wittler (plants)
• Doc Weiske ’50 Memorial Golf Scramble (Friday, The Golf Courses of Lawsonia, Green Lake)
• Wine tasting and pizza lunch (Friday, Vines & Rushes Winery)
• Gathering to honor ERIKA DOSS ’78’s father, Professor Seale Doss (Friday, 3-4:30 p.m., Lane Library)
• Rally Run/Walk (Saturday)
• Green Lake Boat Tours
• Pickleball

Look for many more details in the Alumni Weekend brochure and online (alumni.ripon.edu/alumni-weekend) soon.

 Early Reunion RSVPs!

As of February 15, the following 39 classmates (plus seven maybes), and seven faculty and staff were planning to attend: DENISE BAIRD ’78, MICHAEL CHAMBERLAIN ’78, GINNY MCGEHEE CONDON ’78, ROBBIE CORDO ’78, DAN DAVIS ’78, CATHERINE DEPEW ’78, BARB EDUCATE DOLAN ’78, ERIKA DOSS ’78 & GEOFF THRUMSTON ’78, CHIN FONG ’78, HORACE GARFIELD ’78 & MARLA BRENDAN GARFIELD ’78, TOM HARRISON ’78, ROD HAYNES ’78, ALAN HODKIEWICZ ’78, HELEN HOLTER ’78, LOUISA GEBELEIN JONES ’78, DAVID JUNG ’78, JOE KEEGAN ’78, MELANIE CIVIN KENION ’78, SHARON RAUPP LANGLEY ’78, JONATHAN LOEW ’78, JUSTIN NIEBANK ’78, JEFFREY OREAR ’78, JOE O’SULLIVAN ’78, GREGG PETERSEN ’78, LIZ PECHA-POELKER ’78, GRETA GLUEK PORTER ’78, JOE PRATT ’78, ERIC RIEDERS ’78, STEPHEN SARTO ’78, SUSAN FEITH SHANNON ’78, EDDIE SMITH ’78, THOMAS VAN LIESHOUT ’78, LAURIE MEYER WAGNER ’78, ANITA WALLACE ’78, JERRY WAUKAU ’78, JAMES WILKES ’78, and LISA WOLLAN ’78.

Maybes: KENT BLACKMER ’78, DOUG KINGS ’78, JON MURASKAS ’78, BARB MENGEL ROMANELLO ’78, and BOB WAGNER ’78.

Guests planning to attend: Jack & BEV CHRIST ’96, Elaine & Gary Coll, PETER HINTZ ’82 & NANCY BUCK HINTZ ’82, CHUCK LARSEN ’65 & Karen Larson, SUSAN BOOTHROYD LOOMER ’67 & Norm Loomer, Doug Northrop, Bob Wallace, and Bill & Jean Woolley.

Lodging Choices:

Lodging fills up quickly. 

• Heidel House: Offers Ripon a group lodging rate that starts at $199/night.
• Cobblestone Suites: Call Cobblestone Inn (Ripon) at 920-748-5500. 
• On–Campus Housing (non-air conditioned in Tri-Dorms or Bovay Hall): 1 night ($45), 2 nights ($80), 3 nights ($100).

’78 Classmate Updates:

DANNI CALDWELL ’78 of Henderson, Nevada, sends: Greetings from Southern Nevada! Alan and I are well. Inevitably, we are facing some of the difficulties of older age, but we are also enjoying the benefits of (my) retirement and our hard work throughout our lives.

Alan had a major health scare last year; he had blockage to an artery, but a stent was successfully placed, and he quickly bounced back. He was suffering with angina pains, but they were misdiagnosed as pain caused by a disc problem with his neck. Thankfully we pursued other possible issues, and a trip to a cardiologist revealed the problem. After he was fully recovered, we celebrated with a trip to Arches National Park in Utah, which we thoroughly enjoyed. He is still teaching full time at one of the prisons outside of Las Vegas but has decided that he will be retiring at the end of the 2024-25 school year.

I have been fully retired for more than a year now and am filling my time with bowling in three leagues during the week and social activities at the clubhouse at our 55 and over community. My hiking has had to go on hold as I am suffering with problems with both feet. I will be having surgery to repair my right foot issue in mid-May and then exploring options for the left foot. I hope to get back to hiking next fall.

