2012 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Co-Class Agents:

ERIN SCHAICK ’12

(920) 312-3825 / [email protected]

BRANDON TAYLOR ’12

(406) 274-4708 / [email protected]

Hello, Class of 2012! 

I’m sure you’ll all agree that it’s been a long year (going on two) but it’s been really great to connect with those of you in our Facebook group and beyond. Despite the pandemic, Ripon College has stayed busy and recently hosted hybrid Alumni Weekend activities. Can you believe our ten-year Reunion is next summer?! Please save the dates of June 23-26, 2022, and we hope to see you on campus to reconnect in person and see the numerous upgrades around campus. We are also actively looking for classmates who would like to help with our tenth Class Reunion celebration, which would include classmate outreach. Please email Erin and me to let us know you are interested. 

A record-breaking 2,087 donors from all around the world supported Ripon’s fourth annual giving day on April 28, known as #OneDayRally, reminding us all that regardless of the circumstances, Red Hawks come together. Thank you to everyone who contributed! 

In-person classes started in Ripon on Monday, August 30 and whether school seems like a distant past, you’re a teacher, or you have kiddos entering a new semester, we hope you’re all safe, healthy, and ready to take on whatever you encounter in this new season! 

Without further ado, here are the life updates and class notes you’ve shared with us recently: 

CHAD KRUEGER ’12 of De Pere, Wisconsin, is making a career with FedEx Express as a courier. He married his wife, Jackie, on May 28 of this year.

SARAH WEINBERG HILL ’12 of Saint Paul, Minnesota, got married last Halloween to her best friend, JORDAN HILL ’11 and hopes to see some Ripon friends at their vow renewal on their one-year anniversary! Also, she started a job at Oakdale Public Library where she chats with kids (and adults, too) nonstop about the Legend of Zelda, Dogman, animal facts, and lots and lots of books.

KATHARINE SHADLE GAILS ’12 made a huge career change and is now the office manager at a dental office! It’s almost been a year since she started!! 

KATE HAMM FRIEDL ’12 and her spouse, Chris Friedl of West Allis, Wisconsin, welcomed twins to the family on May 14th.

LISA HILLEREN ’12 is still living in Chicago, Illinois, and started a new job as a project coordinator with Adage Technologies.

NYI NYI AUNG ’12 started a new role as a manager at Marubeni Corporation where he has been for over six years.

ARIEL DICKINSON ’12 of Madison, Wisconsin, and her husband welcomed their first child, Dorian Oliver, in July.

SHARON KLAPPERICH DOLL ’12 of Green Bay, Wisconsin, is currently working on her second Master’s degree in Education from the University of Glasgow.

SPENCER ’12 and AURORA POLLEI LAMEKA ’12 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, welcomed their baby, Millie Wren, on May 21st.

ELLIE BYLER ’12 of Jordan, Minnesota, welcomed their baby, Genevieve Joan, on June 29th.

KAYLA WALLICK MENDEZ ’12 of Bloomington, Minnesota, welcomed her third child, Xiomara Flor Mendez, on February 3rd. She spent her summer living in Papantla, Veracruz with her in-laws

MEGAN MCGEE NORRIS ’12 of Kenosha, Wisconsin, took a position as Guardian ad Litem in Racine County, Wisconsin, and is still running her own firm doing a lot of juvenile and family law. 

BRYANT VANDE KOLK ’12 of Ellicott City, Maryland, finished his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Notre Dame in May and was fortunate enough to run into a few Ripon friends at Alumni Weekend when back in town for his goddaughter’s baptism. 

JESSICA BRUNGARDT LARSON ’12 of Colorado Springs, Colorado, is still working for the County Attorney’s Office in Colorado Springs, but will be joining the drug court team doing child protection cases and will be adding in adult protection cases as well. She and her husband are enjoying being the proud parents of our almost two-year-old son, two dogs, and three cats.

AUBREY WEBER ’12 of Middleton, Wisconsin, started a new job as a Salesforce Administrator at Cerity Partners and will be beginning her fourth year on the faculty at Edgewood teaching Introduction to Human Communication. Aubrey just spent four days/three nights paddling in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and recently purchased her first kayak. She is still living in Madison with her elderly cat and dog and partner, Tim.

ERIC SCHUMACHER ’12 of Pewaukee, Wisconsin, and his wife welcomed their second child, Ryan, in April. Their family loves to spend time on the golf course and their two-year-old, Jack, might have the best swing of the family!

BRANDON TAYLOR ’12 of San Francisco, California, got married this June in San Francisco and lives with his wife, Christina, and puppy, Waffle, in their home there. He started a new job in April 2021 as a Senior Project Manager on the HR Enablement team at LinkedIn.

ERIN SCHAICK ’12 of Concord, New Hampshire, is AVP, Director of Development and Community Relations at CATCH Neighborhood Housing in Concord, New Hampshire. 

SAM STELMACK ’12 of Chicago, Illinois, is now an operations specialist at School Bags for Kids, LLC in Chicago, Illinois.

Thanks again to everyone for sharing and we hope to see you in person next summer for our Class Reunion!

Be well,

ERIN SCHAICK ’12

BRANDON TAYLOR ’12

Submitted by: Class Agents: Erin Schaick & Brandon Taylor

1969 Fall 2021 Class Letter for R Connections

Select the link above to view the Class of 1969 Fall 2021 Class Letter.

Class Agent:

SCOTT A. NYQUIST ’69

(630) 632-1619 / [email protected]

Submitted by: Class Agent: Scott Nyquist

1968 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Class Agent:

PETER UHRIG ’68

(512) 762-1479 / [email protected]

Dear Classmates:

Here we are at the end of another summer, and I hope it has been a good one for each of you. It might have been good if you were not anywhere near the wildfires ravaging parts of the west and northwest. It might have been very nice if you were not in states now facing critical water shortages. And it certainly might have been very pleasant if you were not in the path of a hurricane like Ida.

I hope none of these things affected you but these days, even events far away from where we live seem to spill over into our lives through loved ones who did suffer.

School News

After what must surely be called an unusual and we hope unique academic year, 142 members of the Class of 2021 were graduated on May 16, at the 154th commencement. This was quite an achievement for Ripon, needing to adapt procedures for the students that chose an in-person on-campus experience as well as needing to accommodate those who opted to study from home.

Alumni Weekend: Aug. 6-8 saw attendees from 29 states and from classes of 1961 to 2023. This was the first-ever August Alumni Weekend to take place since COVID-19 paused on-campus events. Alumni Weekend 2022 will go back to the usual end-of-June time. Save the date, June 23-26, 2022.

Fundraising Success: Fund-raising is always of critical importance to Ripon. I am happy to report a record breaking 2,087 donors supported the April 28th #OneDayRally and 3,600 donors supported the College over the fiscal year, which included contributions to the Ripon Fund and other initiatives. It’s no wonder our endowment continues to grow allowing our school to continue its role as a leader and model for what a successful small liberal arts institution should be.

Campus upgrade: The McCullough Family Lounge in Farr Hall of Science recently received a thorough makeover with the intent of making the space more contemporary and technologically friendly. The renovations were made possible by a lead gift from Trustee PHILIP MCCULLOUGH ’69, and his wife, Pat.

Classmate News

GUY R. ’68 HENSHAW and SUSAN SIEGEL HENSHAW ’68 of Danville, California, received Ripon College’s Medal of Merit at the commencement ceremony on May 16, 2021. In his acceptance speech, GUY restated his firm belief in the necessity of a liberal arts education and the strong foundation he received by attending Ripon. Congratulations to GUY and SUSAN for your continuing generosity and service to our school. 

STEVE HENIG ’68 and Kathy of Wake Forest, North Carolina, arranged a reconnection with fellow Theta Chi’s TED SEWALL ’66 and his wife BARBARA BRADFORD SEWALL ’65 of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, this past July. PETER UHRIG ’68 and Linda, who now spend summers in Palos Park, Illinois, joined them. TED, STEVE and PETER were Theta Chi’s together. While together, they paid a visit to the campus and received a mini tour from JOLENE RUEDEN SCHATZINGER ’07, Associate Director of Engagement.

We all remember Memorial Gymnasium but how many of us took note of the war memorial plaque, which used to be there? It contains the names of Ripon alumni who died in service to their country from World War I forward. It is now located along Seward Street, in the spot formally occupied by Memorial Gymnasium. 

As mentioned in the last Class Letter, if you have not been to the campus for a while, here is a link to the virtual campus tour: tour.ripon.edu. It gives a great birds-eye view of what our campus looks like today.

Finally, if you are interested in hearing news about your classmates, start by sharing some news from your life. It’s an important connection with those we do not regularly see. What may seem like a small thing to you is still a nice tidbit to share as well as larger changes and accomplishments in your lives. Please let us hear from you. My contact information is included at the beginning of this Class Letter, or you may send news to [email protected]. 

Best Wishes

PETER UHRIG ’68

Submitted by: Class Agent: Peter Uhrig

  1963 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Class agent:

WAYNE WOLFGRAM ’63 

(313) 550-5094 / [email protected]

Greetings, Classmates!  

Hopefully, everyone is doing well in these trying times, and that letters such as this help to reconnect friends which brings back memories of our enjoyable and carefree (except for finals) Ripon experiences.

Class Notes:

VERNON CRONEN ’63 of Wilmington, North Carolina ([email protected]) writes, “My wife and I visited our daughter and grandson in Massachusetts. We tacked on a vacation to the Cape. We also got to visit my cousin at their vacation time-share in Hilton Head. We had not been in touch for decades. Surprisingly, we have a lot of ideas in common even though we are in very different fields. I have been working with a group on the problem of ‘moral injury’ encountered by our veterans. That is a new application of my theory. I have other projects too but that is the best developed so far. It is also where my wife’s expertise in neuropathology of speech and language comes into play. It is great working together. Otherwise, I have been trying to do the kinds of medical repairs over the summer I need to function during the coming academic year. A friend once said, ‘Old age isn’t for sissy’s.’ RIGHT!”

BARBARA SIVER JONES ’63 of Quarryville, Pennsylvania ([email protected]) writes, “For the past eight years I have been living in Quarryville, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, amidst Amish Farm Country, and I love it. I have retired from my 55-year career in Special Education. For the past six years, I have been working part-time as a receptionist in a retirement community here in Lancaster County. Last month I was privileged to enjoy a two-week visit from my classmate and Alpha Chi Omega sorority sister, ROBERTA HEYNE ’63, who is originally from the Chicago area, but who currently lives in Camden, Maine.“

SUSAN KELLER MATTHES ’63 of Carson City, Nevada ([email protected]) writes, “With all this COVID-19 and its variants (possibly with more to come), we are staying close to home. The California wildfires, especially the Dixie (over 700,000 acres) and the Caldor (jumped from 20,000 to 100,000 acres much too quickly) are sending smoke in our direction that makes it difficult to see and breathe! God bless all the fire personnel and keep them safe- They are performing a monumental service, in spite of the ever-greater number of structures burning. The winds have been truly devastating. Perhaps the rains will return and help? Keep the firefighters in your prayers!”

DAVID NEUBAUER ’63 of Ormond Beach, Florida ([email protected]) writes, “Egads, I just had my 80th(!) birthday like so many of us classmates, where did the years go? But life is good, family is wonderful, and we’re all staying healthy. Our daughter and 11-year-old granddaughter moved back home with us after their house burned down in June. Linda and I went from empty-nesters to a full house. They’ll stay with us until their insurance settles up and the home is rebuilt, probably by the spring. The five of us spent a week at Disney World this summer being kids again. We will return there next during Easter break as our lives are now controlled by the school calendar. COVID canceled our cruise in May so we signed up for a May 2022 cruise to France and Spain where we have family. We hope our governments figure out vaccine passports by then. My best to all of you.”

