R Connections

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Welcome to R Connections! This is your go-to place for information about your graduating class and to explore alumni news and sightings.

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We’re always looking for alumni news and sightings! If you have exciting news to share or have recently gathered with Ripon College friends, let us know through the “Add My Story” button at the top. Be sure to include a photo when possible. We look forward to seeing what you’ve been up to!

2002 – Spring ’21 Class Letter
Submitted by: Class Agent: Corryn Siegel Greenwood
2002
Ripon, WI
Class Letter

2002 – Spring ’21 Class Letter

Corryn Greenwood
Class of 2002
Ripon, WI
Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 2002!

We hope this letter finds you well and thriving despite the challenges over the last year. BIG NEWS!! Can you believe summer 2022 will be our TWENTY YEAR Reunion?!

Here are some updates that were shared with us. We would love to hear from you if we haven’t in a while.

KRISTI BRAUN ATTWOOD ’02 of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, shared that she worked in a COVID-19 clinic and saw people in their cars. Got vaccinated. Went to Hawaii.

BOBBY BANNASCH ’02 of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, is getting married on May 8th. Bobby also finished his second master’s degree, the most recent as a clinical therapist. Besides teaching, he is running a private practice as a clinical therapist in West Bend, Wisconsin.

BLAKE BAKKEN ’04 asked “should the ending of the college hosted Pearl Harbor “let’s get bombed” parties be a part of what’s written about?”

CG note- I checked with the college, and was told party themes need to be approved in advance, and violations of planned themes is a punishable offense.

JOSH MASON-BARKIN ’02 of Phoenix, Arizona, and his wife welcomed their third child in December 2019, Milo Mason-Barkin. He also had a blueberry muffin for breakfast on March 18, 2021. Josh has been working as a real estate photographer in Phoenix, where one of his clients is (former Brewers catcher) Matt Pagnozzi. Josh recently shot John Smoltz’s parents’ house, and approximately a year ago, he took photos of a garage that had one of Aaron Rodgers’ cars in it. (Josh lives a celebrity-adjacent life.)
JAKE CREECY ’02’s cat, Scipio Ursus Cattus Magnus, fondly referred to as “The Meester” was the subject of a recent painting.

JAMES DAHM JR. ’02 and KAITLYN HENG DAHM ’10 of Chicago, Illinois, write, “We had a baby girl in January of 2020. Her name is Lucy. She joins big brother Charlie who will turn four this spring.”

MARTHA DOBKE NETZLOFF ’02 of Madison, Wisconsin, recently moved to a new place, just down the street. She has been teaching kindergarten from home, and she shares it is way more difficult than anything she has done before.

HEIDI FOSTER DUSEK ’02 of New London, Wisconsin, added juggler to her resume in 2020. She also added podcast and business founder to her title in 2020 with the launch of her podcast, Ordinary Sherpa. Ordinary Sherpa is designed to inspire families to connect through simple adventures. In addition to inspiring families, the community of “sherpas” help other families with their adventure goals. Our flagship is untourism, or the art of traveling like a local and helping small businesses throughout the country transform locals to be tourists in their own towns. Through the past decade-plus our family of five has maintained a steady amount of adventure, travel, and outdoor connection and this community inspires others to reconnect. We’ll be adding to the adventures in March 2021 with the one-way ticket to Florida to purchase our traveling office, also known as a Class A RV. We will be testing the concept of a gap year this summer to see if we can handle being together that much. 🙂

CORRYN SIEGEL GREENWOOD ’02 of Orland Park, Illinois, ran her first marathon distance run. As the official Chicago marathon was canceled, she ran on the streets around her town. The snacks were ok and the race support was spotty.

APRIL RYDZ MISSAK ’02 of McHenry, Illinois, says she has been madly in love with MIKE MISSAK ’01 since 1998.

LEIGH MLODZIK ’02 of Indianola, Iowa, is excited to share that he accepted a Vice President for Enrollment position at Simpson College in Iowa. Leigh and his wife, Alissa, are looking forward to a new adventure as they will be moving with their one-year-old, Dekklen, and seven-month-old puppy, Palmer.