Travel by train has been on our bucket list for quite some time, so we decided to go back to Wisconsin for the Christmas holiday by that means last year. Despite some issues with delays, we loved the experience, and are now making plans for more trips by train. Unfortunately, we experienced the bitter cold in Wisconsin the few days before Christmas, and we are rethinking traveling to the Midwest in the winter in the future. Winter is one of the reasons we moved to Nevada!

As Alan is teaching summer school the whole month of June, I will be unable to attend the reunion weekend in Ripon this year. I hope those of you who do attend have a great time and I look forward to reading the letters submitted by my classmates for the class letter.” 

ROBBIE CORDO ’78 of Plymouth, Minnesota, sent: “(Warning – contains serious self-aggrandizement!) written at 4:22:18 a.m. on February 15, 2023. Yes (A.M.). I sleep about three hours per night. 2022 through today was INCREDIBLE and the most impactful year of my 66 years. I can’t wait to see how 2023 turns out. I’ve never been more confident or had higher self-esteem. As I lacked these in my first 65 years, this is quite exciting. I owe this largely to my young partner, Bryant. Significant events include:

My daughter Elise, 35, was hospitalized after experiencing a major seizure in November. She entered an induced coma and was “as dead” for four days. She was discharged on a Thursday and back at her library working on MONDAY! My doctor called her a true warrior!

My son, 30, Quinn, is getting married May 7 at the Seattle Aquarium. ERIC RIEDERS ’78 and Maria will join us. This is his and Sarah’s third try due to COVID!

My daughter, Rachel (33) coaches synchronized swimming at the University of Minnesota and West Metro Synchronettes. (She and Elise were top swimmers in their teens.) She is with her significant other, Jason, in Fridley, Minnesota.

I moved to Oshkosh, Wisconsin in September 2021 to be near ROBERT PARDO ’77 and MARTY ERNSER ’78. It was great! Robert is with CATHY LARSEN ’80 and Marty is with Connie.

After 18 months in Oshkosh (which I love) I moved back to Plymouth, Minnesota, (Please visit me! – I live alone with Talker, my cat) on Valentine’s Day so I could be near Elise AND to jumpstart my NEW company, founded with my partner, Bryant Stratton, in November 2022: Cordo Advisors LLC dba The Butlers LLC’s mission is to “Help People Achieve Their Dreams!” (thebutlers.life – 612-201-6106). This is the fourth company for which I have been the CEO.

Finally, I would like to share that I have suffered from extreme chronic pain since high school. My accomplishments at Ripon and beyond were done despite many hospitalizations; chemotherapy; a stem-cell transplant at the Mayo; and hundreds of treatments and doctor visits. I believe most people were not aware this – though I do whine on occasion. I feel for anyone suffering from chronic physical, emotional, or mental chronic illnesses. As a result of my difficult journey to success I will coach Navy Seals and NFL players, and many others, on true “toughness.” My advice is simply “play through the pain.” To top it all off I broke my left shoulder in two places in November 2022 (while on a sales trip 8 hours from home!).

Even if you don’t want to learn about The Butlers Club, please contact me to catch up or get together. I’ll buy the drinks!

PS: I want to thank Dr. Norm Loomer for inspiring me to add math to my biology degree. And being the best teacher I ever had!

PPS: Must Reads – “Psycho-Cybernetics” by Maxwell Maltz; and “Stealing Fire” by Steven Kotler and Jamie Wheal – these books CHANGED my life.

PPPS: Check out my book; “The Wit and Wisdom of Robbie Cordo” soon to be available for free download at the common social media sites such as Facebook.

PPPPS: OK, OK – I am done… for now – stay tuned to thebutlers.life for periodic updates.”

ROD HAYNES ’78 of Bellingham, Washington, reports “he will be attending the reunion in June with his wife, Daria. Very much looks forward to it. He recently published a photo book of black and white photos shot and edited exclusively by his cell phone. It is only available locally in the Bellingham area. He is on track to retire from the US Department of Health and Human Services this coming December.”