DAN SCHULTZ ’63 of Silver Spring, Maryland ([email protected]) writes, “We are enjoying our summer at our place on Lake Ripley again. Lots of golf and almost daily outings on our pontoon for a dip in the lake and a happy hour cruise. We will remain here until the end of September, then back to Maryland until January, and then down to Florida until May. Hard life! My golf goal this summer was to shoot my age before I turn 80 in October. Have come close (80 and 81) but no cigar yet. To celebrate my 80th birthday, Peg is treating me to the Alabama Trail, a series of golf courses all designed by Robert Trent Jones’ that are spread out over the state. It should be fun and we hope the resurgent coronavirus doesn’t force us to cancel the trip.

“We and all of our family have remained free of COVID and hope that is true for all of you. It continues to amaze us that there are people who continue to thumb their nose at the vaccine, putting themselves and others at such risk. Clearly, they could not be Ripon alumni.

“Feel so badly for the families who lost their sons and daughters in the stupid and futile 

Afghan war. Hope everyone gets out that needs to and that the Taliban fall flat on their faces in trying to run the country.

“Had the good fortune to hook up with BOB COLLINS ’64 (a year behind us) for lunch in August and I am sending in a photo of us at our get-together. Life seems to have treated him well and it was fun to get together and catch up with each other.”

BOB COLLINS ’64 (left) AND DAN SCHULTZ ’63 (right)

FRANK SMOLL ’63 of Cascadia, Washington ([email protected]) writes, “Greetings from Cascadia! I hope this missive finds you healthy and doing well. To begin, here’s a brief personal-recap. After completing my Ph.D. in Kinesiology (UW Madison), I became a faculty member at the University of Washington in 1970. My teaching and research focused on the effects of competition on children’s psycho-social development (developmental sport psychology). After 51-years of playing in academia, retirement occurred in April, and I’m now a Professor Emeritus of Psychology – I won’t engage in self-aggrandizement by giving a summary of achievements (scholarly works/publications, academic awards, etc.).

“On moving to the Pacific Northwest, I quickly became a converted native. Our weather can get dreary, but that’s what sun breaks are for during the rainy season (e.g., CA, HI, Mexico). Since 1975, I’ve enjoyed living in Kirkland, which is the “Sausalito of Seattle.

“What are my plans for retirement? At this point, there are no specific things on my plate, as I’m savoring the absence of structure and obligations. Actually, the freedom from daily routines is like an endless vacation, and I’m looking forward to the ‘next chapter. Best wishes, Frank – aka Grande ”

CAROLYN QUILLING WOLF ’63 of Valencia, California ([email protected]) writes, “We are doing well. Tom and I got our vaccine in February. We’ve survived numerous lockdowns and mask-wearing. Tom retired last September but is keeping busy with the men’s biking group, bocce ball, ping pong, poker, and cribbage. He is on our HOA Board and he is also doing some consulting.

“I am in the Belcaro Book Club and am in charge of our 5 O’clock Friends group. We go out every Thursday for dinner. We couldn’t do that during lockdown but we did cocktail Zoom meetings. I also play Bunco and Tom and I attend the monthly Bingo game at the clubhouse. During the lockdown, we did Bingo in our cars.

“Moving to the 55-and-over community of Belcaro was one of the best things we’ve done. We’ve met lots of wonderful people here and are really enjoying our ‘Golden Years.’”

—————-

Until Next Time, 

Stay Safe Everyone!

WAYNE WOLFGRAM ’63

Submitted by: Class Agent: Wayne Wolfgram

1961 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Class Agent:

BARBARA KRIEPS LASKIN ’61

H: (541) 778-6188 / C: (408) 309-1225 / [email protected]

Dear Classmates:

The 2021 Alumni Weekend was a wonderful trip of nostalgia. It was reassuring to see how much remained the same, yet it was also wonderful to see the excellent changes to the campus. Imagine my surprise when I noted the starting location of the alumni walk/run Saturday morning: The Spot! Ah, I remember it well. When the building where The Spot was located was sold to a publishing company, the College decided to name the student grill in the student union The Spot. Clever.

However, it was disappointing that only five of us attended from our year – all women! Joining me at the Golden R Reunion dinner were MARA LATSONS WARREN ’61, MARY BACHUS MILLER ’61, KAREN SCHNEIDER CENTER ’61, and EVANN “SUGAR” MALTBY BALMES ’61. It was a joy having CLAUDETTE BEALL LEE-ROSELAND ’60 meet up with us on Saturday afternoon although she could not stay for the dinner. But where were the rest of you guys? Hey, it could have been your last hurrah! Here is a picture of us at Alumni Weekend at the Golden R Reunion dinner with the donation check presentation:

In order from left to right:

RUTH POTTS FLECK ’66, MARY BACHUS MILLER ’61, MARA LATSONS WARREN ’61, BARBARA KRIEPS LASKIN ’61, KAREN SCHNEIDER CENTER ’61, and EVANN “SUGAR” MALTBY BALMES ’61.

Class notes:

MAC CLAUDER JESSE ’61 of Downers Grove, Illinois, sends her regards. Her son and daughter live close by so she can see her grandchildren every week. Following the Reunion, I stayed a couple of days with her before heading back to Oregon. During my visit we spent time searching for liquor from the Chicago Distillery Company to buy some Malort, which tastes God awful. Still haven’t tasted it yet. We had a wonderful time together. It’s a special treat when you reconnect with former friends and discover that your connection is as strong as if you had seen each other yesterday. Girlfriends forever!

MAC talked to JEANIE VERMILYE JOHNSTON ’61 recently who hopes that the three of us can go on a road trip together up to Ripon. Hey, how can we go to The Spot to buy a pitcher of beer? Anyone interested in coming along?

KAREN CARLSON ’61 of Novato, California, was married in Chicago in 1963 and, five years later, moved to San Francisco. With the birth of their daughter, Kimberly, in 1968, they embarked on a journey into the disability world where they were innocently and thankfully learners. 

Upon her divorce, KAREN moved to Phoenix where she worked for a newspaper and went to Arizona State University. Upon graduation, she continued to the School of Law in Los Angeles and, afterwards, returned to the Bay area where she was employed by the Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company legal department and retired in 2000 after 20 years of service. KAREN continued working part time, at the Tiburon Library and Battleborn newspaper followed by a part-time job at a candy store for 17 years. Any free samples, KAREN?

As of this writing, due to COVID, she is at home writing Kimberly’s life story, their story of survival, and honoring the people who shined a light in their life. The title is, “Forty Years in the Desert, Now We’re in the Promised Land.” KAREN says she is a mother on her knees. 

Now for some news from Ripon College:

Alumni Weekend:

Alumni and guests from 29 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, were on campus, Aug. 6-8, representing the classes of 1961 to 2023, for the first-ever August Alumni Weekend after COVID-19 put a pause on campus events over the past 18 months. Save the date for Alumni Weekend 2022, which will go back to our traditional end of June date: June 23-26, 2022.

Past fiscal year update:

A record-breaking 2,087 donors from all around the world supported Ripon’s fourth annual giving day on April 28, known as #OneDayRally, reminding us all that regardless of the circumstances, Red Hawks come together. Thank you to the over 3,600 donors who supported the College this past fiscal year through the Ripon Fund and other initiatives.

Campus upgrades:

The McCullough Family Lounge in Farr Hall of Science — a favorite location of students for studying and collaborative work — recently received an extreme makeover with the intent of making the space more contemporary and technologically friendly. The renovations were made possible by a lead gift from Trustee PHILIP MCCULLOUGH ’69/P’04, and his wife, Pat. Also, a new Data Visualization Lab was installed in Todd Wehr Hall, which will be a great asset for the math and computer science departments. 

Endowment: 

The endowment recently hit an all-time high and as of August 19, 2021, it was at $112 million.

Start of the academic year:

Classes started on Monday, August 30 and the academic year is in full swing with in-person classes. The College is continuing to follow CDC and Fond du Lac County Health Department guidelines regarding COVID safety protocols. To read more about the College’s COVID-19 response and current procedures visit ripon.edu/coronavirus-information/.

Here is a link to the news stories published by the College: ripon.edu/news/.

Here is the link to the latest Ripon Magazine, which includes features of alumni and faculty: ripon.edu/about-ripon/publications/.

If you use social media, check out these Facebook pages in addition to the main Ripon College page:

Ripon College Center for Politics and the People: facebook.com/RiponCollegeCPP 

Ripon College Center for Diversity and Inclusion: facebook.com/ripondiversity 

In memoriam:

CLAUDETTE BEALL LEE-ROSELAND ’60: May 28, 1938 – October 3, 2021

I was fortunate to reconnect with CLAUDETTE at Alumni Weekend. A remarkable person and artist. Her artwork can be viewed on her website at claudetteleeroseland.com. 

Please, guys, stay in touch and keep us updated on what you are doing, and how you are surviving. I look forward to hearing from you, and to writing more updates from classmates in our spring Class Letter.

BARBARA KRIEPS LASKIN ’61

Submitted by: Class Agent: Barbara Krieps Laskin

1998 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Class Agent:

SARAH ENG ’98

(312) 404-6732 / [email protected]

Dear Class of ’98,

Thanks as always for responding to my call for updates! It’s good to hear from you, especially when photos are involved. 

Alumni Weekend

Alumni and guests from 29 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, were on campus, representing the classes of 1961 to 2023, for the first-ever August Alumni Weekend after COVID-19 put a pause on campus events over the past 18 months. Save the date for Alumni Weekend 2022, which will go back to our traditional end of June date: June 23-26, 2022.

Which means… our TWENTY-FIFTH Class Reunion will be the last weekend in June 2023. Mark that on your calendars, as well!

Red Hawk Donors are Red Hot

A record-breaking 2,087 donors from all around the world supported Ripon’s fourth annual giving day on April 28, known as #OneDayRally, reminding us all that regardless of the circumstances, Red Hawks come together. 

Big thanks to those of you who responded to my deluge of social media posts that day, and came through to represent our class. Thanks as well to the over 3,600 donors who supported the College this past fiscal year through the Ripon Fund and other initiatives. 

On Campus

Classes started on Monday, August 30 and the academic year is in full swing with in-person classes. The College is continuing to follow CDC and Fond du Lac County Health Department guidelines regarding COVID-19 safety protocols. For information on what steps Ripon College is taking to make sure students attending the fall semester are protected from the COVID-19 virus, visit ripon.edu/coronavirus-information. 

The McCullough Family Lounge in Farr Hall of Science — a favorite location of students for studying and collaborative work — recently received an extreme makeover with the intent of making the space more contemporary and technologically friendly. The renovations were made possible by a lead gift from Trustee PHILIP MCCULLOUGH ’69/P’04, and his wife, Pat.

Also, a new Data Visualization Lab was installed in Todd Wehr Hall, which will be a great asset for the math and computer science departments. 

Class Notes:

DAVID JAMES ’97 and KIMBERLY CHRISTOFFERSON-JAMES ’98 of East Wenatchee, Washington, recently saw their son, Cyrus Fremont James, graduate from Western Washington University with a Major in “Filmmaking: Production, Theory, and Indigenous Storytelling.” He will be attending the Seattle Film Institute for his Masters this fall.

SARAH ENG ’98 of Chicago, Illinois, feels weird writing about herself in the third person, so: “I happily returned to the water with the Chicago Rowing Foundation’s Masters Recreational team in April, after over a year on dry land. I was also overjoyed to reunite with my family on Memorial Day weekend, seeing them for the first time in person since Christmas 2019.” Here’s a picture of the Eng family in Texas. 

BRAD KOZACZUK ’98 of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, is starting a new job as Special Education Teacher and Head Girls Golf Coach at Luxemburg-Casco High School.

CARRIE MOORE SHEPEARD ’98 of Hubertus, Wisconsin, launched a photography business, Women in Bloom (www.womeninbloomllc.com), and JEN ANSTEE CHAVEZ ’98 was one of her recent clients (and a happy one, as the photo to the below proves!) The photo, taken by CARRIE MOORE SHEPEARD ’98, is of JEN ANSTEE CHAVEZ ’98 and her daughters.