ZACHARY MORRIS ’02 of Madison, Wisconsin, is the vice-chairman in the Department of Human Oncology at the University of Wisconsin and he co-led a team of researchers that earned a five-year, $12.5 million National Institutes of Health Research Program (P01) Grant (plus $2 million in institutional matching funds) to study the combined use of immunotherapy and targeted radionuclide therapy (TRT) to treat metastatic cancer.

Dr. Morris reports, “This comprehensive preclinical research program brings together two distinct classes of cancer treatment (radiation and immunotherapy). This work will give us a very good understanding of the principles of how these therapies can work together and what might be the best approach to use them in combination clinically. We hope that combining these therapies will increase the response and cure rates for potentially any cancer.”

MIKE ROHR ’02 of Nekoosa, Wisconsin, celebrated 15 years working at SAP.

Update from September 2020: DOUG WILEY ’02 of Louisville, Kentucky, writes: “In the past twelve months, I’ve kept a relatively consistent level of chaos. A year ago today I was moving into our current house in Louisville with Rebecca, who is now my wife. I kidnapped her from Saint Louis. I got out of the bull-semen business and now I work as an ERP manager for a tobacco company. You know what they say: ‘When in Kentucky….’. My son Torsten continues to grow and is actually thriving in the remote learning environment, which helps me run our dog treat business, which is getting bigger than I ever really expected. We get to meet lots of dogs, which is awesome. I hope everyone is being safe, and if you’re ever in the bluegrass state and want to say hi, I’m very easy to find. Oh yeah, comedy is…. well, mostly dead, but I’ve had a lot more time to work on my writing, which has been fun.”

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.

We would love to hear from more of you. Hope to see you in the summer of 2022 for our 20-year Class Reunion! Let us know if you would like to help with our Class Reunion planning!

Keep in touch!

Sincerely,

CORRYN SIEGEL GREENWOOD ’02
(502) 269-5577

LEIGH MLODZIK ’02
(920) 420-0964
Your 2002 Class Agents

Submitted by: Class Agent: Corryn Siegel Greenwood

2001 – Spring ’21 Class Letter
Submitted by: Class Agents: Nicole Baumann-Blackmore and Dante Houston
2001
Ripon, WI
Class Letter

2001 – Spring ’21 Class Letter

Nicole Baumann-Blackmore
Class of 2001
Ripon, WI
Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 2001!

If you are anything like us, you needed something to look forward to in order to get through the struggle that was 2020. Maybe that thing you were looking forward to was our TWENTIETH Class Reunion! We have good news regarding Alumni Weekend and our Class Reunion! 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 NATE KOK ’01.

  • 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 including our 20th Class Reunion, which will also be
    celebrated in conjunction with the Class of 2000, and will feature other outdoor events like Rally Run and prairie walk.

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

Class Notes:

ERIC HERMAN ’01 of Chandler, Arizona, continues to do wildlife work and is loving the rural, Southwest life.

DANTE HOUSTON ’01 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has accepted a new role with AMN Healthcare as a Senior Client Delivery Manager. AMN is the largest healthcare recruitment firm in the nation.

VICKY NYTES ’01 of Kalispell, Montana, writes, “I began at Superior School District this fall, teaching 7th and 8th grade Social Studies and high school French. I continue to also adjunct at Flathead Valley Community College.”

MAGGIE LEE ’01 of San Francisco, California, is a Social Media Influencer and notes she is “the real reason Kanye and Kim broke up, NOT Jeffree Starr.” She also has two Chihuahua mixes and lives in San Francisco.

DANA DELACH GARCIA ’01 recently relocated to Plainfield, Illinois. She and her husband, Angel, absolutely love their new home. As a bonus, they are expecting at the end of February their three spirited boys will be joined by an Airedale fur baby named Chuey.

MIKE MISSAK ’01 of McHenry, Illinois, continues to run his annual fundraiser, Jeeps on the Run in Lake County, Illinois. It provides donations and support to the CEO Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. In December of 2020, over 600 Jeeps gathered to fill two semi-trucks worth of goodies for boys and girls in the region. This was the eighth year he has led this effort!