MELANIE CIVIN KENION ’78 of Brighton, Massachusetts, writes: “I was able to cross two goals off my bucket list at the beginning of 2023. On January 1, I did a Polar Plunge, and I took a dip in the frigid ocean north of Boston. It felt like a good transition to wash out the old and bring in the new year. I loved it and plan to do it annually. I also had a goal of having a poem published. I hadn’t written anything since Dr. Mansfield’s Creative Writing class my freshman year, but three years ago started a daily meditation and writing practice. My poem was published in The Prompt Magazine (thepromptmag.com). You can read it by searching ‘The New Year’.”

JAKE MEGOWAN ’78 of Concord, Massachusetts, says “I am unlikely to make the 2023 reunion, but you never know… My brother Bubba lives in the UP and we visit him sometimes, along with my ,sister ANN MEGOWAN STEVENS ’83, who also lives in Michigan. Feel free to list my email: [email protected].” 
Jake holding a rose-colored Burmese Python (right) at the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary in Florida, where we hope to move soon. The other shot (left) is sailing in “Bahston Hahbah” with Wollaston Beach in the background.’

THOMAS VAN LIESHOUT ’78 of Neenah, Wisconsin, says that he “retired in 2016 from a 37-year sales career in the paper industry. I found a part-time job and after seven years, I am still working and enjoying the 15-hour work week. I also do projects for the local historical societies. To date, produced seven YouTube videos, covering a wide variety of subjects. Mary and I celebrated our 41^st anniversary last October and we have two children and four grandchildren. Last November, I was provided a second life with a transplanted heart. My original heart failed, and I was blessed to be put on a transplant list. Through that ordeal, I reconnected with an old Ripon College friend, and math adviser, Norm Loomer. We both are looking to play tennis together once I have completed my cardio rehab program.”

GREGG PETERSEN ’78 of Columbia, Maryland, visited with Professor Bill Woolley in December and discussed Bill’s recent book “Creating the Modern Army” and other Ripon topics with him.

Sad News:

Joann Wickstrom of Newton, Kansas, died on November 17, 2022, at age 89. After earning her BA in English, she received a Master’s in Communications from the University of Iowa in Iowa City. She taught speech both at Wichita State University and in high schools before having children. Jo married Ralph Wickstrom in 1957. They moved to Ripon in 1961 when Ralph accepted a position as a full professor at Ripon College. Several years later she began using her extensive skills to edit his books.

Mary Williams-Norton passed away on Sept. 27, 2022. Professor Williams-Norton was a professor of physics at Ripon College for 37 years from 1975 to 2012. She was the Harrison E. Farnsworth 1918 Chair in Physics and chair of the department, taught physics and astronomy and was Ripon’s representative for the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium. A strong advocate for Welsh American relations, culture, and heritage, she facilitated Ripon’s study-abroad program at Swansea University and Bangor University. Survivors include her husband, Gregory Norton and two daughters JEANNE NORTON ’99 and Laura Dunday.

Faculty Updates of Interest: Ripon’s New President:

Dr. Victoria (Vickie) N. Folse, will be inaugurated as Ripon’s 14^th president on April 22, 2023. As you may recall, she will be the first woman to be formally inaugurated as president of Ripon College in our alma mater’s 170-year history! DAVID JUNG ’78 and I are looking forward to visiting with her on March 15 at her Washington, D.C. welcome reception.

#100for100 Annual Giving (aka Our Class Gift) and #Ripon Rally Days April 20-23

We are pursuing two gift goals this year: one is to win the Class Participation Trophy for the third consecutive Alumni Weekend, and the second goal is to again lead all classes in the Ripon Rally Days (replacing #OneDayRally this year to honor President Folse’s Inauguration) for the sixth straight year.

Our class fundraising slogan and goal for this year is #100for100. Translated, we are shooting for 100 donors and $100K in donations. Since this is a reunion year, all our donations count toward our Class Gift “Big Check” total. As of this writing, we had 31 donors who donated a total of $71,750. That means our participation rate was already nearly the average for Ripon alumni classes and we are only $28K and change from our dollar goal. As you are very well aware, we are NOT an average class. Especially because this is a reunion year, please consider boosting your donations or giving for the first time to increase our overall gift and to help us continue to lead all alumni classes.