Lastly, STEVE “BEAKER” WIECHMANN ’98 of Bozeman, Montana, writes: “I have no real news! Still in Bozeman Montana. Still working winters at Bridger Bowl Ski Area. Still have awesome twin girls (almost 12 years old). Still married. Still biking and hiking and skiing whenever possible. I even still look the same!” 

And he truly does, as evidenced by the photo of STEVE “BEAKER” WIECHMANN ’98 with his two daughters. Beaker is the Paul Rudd of our class.

Until next time,

SARAH ENG ’98

Submitted by: Class Agent: Sarah Eng

1997 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Class Agent:

KRISTIN BAZZOLI PIOTROWSKI ’97 

(414) 841-8577 / [email protected]

Hello, Class of 1997,

I hope this newsletter finds all of you well. As we start the fall season, I wanted to provide you with some updates from the College. 

Alumni Weekend:

Alumni and guests from 29 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, were on campus, Aug. 6-8, representing the classes of 1961 to 2023, for the first-ever August Alumni Weekend after COVID-19 put a pause on campus events over the past 18 months. Save the date for Alumni Weekend 2022 (when we will celebrate our 25th Class Reunion), which will go back to our traditional end of June date: June 23-26, 2022. Speaking of, if you are interested in helping to plan our 25th Class Reunion, please let me know.

This Past Fiscal Year:

A record-breaking 2,087 donors from around the world supported Ripon’s 4th annual giving day on April 28, known as #OneDayRally, reminding us all that regardless of the circumstances, Red Hawks come together. Thank you to the over 3,600 donors who supported the College this past fiscal year through the Ripon Fund and other initiatives.

Campus Upgrades:

The McCullough Family Lounge in Farr Hall of Science, a favorite location of students for studying and collaborative work, recently received an extreme makeover with the intent of making the space more contemporary and technologically friendly. The renovations were made possible by a lead gift from Trustee PHILIP MCCULLOUGH ’69/P’04, and his wife, Pat. Also, a new Data Visualization Lab was installed in Todd Wehr Hall, which will be a great asset for the math and computer science departments. 

Endowment: 

Ripon’s endowment recently hit an all-time high. As of Thursday, August 19, it was at $112 million.

Start of the Academic Year:

Classes started on Monday, August 30, and the academic year is in full swing with in-person classes. The College is continuing to follow CDC and Fond du Lac County Health Department guidelines regarding COVID-19 safety protocols.

Helpful Links:

• News stories published by the College: ripon.edu/news
• Ripon Magazine, including features of alumni and faculty: ripon.edu/about-ripon/publications
• Ripon College Center for Politics and the People: facebook.com/RiponCollegeCPP 
• Ripon College Center for Diversity and Inclusion: facebook.com/ripondiversity 

Class Notes:

CHRIS CORSTEN ’97 of Menominee, Michigan, wrote the following op-ed for New York Daily News based on his experience in Afghanistan: “True progress amid Afghan chaos: An Afghanistan veteran  reflects on the longest war.”  Access the op-ed here: https://bit.ly/3yR836A. He also authored the book “3,000 Days in Afghanistan.”

AARON GOLDSTEIN ’97 of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, was named the Police Chief of the Fond du Lac Police Department by the Fond du Lac Police and Fire Commission on September 7. Congratulations, Goldy! 

Don’t forget to send along any news or updates to your contact information to me anytime. You can also connect with our class on Facebook via the closed group “Ripon College Class of 1997.”

Wishing you and your families a happy and healthy fall and winter,

KRISTIN BAZZOLI PIOTROWSKI ’97

Submitted by: Class Agent: Kristin Bazzoli Piotrowski

1996 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

JASON WOOD ’96

(201) 747-7719 / [email protected]

Happy Fall, Class of 1996! 

As 2021 began to open up and traveling was a bit safer, I was super fortunate to get out there and see many of my fellow Ripon College classmates. This included spending a week in Boston with LORI BERGERON-KOZIOL ’95, meeting up with EDWARD STEWART ’96 in Traverse City, and hanging in a Milwaukee beer garden with JOAN GRZESINSKI ’96, AMY TINCHER-DURNIK ’96, and MICHELE SIRINEK ’95. 

In August, we had our 25th Class Reunion and, understandably, it was small. However, several of our classmates of ’96 attended: AMY DAVENPORT KONGRATSASY ’96, MELISSA WILLIAMS SCHMIDT ’96, JOAN GRZESINSKI ’96, AMY TINCHER-DURIK ’96, STEVE MARTIN ’96, KYRSTEN KOEBACH ’96, and CAREY MOLINSKI ’96 as well as several other alumni from classes above and below. Even though it was small, everyone that made it to Ripon that weekend made the experience very memorable (except when it got past midnight). 

Lastly, in September I had a trip up to Minneapolis, where a small gathering of alumni socialized the night away; AMY DAVENPORT KONGRATSASY ’96, IAN BARRETT ’96, KHAM KONGRATSASY ’98, RYAN JOHNSON ’97, and SARA HOLBACH KLECKNER ’94.  

And as I wrote this, I headed on a week-long adventure through Colorado meeting up with RANDY JOHNSON ’96, RICK JOHNSON ’96, KOLLEEN HENNIGAN JOHNSON ’98, COURTNEY NUGENT ’96, ERIN NUGENT SONNLEITNER ’98, TONYA RENAE EWERS ’95, and JULIE WEDDING SCOTT ’97 all along the way. 

From social media, I know I was able to see some of the other Ripon College gatherings from ADPi trips to the Women’s Basketball Team. It is so wonderful to see everyone and, even though we aren’t talking to each other, know they are doing okay. As always please contact me or post on our Facebook page (Ripon College: Class of 1996). If anyone from our class has any new updates! We all love to see what is new and catch up with one another.  

Try to have a great winter (hopefully, it won’t be too cold or snowy) and I will touch base with you in the spring!

Regards,

JASON WOOD ’96

Submitted by: Class Agent: Jason Wood

1995 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Class Agent: 

TOM LUFT ’95

920-479-5323 / [email protected]

Dear ’95 Classmates,

I hope all of you have stayed healthy, safe, and prosperous since the last Class Letter to the class from AMY DEKEYSER PADILLA ’95. A quick shout out again to AMY, VINCE PADILLA ’95, ANGELA KEITH ’95 and everyone else who has been involved with our class since graduation – we appreciate your efforts.

As I sit in my home office in Oshkosh, just having wrapped up my second GoTo Meeting and first cup of coffee of the day, it’s hard to believe 30 years have passed since we all started our journey at Ripon College. Even though our class was small, I am certain some of you aren’t sure exactly who I am, and so very briefly in my own words: I was a tall, skinny, blonde-haired (sometimes with a mullet) Business Management Major and tennis player. I bounced around from Scott Hall (pre-remodel), to Bovay and then Brockway, never joined a fraternity, and can definitely look back at all of the Ripon experiences over the course of four years with fondness and appreciation. Since then, I’ve lived in Waukesha, Oshkosh, Phoenix, and now back in Oshkosh, where I am married, an empty-nester with two daughters in college, and work as the Director of Sales for NCC Automated Systems, headquartered in Pennsylvania. I won’t bore you with any more details 😊

Despite all that is going on in the world right now, there are many exciting things happening at Ripon. Some of the highlights can be found below. As always, the entire Ripon College Community of Students, Staff, and Alumni appreciate any support you can provide, whether it is financial, potential student referrals, or support of the various events/programs including Alumni Weekend.

Speaking of Alumni Weekend…

Alumni and guests from 29 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, were on campus, Aug. 6-8, representing the classes of 1961 to 2023, for the first-ever August Alumni Weekend after COVID-19 put a pause on campus events over the past 18 months. 

Our 25th (26th because of COVID) Reunion group was very small. If we had been able to have the actual 25th and no COVID, it would have been well-attended. Five attended the dinner – VINCE ’95 and AMY DEKEYSER PADILLA ’95, MICHELLE BUSS ’95, MICHELLE SIRINEK ’95, and LEANNE MEIDAM WINCENTSEN ’95. (Names are in order from right to left as shown in the following photo from Alumni Weekend.)

Save the date for Alumni Weekend 2022, which will go back to our traditional end of June date: June 23-26, 2022. All class years ending in the numbers two or seven will be celebrating their Class Reunion this next summer at Alumni Weekend!

If you are interested in what new students are like coming in as Freshmen, here is an article published by the College featuring the profile of the new class of students on campus: https://ripon.edu/2021/08/31/the-face-of-the-class-of-2025-our-new-first-years/. 

Fiscal Year Review:

A record-breaking 2,087 donors from all around the world supported Ripon’s fourth annual giving day on April 28, known as #OneDayRally, reminding us all that regardless of the circumstances, Red Hawks come together. Thank you to the over 3,600 donors who supported the College this past fiscal year through the Ripon Fund and other initiatives.

Campus Upgrades:

The McCullough Family Lounge in Farr Hall of Science — a favorite location of students for studying and collaborative work — recently received an extreme makeover with the intent of making the space more contemporary and technologically friendly. The renovations were made possible by a lead gift from Trustee PHILIP MCCULLOUGH ’69/P’04, and his wife, Pat. Also, a new Data Visualization Lab was installed in Todd Wehr Hall, which will be a great asset for the math and computer science departments. 

Endowment: 

Ripon’s endowment recently hit an all-time high and as of Thursday, August 19, 2021, it was at $112 million.

Start of the Academic Year:

Classes started on Monday, August 30 and the academic year is in full swing with in-person classes. The College is continuing to follow CDC and Fond du Lac County Health Department guidelines regarding COVID-19 safety protocols. For more information on the College’s COVID-19 response and current procedures, you can visit ripon.edu/coronavirus-information

Read the Ripon Magazine Online:

ripon.edu/about-ripon/publications

Following Ripon College on Social Media: 

Ripon College Center for Politics and the People: www.facebook.com/RiponCollegeCPP 

Ripon College Center for Diversity and Inclusion: www.facebook.com/ripondiversity 

Class Notes:

CHAD LUECK ’95: BRITTANY EDWARDS LUECK ’94 and I became grandparents for the first time in October of 2019 (Isla Grace Lueck) and will have a second grandchild in October of this year. My oldest son, Elliott, is the father and he has graduated from college, gotten married and is in the real world working for Fidelity Investments in Denver, Colorado. My daughter, Lydia, started her freshman year at Lawrence University this month, and she will play basketball for them. My youngest son, Grayson, is a junior and plays varsity soccer at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois. He is thinking about where he wants to continue his education — big year for him. I work for Lundbeck Pharmaceuticals and have been employed there as Senior Director – Sales Training, Development and Meetings for the past five years. My wife, Britt, teaches kindergarten in Lincolnshire, Illinois. We live in Long Grove, Illinois — on a wooded four acres — very peaceful. We have two dogs, four chickens, and two barn cats.

VINCE ’95 and AMY DEKEYSER PADILLA ’95 write, “We continue to travel full-time in our RV. We sold our house in late 2019 and hit the road. People can follow our adventures if they’re on Facebook. Our page is titled ‘We Could Be Lost.’”

ROBERT NEUMAN ’95 of Oak Park, Illinois, writes, “Celebrating 25 years teaching for Chicago Public Schools.”

ANGELIQUE GIANAS FONG ’95 of Mission Viejo, California, was named the 21st Duck by the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks for her extensive community work and inspiring example. Learn more about her story here: https://www.nhl.com/ducks/video/21st-duck-angelique-fongs-season/t-277443296/c-8865788

Please send me your updates to include in future Class Letters at any time.

I am honored to serve as your new Class Agent and wish everyone the best in 2021 and 2022. See you soon!

Sincerely,

TOM LUFT ’95

Submitted by: Class Agent: Tom Luft

1988 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Co-Class Agents:

DAVID JONAS ’88

(202) 251-9640 / [email protected]

KATHY WADE ’88

(248) 470-4336 / [email protected]

Dear Classmates,

I (DAVID JONAS ’88) know it has been a while since I have actually written. As many of you may have noticed on social media, I have been spending a lot of time commuting between Baltimore and Chicago. As we get older, apparently so do our parents. Age, health, and mind all seem to be affected and, unfortunately, it’s not just one parent but both. Both of my parents are now over 87. Dad at 90 is the caregiver for my mother who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s during COVID. Dad’s health has started to decline with the stress of caregiving. So, if one parent is not in the hospital the other one might be. 