Campus Updates:

  • COVID-19 Updates

    • Classes officially started on January 25 with a mix of in-person, online, and hybrid (part online and part in-person) formats. The weekend before classes started, the entire campus community (all students, faculty, and staff) was required to take a COVID-19 test, which was administered on campus in Great Hall, resulting in a less than one percent positivity rate.

    • Beginning on February 1, the College began random weekly surveillance testing where approximately a quarter of the College community is tested.

    • If you would like to know more about the plans and procedures this semester, as well as tracking the COVID-19 positivity rate, please visit www.ripon.edu/coronavirus-information/ for more information.

#OneDayRally and Ripon Fund Updates:

  • Last fiscal year, 27 of you donated monetarily to Ripon College and/or the Ripon Fund, totaling about $13,000. THANK YOU!!!!

  • We all know that our class is small but mighty. We can show it by absolutely rocking our Class Reunion gift-giving! Please consider donating what you can, and let’s aim for a goal of $20,000!!!!

  • SAVE THE DATE! Ripon’s annual giving day, known as #OneDayRally, will be held on Wednesday, April 28.

    • All alumni are encouraged to sport their Ripon College attire and post it on their social media platforms.

    • If you are interested in being a Social Media Advocate to promote #OneDayRally, please email [email protected] to receive a toolkit with resources in the days leading up to #OneDayRally.

We can’t wait to see you soon, whether it be in person or virtually. Our Class Reunion will be a great time to catch up with each other, and as a bonus, we’ll have the Class of 2000 joining us for their 20th Class Reunion celebration, as well! Keep sending us your updates or drop us a note/text just to say “hi.” And please continue to stay safe, healthy, and happy!

Your 2001 Co-Class Agents:

NICOLE BAUMANN-BLACKMORE ’01
(608) 513-9078

DANTE A. C. HOUSTON ’01
(414) 378-4937

Submitted by: Class Agents: Nicole Baumann-Blackmore and Dante Houston

2000 – Spring ’21 Class Letter
Submitted by: Class Agent: Andre Miksha
2000
Ripon, WI
Class Letter

2000 – Spring ’21 Class Letter

Andre Miksha
Class of 2000
Ripon, WI
Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 2000!

Twenty years seems like long enough to wait for a format change to this semi-annual class agent letter. The generosity of our class back to our alma mater has been amazing to watch. Between a great #OneDayRally showing in April 2020 and a tremendous push by our Class Reunion committee to get us fired up, our class managed to have the highest percentage of donorship participation in the Ripon Fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, going back to – wait for it – the Class of 1978! That’s quite the showing for our plucky crew.

We have Summer 2021 in our sights for a joint Class Reunion with the Class of 2001. 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 including our 20th Class Reunion, 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.

A nearer target is the #OneDayRally. It’s back again and this year, we have a little unfinished business to which we plan to attend. Last year we came in second place with 52 donors – that is almost HALF of our class! This year we aim to beat it and strive to be the most represented class on #OneDayRally. Will you help us get there? April 28th – mark your calendars! Join the conversation in our Facebook Group “Ripon College Class of 2000″ or feel free to reach out to CAMILLE CARLSON CLEMONS ’00 or KERSTEN HOLM LARSON ’00 with questions!

Some news notes from around the Class:

ELLEN SORENSEN ’00 of Ripon, Wisconsin, moderated a panel discussion via Zoom on September A picture containing textDescription automatically generated30, 2020, sponsored by the Center for Politics and the People at Ripon College and the League of Women Voters of the Ripon Area. “The Right to Vote: Past, Present and Future” addressed the historical and contemporary importance of the struggle to expand and protect suffrage in the United States. A recording of the panel discussion can be accessed here or it can be found by searching for Ripon College Live Events on YouTube. Ellen is also the new President of the Ripon Area League of Women Voters. She has been involved with the League both locally and at the state levels since 1990.