As I said, the April 20-23 Ripon Rally Days, 14 for 14 (14 ways to give in honor of our 14^th president!) will coincide with and honor President Folse’s inauguration on April 22. As you have in years past, please give your annual contribution coincident with April 20-21 or if you have already donated, please give a nominal additional gift to boost our donor total for the weekend. For instance, since I have already made my donation for the year, I will make a small donation to the Ripon Fund on April 20 during this giving event and celebration. 

Wrap-up:

If you aren’t on my emailing list (137 members), please send me your email at [email protected] and I will add you for early and interim updates. And if you are on Facebook and not in our Class of 78 (Classmates, Friends, and Faculty) Group, let me know your ID and I’ll add you to that, as well. Please make those travel & lodging plans for the reunion and then reach out to coax, cajole, or otherwise coerce your friends to attend the reunion. Also, please make your class gift to support our goal of #100for100 and support #Ripon Rally Days. I hope I see many, many of you at Ripon on June 24!

Best wishes and warm regards,

Gregg ’78

Submitted by: Class Agent: Gregg Peterson

Well folks, I have my lodging booked, my babysitter confirmed, and all I need to do now is buy my tickets for Alumni Weekend!

So, who will I see there?! A bunch of you have replied in our class’ private Facebook group (if you aren’t in that group, let me know and I’ll add you!). I’m so excited to see you all. If you haven’t made plans to be in Ripon, June 23-25, it’s not too late. Hotels in town book fast though, so don’t wait! There are room blocks at Heidel House in Green Lake and at Cobblestone Suites in Ripon (Call 920.748.5500). There are also rooms available on campus, and those will be available in April.

The official 10th Reunion celebration for our class will be on Saturday, June 24 from 6-8 p.m. down in what was formerly The Terrace in Bovay and on the lawn of the Quads. We will be catering heavy appetizers (maybe from China One?!).

The night before is the Awards Dinner for all new Athletic Hall of Fame inductees, and this year that includes our very own JAKE GAHART ’13, TAYLOR KOTH ’13, MICHELLE MATTER ’13, ADAM SELLER ’13, and STEPHANIE RIEUWPASSA WILLMS ’13! We would love you to attend that dinner and celebrate them. After the dinner there will be an All Alumni gathering down in The Spot (formerly The Pub) that is open to everyone.

Keep in mind there will be activities all weekend and different ways to reconnect with Ripon people, so if an evening social isn’t your speed, check out some of the other events on the schedule for the weekend! I usually do the Rally Fun Run on Saturday, for example. 🙂

Classmate Updates:

JENA ROSCIZEWSKI CLUCKA ’13 and KEVIN CLUCKA ’13 welcomed their second little boy, Jedrick, in September.

KEELIN MEESE PETROUSKE ’13 got a new job as a veterinary technician in September.

SHAUNA PICHETTE ’13 and DAN MILES ’14 got married in September 2022 with a solid Ripon College alumni presence. Shauna also just got promoted to Clinical Training Team Lead at a telehealth company specializing in treatment of OCD & OC-Related Disorders.

JACQUI MICHALAK MADDEN ’13 and her husband, Patrick, have three kiddos, a cocker spaniel, a bunch of chickens, and just rescued a chocolate lab puppy! Jacqui started working for the VA hospital in Milwaukee.

ELLIE HEDBERG BEERS ’13 started a new position this September at Fairview Southdale Hospital in Edina, MN, in their RN Float Pool. Their little boy turns two this April!

MATTHEW ROHRBECK ’13 and DARCIE FIRST ’13 welcomed their first child, a daughter, into the world in September, and are also completing some home improvement projects!

SARAH CARBALLO ’13 says, “I FINALLY finished school/training last summer with the completion of a cornea and external disease fellowship in Cincinnati, OH, where I got to spend the year avoiding Skyline Chilli and reconnecting with a fellow Ripon-ite LAUREN COLETTE ’13. I have since officially started my FIRST big girl job (woohoo!) back home in the good land as the cornea service director of the Eye Institute at MCW”.

ANDREA SLOSSER WORTH ’13 writes, “Mark, Lilly (our cocker-Jack mix), and I are getting settled back in the Twin Cities (it’s like deja-vu!). I passed my licensing exam and am so happy to be done with tests, hopefully forever!”