On a brighter note, I have spent a lot of time with my parents, cleaned out their condo, and seen a lot of my friends. I also was able to slip in a visit with MINDY YOUNG ’91 on one of my last trips to Chicago.

My job has been remote since March of 2020. We will probably go back to some version of the office by October or November once we have an office to go back to. I hope that everyone is staying safe as we navigate a new normal.

CLASS NOTES

SEAN DUGAN ’87 of East Leroy, Michigan writes: “At the end of August, I participated in the regional tournament for axe throwing in Indianapolis. I’m not sure I’m really in the class, (87? or 88?) but maybe it’s news that I’m pretty sure I’m the oldest guy in the regional tournament. I’ve won the local seasonal leagues six times in the last few years. Hoping to go deeper in the region this year. Maybe I’m the top axe thrower of Ripon alumni? I accept all challengers!”

STEVE FORDHAM ’88 of Waukesha, Wisconsin, writes: “My eldest daughter is finishing up her senior year in college and my youngest son is a Marine stationed out in Bangor, Washington. I am working from home full time as a product owner/project manager for an Internet-based company that works primarily with property insurance carriers. I spend a lot of my free time scuba diving so obviously I’m still a total chick magnet.”

JAMIE HAWLEY ’88/P’19 of Halifax, Massachusetts, writes: “KRISTEN DIEMER HAWLEY ’88/P’19 and I spent the month of July at our cottage in Minocqua, Wisconsin. After 2020, it was great to finally see family again. After our time together at the cottage, we drove back to Massachusetts, and I embarked on a solo six-week fishing road trip mainly based around fly fishing. I hit the road with the goal of not spending a single night in a hotel room or paying for a campsite. I spent my nights camping for free on BLM land, national forest land, or with family and friends. 

“I set up my truck for remote camping with a rooftop tent, water filtration, camp kitchen, a battery system that could power my fridge for days, and bear spray! I knew many of the areas that I wanted to fish/camp in would have me find myself off-grid for an extended time, so I subscribed to Gaia GPS which allowed me to download maps and travel off-grid for days at a time. I also used a Garmin InReach satellite communicator to stay in touch with my family. 

“In Wisconsin, I fished the Prairie, Willow, Rush, and Kinnickinnic. In Wyoming, I fished Prune Creek, the South Tongue, and North Platte (Miracle Mile). In Colorado, I fished the South Platte, Cache la Poudre, and North Platte. I caught (and lost) many beautiful brown, brook, and rainbow trout (all released). 

I worked my way out to Monroe, Oregon where I visited my mom! After the fly-fishing part of my trip was done, I headed back to Minocqua and met up with fellow Ripon alum KRAIG FRIEDMAN ’90. We got our mandatory COVID tests, hooked up the boat, and headed to Ontario, Canada for a week of fishing for walleye, smallmouth bass, and northern pike on Eagle Lake. After KRAIG and I returned to the USA, we met up with Ripon alum KATHY WADE ’88 for some local Minocqua beers and dinner! It was a heck of a trip, and I learned a ton for the next one.”

KRISTEN KNOLL-CARLSON HOLLES ’88 of Laramie, Wyoming, writes: “I just started a new job as an Academic Advisor for the University of Wyoming College of Nursing. It’s a nice, new challenge for our new lives as empty nesters as our youngest started college this year. Both girls are back in the Midwest.”

CHUCK NAILEN ’88 of Alexandria, Virginia, writes: “I will be starting a new job soon, pending a background check, at the DEA Academy at Quantico.”

KATHY WADE ’88 of Glendale, Wisconsin, writes: “I celebrated my 25th anniversary with Kelly Services in January of 2021! GREG MILLER ’88 and I have met for dinner a few times in the last year. In July, I met MATT KITTELL ’88, his wife Cathy, and their three daughters in Raleigh, North Carolina. We drove to Lake Lure, North Carolina, for a weeklong vacation with JIM DONNELLY ’88, his wife Jane, and their son. We had a great time! I left the more adventurous stuff like zip-lining and climbing 499 stairs to the top of Chimney Rock to the rest of the group. (I took the elevator and climbed the final 44 stairs!) In September, I had a family event in the Minocqua area. While in Minocqua, I hung out with JAMIE HAWLEY ’88/P’19 and KRAIG FRIEDMAN ’90. On my way home, I met AMY SCHWAAB ’88 for lunch. At the Ripon event at the Brewers vs. Cubs game, I had a great conversation with RANDY ROEPER ’88/P’24. He is working at the College as the Associate Vice President for Development and Operations. where his son is a sophomore.  

CAMPUS NEWS

I wanted to share an article that was just published by the College featuring the profile of our new class of students on campus: ripon.edu/2021/08/31/the-face-of-the-class-of-2025-our-new-first-years/.

Alumni Weekend:

Alumni and guests from 29 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, were on campus, Aug. 6-8, representing the classes of 1961 to 2023, for the first-ever August Alumni Weekend after COVID-19 put a pause on campus events over the past 18 months. Save the date for Alumni Weekend 2022, which will go back to our traditional end of June date: June 23-26, 2022.

Don’t forget our next Class Reunion will be at Alumni Weekend 2023 (June 22-25)!

This past fiscal year:

A record-breaking 2,087 donors from all around the world supported Ripon’s fourth annual giving day on April 28, known as #OneDayRally, reminding us all that regardless of the circumstances, Red Hawks come together. 

Thank you to the over 3,600 donors who supported the College this past fiscal year through the Ripon Fund and other initiatives.

Campus upgrades:

The McCullough Family Lounge in Farr Hall of Science – a favorite location of students for studying and collaborative work – recently received an extreme makeover with the intent of making the space more contemporary and technologically friendly. The renovations were made possible by a lead gift from Trustee PHILIP MCCULLOUGH ’69/P’04, and his wife, Pat P’04.

Also, a new Data Visualization Lab was installed in Todd Wehr Hall, which will be a great asset for the math and computer science departments. 

An update on Ripon’s Endowment: 

The College’s endowment recently hit an all-time high and as of August 19, 2021, it was at $112 million.

Start of the 2021 Academic Year:

Classes started on Monday, August 30 and the academic year is in full swing with in-person classes. The College is continuing to follow CDC and Fond du Lac County Health Department guidelines regarding COVID safety protocols

Here is a link to the news stories published by the College: ripon.edu/news/ 

If you did not receive that latest copy of the Ripon Magazine, which includes features of alumni and faculty we have included the link: ripon.edu/about-ripon/publications/

We wanted to share two Facebook pages you may be interested in regarding topics that are going on at Ripon:

Ripon College Center for Politics and the People: www.facebook.com/RiponCollegeCPP 

Ripon College Center for Diversity and Inclusion: www.facebook.com/ripondiversity 

As always, KATHY and I hope that you will continue to support Ripon by donating to the Ripon Fund. We love hearing from you whether on social media, email, or phone calls so feel free to reach out to us anytime.

David

Kathy

Submitted by: Class Agents: Kathy Wade & David Jonas

1982 Fall 2021 Class Letter

Select the link above to view the Class of 1982 Fall 2021 Class Letter.

Co-Class Agents:

PETER HINTZ ’82/P’10 

(920) 229-4399 / [email protected] 

KRISTEN RASMUSSEN OLSON ’82 /P’20 

(507) 279-1091 / [email protected]

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

1979 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Class Agent: 

KEVIN L. WARMACK ’79

(773) 220-5360 / [email protected] / [email protected]

Greetings All,

Just like in our college days when I had a paper due, I’m sweating out working up this Class Letter. It didn’t help that I was under the weather the last couple of weeks, but I’ll muddle through. By now, Ripon has resumed classes and the football team won convincingly using a new offense and new defense! But you didn’t come here to hear that talk- you want to know what’s going on with your classmates, so here it goes!! 

Class of 1979 News and Notes

Class of ’79 Zoom Call – On Wednesday, August 6th, we had a mini-class reunion of sorts through Zoom. Appearances were made by TERRI HOMMERDING ’79 of Crystal, Minnesota, PAM DURKIN CEMEL ’79 of Naperville, Illinois, MIKE ’79 and GAIL GOODRICH ’79 TRACY of Overland Park, Kansas, TOM OAKLEY ’79/P’08/P’25 of Stoughton, Wisconsin, MATTHEW BLAIR ’79 of Lexington, Kentucky (So glad to see and talk to him!), PAUL TESSENE ’79 of Urbana, Illinois, and of course, BOB SCHMITT ’79 of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. To put it simply, damn good time was had by all!! We will do it again in the near future and those that missed out, better be there!!

LAURIE SANDERS ’79 of Oakland, California, writes, “I survived the Caldor (California) fire!! I got married in February, I’m semi-retired and loving every moment!”

ROYCE DUNBAR ’79 of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, writes, “My wife, Brenda, and I both retired in May. Brenda had over 40 years in a career as an RN. I retired after 18 years at Wells Fargo as an Operating Systems Engineer. We’re planning on lots of travel. I’ll continue to do my outdoors thing – backpacking, fly fishing, hunting. I also plan on composing more music.”

BETH PALMBACH NEMECEK ’79 of Neenah, Wisconsin: Keep Beth lifted up. She still needs a kidney. But in spite of all that, her spirit is still strong!!

JEFFREY GRIFO ’79 of Little Falls, New Jersey, died May 15, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in economics. He worked in New York City’s garment district before a long career as a caddie master for Maplewood Country Club and Crestmont Country Club in West Orange. He enjoyed golfing, traveling, cooking, and jazz and blues music. Survivors include his wife, Laura; and one daughter.

STEVE RASHID ’79 of Evanston, Illinois, and his family were featured in a review/article published March 10 in the Chicago Tribune. Steve, who is a composer, producer, recording engineer and performer, is also the co-founder and artistic director of Studio 5, which is a performing arts center in Evanston, Illinois. Below is a picture from the show titled “Into the Mist.”

Béa and STEVE RASHID ’79 (from left), their son Daniel (on screen) and son Robert sit around the piano at Studio 5 in Evanston on March 9. They are all involved in a livestreaming show titled “Into the Mist” that takes people back to 1927 to visit gamblers, drinkers, flappers, musicians, and other interesting types. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

NEWS AND NOTES FROM RIPON COLLEGE

Alumni Weekend:

Alumni and guests from 29 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, were on campus, Aug. 6-8, representing the classes of 1961 to 2023, for the first-ever August Alumni Weekend after COVID-19 put a pause on campus events over the past 18 months. Save the date for Alumni Weekend 2022, which will go back to our traditional end of June date: June 23-26, 2022.

Past Fiscal Year Update:

A record-breaking 2,087 donors from all around the world supported Ripon’s fourth annual giving day on April 28, known as #OneDayRally, reminding us all that regardless of the circumstances, Red Hawks come together. 

Thank you to the over 3,600 donors, including many of you from our class, who supported the College this past fiscal year through the Ripon Fund and other initiatives.

Campus Upgrades:

The McCullough Family Lounge in Farr Hall of Science — a favorite location of students for studying and collaborative work — recently received an extreme makeover with the intent of making the space more contemporary and technologically friendly. The renovations were made possible by a lead gift from Trustee PHILIP MCCULLOUGH ’69/P’04, and his wife, Pat.

Also, a new Data Visualization Lab was installed in Todd Wehr Hall, which will be a great asset for the math and computer science departments. 

Endowment: 

Ripon’s endowment recently hit an all-time high and as of Thursday, August 19, 2021, it was at $112 million.

Start of the Academic Year:

Classes started on Monday, August 30 and the academic year is in full swing with in-person classes. The College is continuing to follow CDC and Fond du Lac County Health Department guidelines regarding COVID-19 safety protocols.

Closing:

Pray for the College and the students as they return for the start of class. These kids are facing things that we could never have imagined in our years at Ripon.