CAMILLE CARLSON CLEMONS ’00 of Fox River Grove, Illinois, has joined the Ripon College Board of Trustees as an Alumni Trustee. She started her career in operations at a global bank, then transitioned to sales in 2011. She currently is the director of business development for Cohen & Company, a public accounting firm, and is in charge of sales into the investment industry. The official announcement can be accessed here.

Red Hawks forever,

ANDRE MIKSHA ’00
(317) 219-9275
Your 2000 Class Agent

 

Submitted by: Class Agent: Andre Miksha

1997 – Spring ’21 Class Letter
Submitted by: Class Agent: Kristin Bazzoli Piotrowski
1997
Ripon, WI
Class Letter

1997 – Spring ’21 Class Letter

Kristin Piotrowski
Class of 1997
Ripon, WI
Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 1997!

I hope this newsletter finds all of you well during these unprecedented times. As you may have seen, Ripon College began classes in person in August and again in January after an extended winter break. They have done an incredible job keeping students and staff safe. Huge kudos to everyone who helped make it happen!

I encourage you to visit https://www.ripon.edu/news/ often to learn about what is happening at our Alma Mater. You can also go to class pages through https://www.ripon.edu/rconnections/ and see updates from alumni from around the world and from every class year. Another wonderful way to stay connected is by subscribing to Ripon’s monthly eNewsletter. You may subscribe here: https://www.ripon.edu/alumni/monthly-newsletter/.

I am looking forward to interacting with you all during #OneDayRally on Wednesday, April 28th. If you haven’t been part of it yet, jump in and engage via email, LinkedIn, Facebook, or whatever your favorite platform is to join in on the fun with the College. I have also set up a virtual happy hour via Zoom for our entire class on Thursday, April 22, at 6:30 p.m. CDT and accessible via https://ripon.zoom.us/j/91987534990. This is planned for just before #OneDayRally, and I hope as many of you join this as possible. It should be a good time!

The College just announced plans for virtual and in-person programming for Alumni Weekend 2021! Although it is not our reunion year, all alumni are welcome to “come home” to Ripon during this special time. 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.

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.”

Class Notes:

JENNIFER EMMERT HENLEY ’97 of San Francisco, California, earned her doctorate at age 28, taught philosophy briefly, joined the Peace Corps, and met her partner in Cameroon. After spending 15 years building an AAT Program at the San Francisco SPCA, Jennifer is currently studying Creative Writing at UC-Berkeley and may work toward an MFA in Writing.

DAWN STOLLFUS HART ’97 lives in Dalton, Wisconsin, with her husband, Isaac, and their two children. They own and operate Hart Mercantile, a home and gift store, on Watson Street in downtown Ripon. You can follow Hart Mercantile on Facebook and Instagram. More information can be found in a feature story in the 2021 winter edition of the Ripon Magazine.

GREG SCANLON ’97 of Neenah, Wisconsin, started a company called Sun Ray Exhibits. They seek companies that travel to trade events to provide them with unique-looking booths to attract attendees. The company also provides environmental experience enhancements to corporate and point of sale locations.

JULIE WEDDING SCOTT ’97 of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, is the Director of Philanthropy and Communications for Judi’s House/JAG Institute, a Denver-based non-profit dedicated to providing connection and healing to bereaved children and families. Judi’s House was founded by former NFL quarterback Brian Griese and his wife Dr. Brook Griese, a clinical child psychologist.

Wishing you and your families a happy and healthy year ahead!

KRISTIN BAZZOLI PIOTROWSKI ’97
4609 North Marlborough Drive, Shorewood, Wisconsin 53211
(414) 841-8577
Your 1997 Class Agent

Submitted by: Class Agent: Kristin Bazzoli Piotrowski

1996 – Spring ’21 Class Letter
Submitted by: Class Agent: Jason Wood
1996
Ripon, WI
Class Letter

1996 – Spring ’21 Class Letter

Jason Wood
Class of 1996
Ripon, WI
Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 1996!