AMY DOEFER ’13 says, “ANDY SCHULZ ’07 and I were voted New Glarus’s Oktoberfest King and Queen. I’m not sure anyone can top that news. ”

EMILY KIJEK SCHWANDT ’13 writes, “I am starting grad school this summer semester at Cardinal Stritch University. I’m going for my Master’s in Literacy and rolling in my reading teacher and reading specialist licensure!”

KATE AMELL FEHRENBACH ’13 says, “ANDY FEHRENBACH ’13 left his previous contract at work (a very good and much needed thing) and now has some time for personal development and continuing ed before starting a new contract. We are also tackling a much anticipated bathroom remodel and learning lots along the way. ”

CHARLOTTE LEE WAHLE ’13 writes, “I got to be in LAUREN OTT GREENE ’13 and KYLE GREENE ’15‘s wedding in November! It was beautiful. Unfortunately, I was not invited to their honeymoon, and got to write this letter instead. ”

I can’t quite wrap my head around the fact that it’s been nearly ten years already, but I’m excited to catch up with all of you and remember all the good times we had at Ripon.

Reach out if you have questions! See you in June!

MORE. TOGETHER.

Charlotte ’13

Lauren ’13

Ali ’13

P.S. There will be a special giving event in conjunction with inauguration weekend, April 20-23, to celebrate Ripon’s 14th President, Victoria N. Folse, and the exciting momentum happening within our campus community. This event will be an extension of the #OneDayRally brand and experience. Stay tuned for more information. We look forward to your participation!

Submitted by: Class Agents: Charlotte Lee Wahle, Lauren Ott Greene, and Ali Peltier

Hello Class of 1994.  I hope you all are doing well.

I recently hosted the Bay Area Welcome reception for new Ripon College President Dr. Victoria N. Folse. This was primarily an opportunity for the new President to meet Bay Area alumni and parents of current students, but it also offered an opportunity to mingle with interesting alums who attended Ripon during different decades. At the event I met NANCY WADLEY KEOUGH ‘67. Nancy shared stories from Ripon in the ‘60s and how the college helped launch her successful legal career, which included serving as a Captain in the United States Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps and active duty in Vietnam. Nancy, like so many other accomplished alumni, reminded me of why Ripon is special and made me proud to be associated with the college.

In the last year, I was on campus in April and September for Trustee meetings. I am planning to come back for the Presidential Inauguration on April 21 and 22. Please reach out if you will be there. And if you haven’t been back on campus in a while, make a plan to visit and check out the new infrastructure projects.

Update on the College

In December, Ripon announced a $35 million strategic infrastructure plan to renovate and expand Farr Hall, build a new on-campus stadium and upgrade the residence halls. The first phase will prioritize a $24.5 million investment in the science center and an $8.5 million investment in the campus stadium, both of which are projected to break ground in the Spring of 2023.

• Farr Hall renovations include: more than 19,000 square feet of new construction and new laboratory, classroom, collaboration and gathering spaces throughout. A range of aesthetic and functional improvements will also be made to the existing building.

• The new 157,000-square-foot on-campus stadium will be located on the underutilized lower Sadoff Field. It will feature a 2,000-seat grandstand and press box.  The stadium will house the Ripon College football and men’s and women’s soccer teams but  also will serve the entirety of the student body and Ripon community through potential intramural offerings, concerts and other student life programming.

• Presidential Inauguration Ceremony April 22, 2023. This will be the formal inauguration of new President Victoria Folse. She will be the first woman to be formally inaugurated as president of Ripon College since its founding in 1851. Vicki brings to Ripon more than 30 years of experience in higher education and a long-standing commitment to the liberal arts. I plan to attend the inauguration and hope to see many of you on campus for this historic event.
  • There will be a special giving event in conjunction with inauguration weekend, April 20-23, to celebrate Ripon’s 14th President, Victoria N. Folse, and the exciting momentum happening within our campus community. This event will be an extension of the #OneDayRally brand and experience. Stay tuned for more information. We look forward to your participation!

Submitted by: Class Agents: Kimberly Woolley and Lisa Sproston Sutter