As always, it is a pleasure to write to y’all. 

Also, when you got news, don’t hold on! Drop me a note so I can make your Class Letter the best!!!

Love Always, 

KEVIN L. WARMACK ’79

Submitted by: Class Agent: Kevin Warmack

1978 Fall 2021 Class Letter

Select the link above to view the Class of 1978 Fall 2021 Class Letter.

Class Agent:

GREGG PETERSEN ’78

(410) 884-0407 / [email protected]

Submitted by: Class Agent: Gregg Petersen

1975 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Class Agent: 

JONDI GUMZ ’75

H: (831) 461-1120 / M: (831) 461-5946 / [email protected]

Dear classmates,

This year, I have focused on my health with a new doctor, Leigh Erin Connealy, in Irvine, California. She’s seen 40,000 patients and has written a book about what works. After a healing crisis in June — two meds prescribed at the same time were too much for my body — I’m back to 95%, thanks to my Earthing.com mat, and working on the other 5%, reading an intriguing book by Dr. Robert Nagourney in Long Beach, California. At the end of August, my husband and I got away to Bodega Bay to camp with our son and daughter-in-law and their kids, ages five and four, first camping trip for the kids, and they loved pancakes cooked over a campfire and digging in the sandy beach.

My sister SHERYL ALBERS ANDERS ’76 of Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, called me to say she’s participating in a Sauk County Historical Society program on Storybook Gardens in Wisconsin Dells — she was the Good Fairy and I was Little Bo Peep & Little Red Riding Hood way back when.

As for the Ripon College Alumni Weekend, the weather was stormy all three days in August, and turnout was skimpy. I was lucky to be able to connect with LOUISE RENIER BOOTHBY ’75, her husband GEORGE BOOTHBY ’74 and SUSIE SAPPINGTON ’75 on a Zoom call set up by the College before the event.

Let’s hear from RICK ESTBERG ’75, our Ripon Jeopardy guru, who hosted the game for Alumni Weekend:

“This year, for the first time I can recall, the big weekend was something of a washout, literally as well as figuratively. I can’t remember any other reunion where we had issues with rain, but this year we got more than our fair share. I saw the sun a bit on Friday afternoon, and that was it. All planned outdoor events ended up getting moved indoors, one after another as the College waited for weather updates. Turnout was, in a word, poor…”

“For me personally, there were only a couple of highlights. President Zach Messitte and his senior staff did a great job bringing attendees up to speed on recent college events, most especially changes forced by the pandemic. They fielded all questions thoroughly and honestly.” 

“And then there was Jeopardy! The good news was that, for the first time, I was able to go digital with a very realistic game board projected on a large screen. It was also a great venue: the Heritage Room upstairs in the Commons was very classy and could accommodate up to about 60. Sadly, with only 20 minutes to go before start time, we were all still unsure whether there would be a game at all. But we ended up gathering some folks from various classes and I think the total number of players was 18, spread over five tables. It was a great game and went down to Final Jeopardy to determine the winning table. The alumni office really helped out a lot — a big thanks to all of them. Bottom line: it was something of a ghost town on campus and that was sad, since we so infrequently get to see each other. Let’s hope that circumstances are very much different four years from now so we can do it up big for our 50th!”

Next, let’s hear from classmates who braved the weather and all to attend the Ripon Reunion:

SUZANNE MONROE POULOS ’75 of Evanston, Illinois, reports: “Yes, it was a wet weekend but engaging indoors. RICK ESTBERG ’75, LITA KATZ ’75, and I were the only ones from our class. We “had” to allow other alums to participate in Jeopardy for a decent audience, and our table won handily even though RICK was emcee! MICHAEL POULOS ’77 and I also hung out with Beta Sigma Pi (BSP) at their events with founding brothers and 50th Reunion classes of ’70/’71 (see picture). BSP has been holding monthly Zoom meetings for over a year now. With music on hiatus until next year, I have been spending time on genealogy. I have traced all lines back to the 1700s with some a millennia more. It turns out I come from a long line of Plantagenets — some who lost their heads in the Tower of London —and back to Alfred the Great, Rollo the Viking, and beyond. Six years ago, we bought a commemorative book on the anniversary of Magna Carta and contributed to the publication. Little did I know then that I am a descendant of King John and the lead baron, Robert Fitzwalter, of Runnymede fame. I recently learned the current Game of Thrones is based on the Wars of the Roses between the York and Lancaster families of which I had ancestors on both sides and some who changed sides. This was all so confusing when studying this long ago but now is beginning to make sense (relatively speaking). The real mystery though is determining the wife of Edward the Exile (1016-1057), who was brought up by King Stephen of Hungary. Her name is Agatha. Some attribute her as King Stephen’s daughter. Others suggest she was the daughter of the Grand Prince of Kiev Yaroslav the Wise. I have a personal reason to support the latter theory. When in Hungary several years ago we visited the monastery at Tihany where Stephen’s nephew, King Andrew, is buried. For some unknown reason, a modern statue of Andrew and Anastasia, his queen, captivated me. Now I know that’s because she is Agatha’s sister! In any event their daughter, later St. Margaret, became the wife of King Malcolm of Scotland, who you may recall killed that guy Macbeth because he murdered Malcolm’s father King Duncan. When I was 16, I became interested in my Scottish ancestry, and hand-wrote several lines back to the 1600s. Now I found a line that appears to go directly to Rob Roy McGregor, something my grandfather alluded to. I’m still trying to confirm this, though. To be able to go so far back in history has been humbling and informative, and lots of fun learning.”

LITA WEISLOW KATZ ’75, another Reunion attendee, emails from Silver Spring, Maryland: “RICK ESTBERG ’75 did such a great job of talking about his book at the Reunion that Amazon put it on back order! I also ordered one of WARREN BLUHM’S ’75 books at the same time, and it was shipped immediately. At least the rain held off for the 1.5 hour Ceresco Prairie tour. My husband, Bert, and I are in the picture in the newsletter that Ripon sent out. On a personal family note — now that we have to fit a high chair into our sukkah, we bought a bigger one for the upcoming Jewish holiday of Sukkot.”

KATHY KURKE ’75 emails from Ormond Beach, Florida: “I would have loved to have reconnected with all those who made it (to the Reunion). We spent the last year as caregivers for Rich’s brother, who had Stage IV pancreatic cancer. He came up to stay with us as he navigated 13 rounds of chemo, a rest, and then six weeks of daily radiation. Then recuperation for six weeks before he headed to Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville where there is a marvelous surgeon who specializes in inoperable pancreatic cancer. After nine hours of surgery, the surgery was proclaimed to be a success. After several weeks of staying with us, he is back in his own home and getting stronger every day. Meanwhile, I put off back surgery while we cared for him. But now that I am free to undergo the surgery, COVID is so bad in our area that all non-emergency surgeries are cancelled. Florida is full of people who felt the vaccine was dangerous and then learned that not having the vaccine was worse. My aunt was one of those. She died last week. I know other people who have lost their lives or have been very, very ill. Please get your vaccines and wear masks in public! On a much lighter note, I have become one of six ‘resident artists’ at the Conklin Center for the Visually Impaired. We will be having quarterly shows for the visually impaired. Each piece of art will be designed with the visually impaired in mind and can be “viewed” by touching. We will also hang some of our more traditional works in the facility. I had an ‘artist’s block’ during much of COVID, but this has created a purpose and triggered my creativity again. I am also painting again in my own studio and will go back to entering shows and selling my work once COVID dies down a bit more. I would love to hear from some of my old Ripon friends. My old email address is not working well, so please update my contact address to: [email protected]” 

LINDA MOGICATO SASSER ’75 of Peoria, Arizona, also has a new email: [email protected] so update your contact list. She also uses [email protected].

SUSAN SCHREYER STANDER ’75 of Paradise Valley, Arizona, emails: “Things in Arizona have been quite eventful. My daughter, Kelsey, was married at home on April 24. We held the entire non-super-spreader event outdoors, and we were able to COVID-test the twelve people who were not fully vaccinated (they were all negative) and no one became ill afterward. It was a glorious day and I am still basking in the afterglow! I have become involved with a fabulous project currently on exhibit at the Phoenix Art Museum, called The Violet Protest (www.violetprotest.com). It’s a nationwide public engagement project that utilizes 8″x8″ textile squares composed of equal parts red and blue fibers to protest political divisiveness and encourage bipartisanship. To date, 2,300 makers from every state in the nation have contributed almost 14,000 squares. We have been visited by members of the U.S. Congress, and hopefully on Sept. 1, by Senator Kirsten Sinema. National Public Radio did a three-minute segment on ‘All Things Considered,’ and PBS is interested in doing a documentary. The goal of the project is to collate and package these squares and deliver a bundle of approximately 25 squares to every member of the 117th Congress. Ann Morton, the artist behind the project, and I will be heading to Washington D.C. in December, where we will hand-deliver the packages to the Arizona Congressional delegation, the Problem Solvers Caucus in the House, and the Group of Twenty in the Senate. The remaining packages will be mailed to members of Congress. We are still raising funds to cover our packaging and mailing costs, so if any of our classmates would like to help, please go to the Violet Protest website and click on the donate tab. Anyone who wants to contribute a square is also encouraged. That’s all my news. Stay well.”

SUSIE SAPPINGTON ’75 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, writes: “It was soooo nice to see you on the Zoom call with LOUISE RENIER BOOTHBY ’75! You were gone before I could tell you or say goodbye to you. As they say, it felt just like yesterday! I hope by next year we are back to normal and can go to the Reunion. I hope your health holds up and thank you for talking about it with us!

PHIL BOLDA ’75 of Tempe, Arizona, emails: “I can tell you that my wife and I have just canceled a weekend trip to New Orleans — long-planned but ill-timed. I attempted to get onto the Zoom call for the Class of ’75 Reunion, but the link I had would not work. Perhaps I messed up the time? Hope that by the time of our 50th many of our current issues will have passed. I promise to be there and to help as I can to promote turnout.”

PEGGI SEELBACH MIZEN ’75 of Lakewood, Ohio, emails: “With COVID restrictions lifting a bit last spring my brother and I ventured out for a few days of skiing in Colorado and I, unfortunately, fell on the first day ripping my left ACL out — an injury our surgeon told us he normally sees in ten-year-olds! I had a very successful ACL replacement surgery the end of April and have pretty much returned all my previous levels of activity — I do plan on skiing next season! We welcomed a new grandson to our family April 20, Fletcher Michael Malpass. Our daughter and her husband live outside of D.C. and we plan on traveling there in September to babysit so they can go to a concert — we are trying to see them every month if we can. Our other daughter and son-in-law live within walking distance of our home here in Lakewood, Ohio — Kael is four-and-a-half attending an all-day pre-K program now and Paisley 18 months — we see the four of them quite often. We just returned from a small 12-day RV trip beginning in southwest Michigan traveling down through Indiana and coming home along the Ohio River — it was fabulous to see towboats pushing barges along the Ohio River. We may do another fall trip and are hoping to connect with Kevin and LINDA MOCHALSKI CARPENTER ’75 in Tennessee. My best to all of my classmates and maybe we can connect in Ripon next June!”

LEON PASCUCCI ’75 in Rancho Mirage, California, emails: “All is well with us in Rancho Mirage. Mike’s newly published short story in ‘Palm Springs Noir,’ an anthology, is being well-received, and I continue writing hotly contested letters to the editor of our local paper as a Democratic Party enthusiast (my college Libertarianism seems so yesterday!). Happily in touch with classmate SUSAN SCHREYER STANDER ’75 among a few.”

DIANA “DUSTI” AUSTRING ’75 emails from New Zealand: “Still retired (though also still working casually at our local library); still three granddaughters — now two, four and six years old — who are still in Perth, Western Australia; still doing some community volunteering and some work around the house and the yard; and I haven’t done any travelling this year and none is planned for the near future. After six months of COVID-free life here in Aotearoa (except for a few incoming cases in managed quarantine), we’ve been hit with Delta in the community a couple of weeks ago and gone straight into full lockdown (essential services only), and although it looks like we’re reaching a plateau, we’ll stay in lockdown here in the Auckland area for at least another two weeks. The rest of the country gets to step down to level three on Wednesday. Unfortunately, some of the first cases were young adults, so it spread through social groups, work, play, churches, nightclubbing, concerts, high school, and university classes in the few days before the first case was tested and lockdown started. The last few days we’ve only had small increases, so we’re hoping… My Chocolate Burmese, Bijou, still helps me stay sane with her antics and games! Hallelujah for crazy cats!”

DICK O’CONNOR ’75 emails from Olympia, Washington: “Cathy retired on 7/31, I retired from teaching when I graded my last finals in June, so we are now finally an official retired couple! We kicked it off with our son’s wedding on that same 7/31, followed by a couple of days taking out-of-town siblings (all from northern Illinois) to the Pacific Ocean and Mount Rainier, two experiences that are sadly lacking in the Midwest. We are now taking time to look at volunteer opportunities, projects around the house, grandkid-sitting (during the week, how fun!!), and travel plans. We’re camping at Mount Rainier the last week of August (right when my former colleagues will be conducting high school orientation!) and hope to line up a few more trips in September, when the weather is good, the crowds are gone, and we are finally free to go places. At this point, I can say that the ‘Six Saturdays and a Sunday’ routine is a joy, and we are learning to be careful we don’t end up busier than we were before. Thanks for keeping us all in touch. See you at the 50th?”

DALE HARING ’75 emails from Skokie, Illinois: “Renee and I are both retired, but one of my contacts asked if I could help them out with a little consulting. Turns out to be between 25 and 30 hours a week for the last 18 months but at least I can work from home and pretty much on my own schedule. This is a good thing as we are taking care of our 14-month-old granddaughter at least two days a week, which is probably the best part of being retired. On September 1, we leave for a few days in Seattle and then a week cruise to Alaska — which seems odd considering the current state of the Virus, but we have both been vaccinated and received our boosters and the cruise line tests everyone before boarding so they have never had a case on board. Here’s hoping their record holds. I was sorry to hear the Reunion was poorly attended, we thought about going, but again decided the risk of the Virus was too great considering the cruise, our granddaughter and Renee’s 93-year-old mother. I imagine many others that might have attended had similar concerns. But thank you for your continued efforts to keep us up on Ripon happenings. Hard to believe we graduated 46 years ago. Stay well.”

STEVE ANDERSON ’75 emails from Eden Prairie, Minnesota: “Nice to hear you and husband are grandparents. We have three and as you know, they are a blessing. I have spent many business dinners in Bodega Bay as a great place to dine while on business in Santa Rosa. My wife and I are missing our trips to Europe during the summer months due to COVID uneasiness. We will try to swing a long weekend in early December in Paris. Our adult kids are virus safe and taking time at our log cabin in Northwest Wisconsin. Life is good and time is more and more precious each day. Thanks for the work you have done on behalf of the ’75 class over all the years.”

JIM CURTIS ’75 reports: “Still living in Clinton, Connecticut. Retirement is still a few years away with my two kids in college. My son, Sam, is halfway through a nursing degree at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Services in Boston. My daughter, Alena, is a sophomore at the University of New Hampshire — and at this moment would like to be in law enforcement. We’ve survived and thrived in the world of COVID as all family members are healthy and active. While I’m very involved with my sporting goods sales agency (since 1994) —managing seven sales reps with a business partner — I’ve managed to stay competitive with my golf game, playing in state and regional tournaments as a senior and playing well and placing in the top ten in Connecticut. As a member of my golf club for 30 years, I also won our club championship in 2020—becoming the oldest to ever win it. And, I partnered with JOE BELANGER ’75 this summer to win our Member Guest tournament! Hope to get back to campus next summer!”

DAVE STOCKDALE ’75 has a new address: 2180 Lemon Ave., Englewood, FL 34233. The best way to connect with BRUCE GUILFOILE ‘75 in Japan is by email: [email protected].

Connect with LINDA MOGICATO SASSER ’75 at: [email protected]

Thanks for keeping us up to date.

I hope to see you all in person in the future. In the meantime, I’m asking for help to find these classmates for which I do not have a current address or email: PEYTON ANNESS, JENIFER LUTZ BATIOLA, RICHARD BOWEN, WENDY GELLERSTED BRAUN, SILVIA CAMPOS, LYNNE MARCUS CLARK, MARTHA CONNOLLY, KENNETH EBERT, VIVIAN GEORGE, JOHN GIBBONS, ROBERT GIBSON, RUTH KEAZIRIAN, JEFFREY SCOTT MUELLER, ROBERT MUNSON, BROMLEY PALAMOUNTAIN, ARNOLD PERLICK, BARBARA JONES REINECKE, CHRISTINE CLEM RUSSELL, GILBERT SANCHEZ, CURTIS TAYLOR, MICHAEL WATKINS, DEAN WILLIAMS, and JOSEPH ZAJAC. 

Some sad news to report:

JON FASANELLI-CAWELTI ‘75 of Muscatine, Iowa, died March 30, 2021. At Ripon College, he majored in history and art, played trumpet, and participated in track and cross country. He continued to play trumpet later in several bands and orchestras in the Muscatine area. He received his bachelor’s, master’s, and MFA degrees from the University of Iowa School of Art, and served as a teaching assistant in the print department. He was an artist and printmaker who exhibited national and internationally and specialized in the art of 15th-century intaglio printmaking. He had a passion for history, music, and printmaking. Survivors include his wife, Diane Calzaretta; and two daughters. 

More news from Ripon College:

Alumni and guests from 29 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, were on campus Aug. 6-8, representing the classes of 1961 to 2023, for the first-ever August Alumni Weekend after COVID-19 put a pause on campus events over the past 18 months. Save the date for Alumni Weekend 2022, which will go back to the traditional end of June: June 23-26, 2022. All class years ending in the numbers two or seven will be celebrating their Class Reunion at Alumni Weekend 2022!

Past fiscal year update:

A record-breaking 2,087 donors from all around the world supported Ripon’s fourth annual giving day on April 28, known as #OneDayRally, reminding us all that regardless of the circumstances, Red Hawks come together. Thank you to the more than 3,600 donors who supported the College this past fiscal year through the Ripon Fund and other initiatives.

Campus upgrades:

The McCullough Family Lounge in Farr Hall of Science — a favorite location of students for studying and collaborative work — received an extreme makeover with the intent of making the space more contemporary and technologically friendly. The renovations were made possible by a lead gift from Trustee PHILIP MCCULLOUGH ’69/P’04, and his wife, Pat. A new Data Visualization Lab was installed in Todd Wehr Hall, a new asset for the math and computer science departments. 

Endowment: 

The Ripon College endowment recently hit an all-time high and as of Aug. 19, 2021, it was at $112 million.

Start of the academic year:

Classes started on August 30 with in-person classes. The College is of course following CDC and Fond du Lac County Health Department guidelines regarding COVID safety. To learn more about what Ripon College is taking to make sure students attending the fall semester are protected from the COVID-19 virus, see: ripon.edu/coronavirus-information/.

Here are some links to stay up to date with Ripon College:

News stories: ripon.edu/news/ 

The latest Ripon Magazine, which includes features on alumni and faculty: ripon.edu/about-ripon/publications/

Ripon College Center for Politics and the People: facebook.com/RiponCollegeCPP 

Ripon College Center for Diversity and Inclusion: facebook.com/ripondiversity

That’s all for now — hope to see you in person soon! Let’s stay in touch! 🙂

Your Class Agent,

JONDI GUMZ ’75 

Submitted by: Class Agent: Jondi Gumz

1973 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Class Agent:

JEAN KIRKPATRICK LEDERER ’73

(630) 987-9388 / [email protected]

Dear 1973 Ripon Classmates,

Happy 70th Birthday to all of you, who, like me, are turning or turned 70 this year! COVID’s ugly head certainly caused havoc last year and now this. So sad to hear of the many cases appearing now when it seemed we were doing so well. Florida seems particularly hard hit.

I am hoping things will come back under control so there can be a “normal” Alumni Weekend next June 23rd to the 26th. GARY LEDERER ’72 and I hope to attend, as he is part of the class of 1972, and this will be their 50th Class Reunion. I hope we will be able to connect in person with lots of our friends, but especially with SUE MIJANOVICH KEY ’72, KAREN TESCHNER DORN ’72, LYNNE HORNE GASIOREK ’72, LINDA BRASSINGTON DANIELS ’72, and ELENITA JACKSON PARKER ’72 who I have been Zooming with each Sunday through COVID. It would be wonderful to see them in person after months of flat screen visits! GARY and AL GASIOREK ’73 put in cameo appearances in some of the calls which added to the fun.

Alumni Weekend 2021 was postponed until August 6-8 on campus, with some virtual events leading up to the event. The August schedule included both 2020 and 2021 Class Reunions, and options for campus tours, socials, activities, reminiscences and plenty of time to explore campus and connect with each other. Alumni and guests from 29 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, were on campus. Save the date for Alumni Weekend 2022, which will go back to our traditional end of June date: June 23-26, 2022. Some of the school’s finest scholars and student-athletes were honored with a Distinguished Alumni Citation, Outstanding Young Alumni Award or induction into the Athletic Hall of Fame. On August 8th, a commencement ceremony was held in the Great Hall of Harwood Memorial Union for the Class of 2020, which had not been able to have normal graduation in May 2020, due to COVID.

In-person classes started on Monday, August 30 and the academic year is in full swing. The College is following CDC guidelines in regard to COVID. Students began moving onto campus in late August. Seeing some pictures on Facebook of students, brought back memories of my first few days on campus. Hard to believe it was 50+ years ago. Some of those memories are so vivid. Who else remembers “Sweet Caroline” blasting from the Union as we were out on Tri-dorms lawn?

I want to thank all of you who participated in the #OneDayRally for Ripon and for each of you that has contributed to the Annual Fund. Ripon College relies on our continued support, and I want each of you to know how much your gifts are appreciated. Thank you!!! The Ripon College endowment fund is now at $112 million. Let’s keep it growing! Please continue to support Ripon College in the future. 

Updates from the campus include: The McCullough Family Lounge in Farr Hall of Science – a favorite location of students for studying and collaborative work – recently received an extreme makeover with the intent of making the space more contemporary and technologically friendly. The renovations were made possible by a lead gift from Trustee PHILIP MCCULLOUGH ’69/P’04, and his wife, Pat. Also, a new Data Visualization Lab was installed in Todd Wehr Hall, which will be a great asset for the math and computer science departments.

I was pleased to hear from the following classmates:

MARTY MORRIS ’73 of Portland, Oregon, writes, “Under current conditions, I think my spouse, feline, and I made the most of the summer. We scheduled six camping trips throughout the high deserts of Central Oregon. This involved dodging wildfires, smoke, and COVID-19. Of course, it was one hot summer, too. For those that want to ask if Portland is as bad as it looks on the news, yes, probably worse. We let matters get out of hand, but our leaders are waking up to reality and I am confident PDX will be back to its fun, weird, and glorious self. Take care of yourselves out there!”

STEVE ILLICH ’73 of Georgetown, Texas, writes, “Please put out a plea for photos to go into the slideshow for our 50th Class Reunion. I am particularly interested in two things: first, photos of classmates who dated one another while in College and subsequently married. I’d like to have the “then” images. The other photos I’d like are those showing what classmates do for fun or in their free time. Those can include photos of classmates taking part in various activities or pictures of arts, crafts, and even photos taken by classmates.”

Digital images can be sent as email attachments to [email protected]. Hard copy images should be mailed to my NEW address: 116 Stephen Ln., Georgetown, TX 78626.

JOE SANDRIN ’73 of Bayside, Wisconsin, writes, “I have many things to share. After working full-time in Saudi Arabia since 2009, I returned to the U.S. on April 23. I will remain engaged in the project until at least the end of 2021, then phase into something resembling retirement.

“On a more challenging note, in August 2019 I was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis, a neuromuscular autoimmune disease, and was undergoing treatment. Shortly after my return to the U.S. as we were trying to move around the various medications, I had a severe flare-up which put me in the ICU on a ventilator and a feeding tube for several days in early August. I have been informed I was a surly, confrontational, and a pain of a patient for the first couple of days. With the truly exceptional care provided by the Froedtert Medical Center here in Milwaukee, I mellowed out and recognized all they had done for me and that I would not be here now without their care.

“Home now, working with a new neuro-muscular specialist and a bunch of others to rebuild my strength and find the right treatment regimen. The initial recovery is going well and we will see where the coming appointments take us. Otherwise, I’ve been focusing on time with Janice as we near Anniversary 49 on December 23, our adult children and five grandchildren including Tristin, age 18, twins Gwen and Cheyne, age 17, along with Lorelei, age three, and her new brother, Joseph Brian, born 28 May 2021.  At least I am home with all of them now. Our youngest daughter’s wedding is set for October 2 and I will ensure I am able to walk her down the aisle and dance with her on her special day.

“We have added a RoadTrek Agile SS Class B motorhome for future explorations and relaxation time. We are trying local day trips and short excursions now with the intent for longer trips starting in 2022. It has been a year of massive changes in our lives, but Janice and I and the rest of the family are still hanging in there and looking forward to the future.”

MIKE MIZEN JR. ’73 of Lakewood, Ohio, writes, “We scrambled in February to fetch a COVID vaccination (Moderna for us) so by the end of March we were in that “fully vaccinated” category. This was important since we were expecting a third grandchild by our younger daughter, Jennifer, and her husband, Joe, in mid-April.

“Unfortunately, when PEGGI SEELBACH MIZEN ’75 and her brother were skiing in March and she did a number on her left ACL. She had a successful ACL replacement at the end of April with therapy to follow. We got to see Fletcher Michael Malpass in early June. Therapy is now almost done with plans on skiing in February 2022.

“We will do two smaller RV adventures this year. The first just completed had us seeing friends and family in Michigan and Indiana with a brief but pleasant drive along the Ohio River Scenic Byway from Carrollton, Kentucky to Marietta, Ohio. The second trip will be to Richmond, Virginia, for a wedding. We are planning on taking a meandering direction with scenery and seeing some long-time friends along the way in both directions. Seeing the fall colors in Virginia, Pennsylvania, etc. is one objective.

“We remain flexible on the COVID issues but hope to connect in California with PETE ’73 and CAROL PARKHURST TULLIO ’73, ROB ’72 and JANET BEAN GADDIS ’71, and Gail and GARY SHARPE ’73 in November. Spending June 2022 in Ripon is a thought. PEGGI’s 45th was delayed a year, and 2023 for me is a desire. Whether we bring the RV is still a thought. I saw a fifth wheel parked by the athletic center in early August… just saying… this year!!!!”

JOANN SELLECK ’73 of San Diego, California, writes, “I attended a JANE SCHORE ’73 party in Los Angeles in August at one of her newly constructed real estate listings. Great time. (See our picture below.) We are both crazy enough to keep working instead of retiring! The not-so-spring-chickens (yikes, we both celebrated a decade change) JANE SCHORE ’73 and JOANN SELLECK ’73 who get together every couple of months.” 

DAVID GROSSMAN ’73 of Centerville, Massachusetts, writes, “My eldest son Daniel Lee (32) got engaged to Jazmyne Pollard (26) in July of this year. Daniel proposed to her at the Nubble Lighthouse in York, Maine. The couple presently resides in San Leandro, California. Daniel is a distribution manager for Budweiser and Jazzy is an elementary school teacher. The wedding of Daniel Lee Grossman and Jazmyne Pollard is planned for October 22, 2022.”

KATHY GRAUNKE ’73 of Seattle, Washington, writes, “Monty and I are fine here in Seattle. We had a nice visit from JOHN ’73 and JANE RUNKEL FREDERICK ’74 this summer- great to hear Wisconsin and some Ripon news. My twin sister, Kris, and I celebrated our 70th birthday here in Seattle with other family members present. It was so great to have them here.

“Monty and I, along with friends from our hiking group will travel to the Wallowa Mountains area of northeastern Oregon for four days after Labor Day. So far, the air quality there is pretty good. Greetings from the great Northwest to all my classmates! I look forward to hearing your news.”

KATHARINE PARISH MILLER ’73 of Richland, Michigan, writes, “All of my family is healthy. Both of my children now have three children – I am very, very blessed! I am currently building a Passive House Net-Zero. A Passive House is all electric using mini-split, CERV (circulation, energy, recovery ventilation), and it is a very tight (14” wall insulation, 24” ceiling) and therefore so is the ventilation. The house uses about 85% LESS energy than my regular house. It is Net Zero because I have solar panels and could be off the grid. There is also a bank of batteries if the power goes out for a while. Very exciting. 

“My passion to be an advocate for the environment is still very strong. I’m trying to encourage people to not idle when they stop to shop, get coffee, or mail a package. It is a no-brainer. Here, so many cars idle with nobody inside while the owners’ shop, get coffee…chat, etc. I have been working with various groups to stop Enbridge from compromising the Great Lakes! I hope everyone is doing well despite the pandemic!”

MICHAEL ZIEGENHAGEN ’73 of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, writes, “48 years since Ripon. 43 years of marriage to my wife, Darlene. Three daughters. Four grandchildren. Two businesses, but now happily retired. 26 years in our home in Moreland Hills, Ohio. I have been actively pursuing the interests I never had enough time for – golf, gardening, grandchildren, and bridge. There is so much to look forward to and I hope to see many classmates in 2023.”

CHRISTINE WOLK ’73 of Green Lake, Wisconsin, writes, “At my advanced age (70 on 8/28) I just joined a new law firm ‘of counsel,’ Krekeler Strother. My focus will still be bankruptcy and consumer law just in case your families could need me. I am also venturing soon (9/4/2021) on a river cruise in France – vaccinated and masked – with my sister, pandemic pending, of course. Je vais a’ Paris! I need an adventure!”

BILL MacLEOD ’73 of Washington, D.C., writes, “If you’re looking for silly stuff, here’s a shot of BOB KIRKLAND ’81, ANDY MacLEOD ’76, Dan Ault (in long black pants, a friend of Trustee MIKE MILBURN ’97’s), and me a couple of days ago. We were golfing in the ALS benefit tournament Wednesday at Cog Hill in Lisle, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. MIKE is one of the leaders and team captains. This is the biggest event for ALS in the country. We had a blast and helped a cause. SHAWN KARSTEN ’09 showed up with Ripon ringers – young alums from the athletic teams.” 

JEAN KIRKPATRICK LEDERER ’73 of Estero, Florida, writes, “GARY LEDERER ’72 and I just completed a western adventure driving through parts of smoky Northern California, Oregon, and Idaho, and then a week at a dude ranch with family in Montana (highly recommended family vacation). We then headed down through Utah and stayed with friends in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Home for a few days now before we head out to help our son and his family move into a new home in Sacramento.

I would love to hear from all classmates either by email: [email protected] or snail mail to my home address: 22001 Sycamore Grove, Bonita Springs, Florida 34135. If you would like to share your email address with me and the rest of our class, I am planning on including a list of email addresses for those who want them shared in our next Class Letter.

Stay well, 

JEAN KIRKPATRICK LEDERER ’73

Submitted by: Class Agent: Jean Kirkpatrick Lederer

Greetings, Class of 1998!

Big thanks to those of you who replied to my latest call for updates – especially those of you who didn’t have updates, but just wanted to reach out. I appreciate you all and wish you well!

Classes at Ripon officially started on January 25 with a mix of in-person, online, and hybrid (part online and part in-person) formats. Those who are interested in following the plans and procedures this semester, as well as tracking the College’s COVID-19 positivity rate, can visit www.ripon.edu/coronavirus-information.

About Alumni Weekend – I don’t usually go in non-reunion years, but I may make an exception this summer, safety permitting. Because of the cancelation of last year’s festivities, the 2020 reunion classes will celebrate along with the 2021 reunions. So there’s a good chance of running into friends who graduated in ’95, ’96, ’00, or ’01.

Alumni Weekend 2021 will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen with two distinct summer weekends of Ripon alumni programming for us. No matter how you’d like to connect, virtually or in person, the Office of Constituent Engagement is developing a variety of activities to continue to follow CDC, Fond du Lac County and College guidelines in both June and August. Full schedules, lodging, and programming details will be posted soon to www.ripon.edu/alumni-weekend.

JUNE 2021

• In honor of our June Alumni Weekend traditions, virtual alumni programming will be held Tuesday, June 22 through Saturday, June 26, and will include: an alumni town hall, R Connections webinars, affinity socials, a summer book club, and special recognition of the 2020 and 2021 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees, including for our very own ABIGAIL WILLIAMS BUDZYNSKI ’98, a 2020 Athletic Hall of Fame inductee.
• The only in-person event, the Doc Weiske ’50 Memorial Golf Scramble, will be held off-campus on Friday, June 25.

AUGUST 2021
A combination of virtual and in-person Alumni Weekend programming will be held the first week of August. We will continue to evaluate the state of COVID-19. If circumstances change at the local and national level and we need to cancel in-person programming, that decision will be made and communicated by July 1, 2021.

• Virtual programming will be held Tuesday, August 3 through Saturday, August 7 and will include: a reunion-focused alumni town hall that also previews the new academic year, additional R Connections webinars, the summer book club capstone, and the traditional “That Was Then” storytelling session.
• In-person, on-campus programming will be held Friday, August 6 through Sunday, August 8, and will focus on alumni awards recognition, 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations, and other outdoor events such as Rally Run and prairie walk.
• Additionally, the Class of 2020 will officially be welcomed to our alumni community with a special commencement ceremony.

And now for our Class Notes:

JEN ANSTEE CHAVEZ ’98 of Lombard, Illinois, writes: “I’m still teaching elementary Spanish in Glen Ellyn, IL- but even after 20 years, making the switch to remote teaching has felt a whole lot like my first year all over again! I am thankful for good health, our new dog, and the extra time with my children (10 and 15) during the last year! Looking forward to the good things to come!!”

TRISHA LYNCH ’98 of Flint, Michigan, writes: “Our family (photo right) is enjoying the extra time with my ability to work from home. Thankfully the kids are back in school. This year was a real reset on balancing back out. There was no more before care, no more summer day camp, and a pause for soccer, dance, and violin. We are enjoying the calmer life. I joked with the kids that our most recently purchased car will be theirs in high school, and at this pace it will be! I just finished my 20th year at Kettering University, can’t believe it has been that long.“

LYNNE PHILLIPS ’98 of Appleton, Wisconsin, writes: “MacMurray College–a small, Liberal Arts college founded in 1846–closed permanently in May due to COVID-19, taking my job as their archivist with it. I moved back to Appleton, and recently became the Visitor Services Supervisor at Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass in Neenah.”

IAN STEPLETON ’98 of Ripon, Wisconsin, started a new career as the Public Relations Coordinator for the Fond du Lac Public Library. Ian was the editor of the Ripon Commonwealth Press weekly newspaper and had been with the paper for nearly two decades. He continues to serve as an adjunct instructor of journalism at Ripon College.

For more news from the College, check out www.ripon.edu/publications where you can find the latest issue of the Ripon Magazine as well as a link to R Connections, where you can catch up on even more alumni news (and read letters from other Class Agents!).

Finally, I’d like to take a moment to thank our classmates who supported the College this past year, especially those who supported the Ripon Fund, as well as #OneDayRally. Our giving participation rate was the highest of all classes from the nineties! The Class of 2000 did outperform us, but I’m looking forward to challenging them again.

The next #OneDayRally will be held on Wednesday, April 28. If you’re interested in being a Social Media Advocate for this annual event, email [email protected] for a toolkit with resources in the days leading up to it.

Until next time,

SARAH ENG ’98
(312) 404-6732
Your 1998 Class Agent

Submitted by: Class Agent: Sarah Eng

Greetings, Class of 1999!

Happy 2021! I (CHRISTINE GUY WINGET ’99) am writing to you on this sunny New York afternoon. It is only my second year back in the snow (I spent 13 years in Florida and three in North Carolina), and I wasn’t sure this winter was going to end, snow on April 1 feels like a ridiculous April Fools joke.  What a year this has been, wow, I don’t know about you, but I definitely did not think when I left my in-person office last March, that many of my colleagues would still be working from home a year later.  And speaking of home, I think we have probably all become pretty well-acquainted with home at this point. In our next Class Letter, we want to share what you want to do post-COVID-19, so send your thoughts to me via email (or Facebook messenger).

Good news regarding this year’s Alumni Weekend.  Alumni Weekend 2021 will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen with two distinct summer weekends of Ripon alumni programming for us. No matter how you’d like to connect, virtually or in person, the Office of Constituent Engagement is developing a variety of activities to continue to follow CDC, Fond du Lac County and College guidelines in both June and August. Full schedules, lodging, and programming details will be posted soon to www.ripon.edu/alumni-weekend.

JUNE 2021

• In honor of our June Alumni Weekend traditions, virtual alumni programming will be held Tuesday, June 22 through Saturday, June 26, and will include: an alumni town hall, R Connections webinars, affinity socials, a summer book club, and special recognition of the 2020 and 2021 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees.

• The only in-person event, the Doc Weiske ’50 Memorial Golf Scramble, will be held off-campus on Friday, June 25.

AUGUST 2021
A combination of virtual and in-person Alumni Weekend programming will be held the first week of August. We will continue to evaluate the state of COVID-19. If circumstances change at the local and national level and we need to cancel in-person programming, that decision will be made and communicated by July 1, 2021.

• Virtual programming will be held Tuesday, August 3 through Saturday, August 7 and will include: a reunion-focused alumni town hall that also previews the new academic year, additional R Connections webinars, the summer book club capstone, and the traditional “That Was Then” storytelling session.

• In-person, on-campus programming will be held Friday, August 6 through Sunday, August 8, and will focus on alumni awards recognition, 2020 and 2021 reunion celebrations, and other outdoor events such as Rally Run and prairie walk.

• Additionally, the Class of 2020 will officially be welcomed to our alumni community with a special commencement ceremony.

On April 28, Ripon will celebrate #OneDayRally.   This is when all of us alumni can come together and give back to the college.  I think it would be fun for all of us to post a photo on social media of ourselves from our Ripon memories on this day as well, and even use the hashtag to share with others.  Speaking of giving back, I also want to take a moment to thank each of you who were able to continue to give back to our Alma Mater during this year, I know that this helps to fund a variety of initiatives to continue the success of Ripon College.
Class Notes:

ALEX ARIFIANTO ’99 of Singapore, is in his sixth year in the Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, where he works as a Research Fellow. On February 9, 2021, he delivered a virtual lecture “Can Islam Coexist with Democracy?” sponsored by the Center for Politics and the People at Ripon College. The recorded program can be viewed on the Ripon College Live Events YouTube channel or at this link.

AURORA NELSON ’99 moved to Kansas City, Missouri, in September and became the Assistant News Director at KCTV5. Congrats, Rory!

Here’s a fun picture from our Class of ’99 Happy Hour on Zoom from March 5, 2021:

Pictured in the screenshot from top left to right: SEBASTIAN FOREMAN ’99, CHRISTINE GUY WINGET ’99, ALEX ARIFIANTO ’99, STACIE HACKEL SNOW ’99, MIKE BERENS ’99, KRIS GOLDSTON WEINAND ’99, and RACHEL THOMPSON CASEY ’99.

In closing, I hope that you will share with us what you are most looking forward to post-COVID-19. Now that Alumni Weekend is planned for this summer, we hope that you will be able to make it back to our Alma Mater soon.

If you have not heard, the Class of 1999 has a Facebook page and we encourage you to join. If you have any class updates, please send them our way.

Sincerely,

MIKE BERENS ’99
(617) 512-5753

CHRISTINE GUY WINGET ’99
(252) 367-9335
Your 1999 Class Agents

Submitted by: Class Agents: Mike Berens & Christine Guy Winget

1999 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Co-Class Agents:

MIKE BERENS ’99

(617) 512-5753 / [email protected]

CHRISTINE GUY WINGET ’99

(252) 367-9335 / [email protected]

Dear Classmates,

Good day to you from Port Orchard, Washington. There are 190 students on the Class of 1999 roster, with student number one being MATT ADLER ’99 of Monona, Wisconsin, and student number 190 being BRIAN ZEHREN ’99 of Washburn, Wisconsin. CHRISTINE and I would love to receive some updates from some of the 190 of you for the spring Class Letter.

We are very pleased to report that Ripon College welcomed 250 first-year students with 71 percent of the incoming class hailing from Wisconsin and 74 students coming from 23 other states. Those are some solid numbers! The new class consists of 159 recruited athletes and the average GPA for the incoming class is 3.42. Classes started August 30, 2021, and the campus is back in full swing with in-person classes.

Alumni Weekend occurred 6-8 August 2021 on campus after an 18-month pause. The next Alumni Weekend is scheduled for 23-26 June 2022. 

CHRISTINE and I were pleased to increase our class’s participation during the #OneDayRally on 28 April 2021. We have an eye toward this event again in the spring. We hope to secure a few fun items that donors can win if selected during the raffle. This idea came to us late in the game last year, so we only came up with some t-shirts. You can expect us to up our game this spring. Thank you to everyone who supported Ripon College this past fiscal year through the Ripon Fund and other initiatives. 

If you have not heard, the Class of 1999 has a Facebook page, and we encourage you to join: www.facebook.com/groups/riponcollegeclassof99/

If you have any class updates, please send them our way.

Sincerely,

MIKE BERENS ’99

CHRISTINE GUY WINGET ’99 

Submitted by: Class Agents: Mike Berens & Christine Guy Winget

2011 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Class agent:

SHANE ROEBER ’11

M: (262) 617-7707 / H: (262) 695-0555 / [email protected]

Dear Class of 2011,

Summer is my favorite time of the year in Wisconsin and it’s winding down. It’s a bummer. However, fall does bring a lot of nice things – such as Oktoberfest, pumpkin spice (though I’m not sure why this is just a fall thing? It’s not like you can’t ask for pumpkin spice in the spring if you wanted), hopefully some playoff baseball, and my birthday. It also brings with it this Class Letter. So, here are a few updates from the past six months or so that you may be interested in:

For Alumni Weekend 2021, alumni and guests from 29 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, were on campus, Aug. 6-8, representing the classes of 1961 to 2023. Further, our class celebrated our 10-year Reunion. It was nice to see everyone who was able to attend and thank you to those who contributed to our class gift! Save the date for Alumni Weekend 2022, which will go back to our traditional end of June date: June 23-26, 2022.

Classes started on Monday, August 30, and the academic year is in full swing with in-person classes. The College is continuing to follow CDC and Fond du Lac County Health Department guidelines regarding COVID safety protocols.

Speaking of COVID, this past year the College had a record-breaking number of donors for #OneDayRally in April 2021, with 2,087 individual donors from around the world. This undoubtedly helped the College, and its students, in an unprecedented time. If you were able to donate, thank you!

Below, you will find some class messages. Admittedly, I dropped the ball on reaching out this time around. I’ll pester you all a little more next time. Thank you to those who sent in something to share! Keep killin’ it in medical aesthetics, ALLISON JENSEN WALTERS ’11!

Class notes:

JOHN LIGHTFIELD ’11 of Burlington, Wisconsin, started a new career as an Administrative Law Judge with Wisconsin’s Department of Workforce Development on March 29, 2021.

ALLISON JENSEN WALTERS ’11 of Apple Valley, Minnesota, writes, “Killin’ it in medical aesthetics at the Hydrafacial Company.”

Take care and stay healthy,

SHANE ROEBER ’11

Submitted by: Class Agent: Shane Roeber

1992 – Fall 2021 Class Letter

Class Agents:

JUDEE STOJSAVLJEVIC FISCHER ’92

(262) 332-0622 / [email protected]

 BONNI DEMBROSKI FREDRICK ’92/P’23

(262) 617-7421 / [email protected]

ERIN M. MCCORMACK ’92

[email protected]

Hello, Classmates,

We hope that this letter finds you doing well in this constantly changing world. Ripon College continues to adapt and thrive and we are happy to share some news to keep you aware of the latest happenings with our alma mater.

First, and most importantly for our class, next year, 2022, marks thirty years since we graduated from Ripon. Please plan to start hearing more about Alumni Weekend 2022 (June 23-26) and our 30th Class Reunion. (It is surreal to type those words!) Bonni, JuDee, and I (Erin) can’t handle all of the planning and logistics by ourselves and we are looking for volunteers to help us plan an amazing Alumni Weekend Reunion Experience. Many of you have generously given your time in previous reunion planning and we are looking forward to working with our classmates again. Please reach out to AMY GABRIEL GERRETSEN ’04 at Ripon to let her know you’d like to get involved by emailing [email protected]. The more, the merrier!

Without further ado, here are some great updates.

Alumni Weekend 2021:

Alumni and guests from 29 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, were on campus, Aug. 6-8, representing the classes of 1961 to 2023, for the first-ever August Alumni Weekend after COVID-19 put a pause on campus events over the past 18 months. Save the Date for Alumni Weekend 2022, which will go back to our traditional end of June date: June 23-26, 2022 – Class of 1992 Thirty Year Reunion! We will be joining all class years ending in the numbers two or seven to celebrate!

You may be wondering how Ripon has been managing fiscally through the pandemic disruptions, and we have good news to share with you.

This Past Fiscal Year:

A record-breaking 2,087 donors from all around the world supported Ripon’s fourth annual giving day on April 28, known as #OneDayRally, reminding us all that regardless of the circumstances, Red Hawks come together. Thank you to the over 3,600 donors who supported the College this past fiscal year through the Ripon Fund and other initiatives. Please remember that your donations and support are critical to the College and directly support the current students.

Campus Upgrades:

The McCullough Family Lounge in Farr Hall of Science — a favorite location of students for studying and collaborative work — recently received an extreme makeover with the intent of making the space more contemporary and technologically friendly. The renovations were made possible by a lead gift from Trustee PHILIP MCCULLOUGH ’69/P’04, and his wife, Pat. Also, a new Data Visualization Lab was installed in Todd Wehr Hall, which will be a great asset for Ripon’s math and computer science departments. 

Endowment Update: 

Ripon’s endowment recently hit an all-time high and as of Thursday, August 19, 2021, it was at $112 million.

Start of the Academic Year:

Classes started on Monday, August 30 and the academic year is in full swing with in-person classes. The College is continuing to follow CDC and Fond du Lac County Health Department guidelines regarding COVID safety protocols.

In case you are interested in how Ripon has been handling COVID-19, here’s a link with all the latest information: ripon.edu/coronavirus-information/.

I would like to share some helpful links to College information as well.

• Recent news stories published by the college can be found here: ripon.edu/news/ 
• Are you wondering about the latest edition of the Ripon Magazine packed with features about alumni and faculty? Check out this link: ripon.edu/about-ripon/publications/
• Interested in connecting on Facebook beyond the main Ripon page? 
  • Ripon College Center for Politics and the People: facebook.com/RiponCollegeCPP 
  • Ripon College Center for Diversity and Inclusion: facebook.com/ripondiversity 

Class Note:

KRISTIN KOCH HANSCOM ’92 of Palatine, Illinois, is the VP of Operations for B K Controls, Inc.

We are a little light on class updates right now, but we always encourage you to share your life updates with any one of us or with the alumni team at Ripon by emailing [email protected]!

Wishing you a wonderful fall.

ERIN M. MCCORMACK ’92

BONNI DEMBROSKI FREDRICK ’92/P’23

JUDEE STOJSAVLJEVIC FISCHER ’92 

Submitted by: Class Agents: JuDee Stojsavljevic Fischer, Bonni Dembroski Fredrick, and Erin McCromack