After one very unique year, I am hoping that 2021 will shape up to be a better one, with things getting back to a new normal. One of the best reasons is that 2021 is the year that we are celebrating our 25-year anniversary of graduating from Ripon College! (It did hurt me a little stating that it has been THAT many years). It is crazy to think it has been 25 years since we walked through the quads on a daily basis, shared our tables at the commons, or made the weekly trip down to Benders.
This summer we will be celebrating our Class of 1996 25th Class Reunion. Due to having to cancel last year’s Alumni Weekend, we will be combining our Reunion celebration with the Class of 1995. This will be a great opportunity for all of us to reconnect, and I hope that you can join the celebration. 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.

Thanks to all of you who have supported Ripon College this past year, especially those who have supported the Ripon Fund and #OneDayRally. For those that have not donated yet this year, I am asking you to please consider since we are trying to beat our past years! Just go to www.ripon.edu/give/ and select the “GIVE” page. I know we are a small class but I would love to have a record for us on our 25th anniversary.

Class Notes:

STEVE MARTIN ’96 of Ripon, Wisconsin, professor of communication at Ripon College, participated in a Zoom guest lecture in a political communication class at Fontebonne University in St. Louis, Missouri. The focus was on Martin’s current book, “Game Changers; How Dark Money and Super PACs are Transforming U.S. Campaigns,” co-written with Henrik Schatzinger, associate professor of politics and government and co-director of the Center for Politics and the People at Ripon College. The announcement can be accessed here.

CAREY MOLINSKI ’96 of Arvada, Colorado, recently moved to Arvada, Colorado and is beginning working as a therapist with Alpine Lakes Counseling and Wellness Center in Arvada and also as an Independent Contractor with the Center for Valued Living in October of 2020.

Lastly, thank you to everyone who keeps us posted on Facebook, Instagram, or even taking those Zoom calls. It is always great to see you. Also, I know I have been bad at updating our “Ripon College: Class of 1996” Facebook page, but I promise as we get closer to our reunion over the summer I will be going through even more old photos to see how amazing we looked back then.

Here is to a great summer of 2021, and I really hope to see you in a few months.

Regards,

JASON WOOD ’96
(201) 747-7719
Your 1996 Class Agent

Submitted by: Class Agent: Jason Wood

1995 – Spring ’21 Class Letter
Submitted by: Class Agent: Amy Dekeyser Padilla
1995
Ripon, WI
Class Letter

1995 – Spring ’21 Class Letter

Amy Padilla
Class of 1995
Ripon, WI
Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 1995!

I sincerely hope you are all doing well, despite the challenges we all faced in 2020. So far, 2021 has been a bit interesting as well. I am writing to you from Galveston, Texas, where we just endured record low temperatures, which caused power and water outages for most of the state. Being without electricity for 72 hours and water for even longer certainly made for an interesting last week. We became full-time RV’ers so we could “chase 70 degrees,” and so far, well, we kind of suck at it! Follow our adventures on Facebook at “We Could Be Lost.”

Reunion Information:
We were so bummed to have our 25th Class Reunion canceled last summer, but it was absolutely the correct approach by the College. We are now scheduled to have a joint reunion with the Class of ’96, which we are extremely excited about!
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.

Ripon and COVID-19:
On campus, classes officially started on January 25 with a mix of in-person, online, and hybrid (part online and part in-person) formats. The weekend before classes started, the entire campus community (all students, faculty, and staff) were required to take a COVID-19 test, which was administered on campus in Great Hall, resulting in a less than one percent positivity rate. Beginning on February 1, the College began random weekly surveillance testing where approximately a quarter of the College community will be tested. If you are interested in following the plans and procedures this semester, as well as tracking the COVID-19 positivity rate, you can visit www.ripon.edu/coronavirus-information/ for more information.

The Ripon Fund and #OneDayRally:
A sincere THANK YOU to those of you who have donated to the Ripon Fund. Your donations are so important and help keep the College operating. For the 2019-2020 fiscal year our class donated just over $11,000 with 20% of the class participating. If you have not yet given in the 2020-2021 fiscal year, a great opportunity to do so will be on April 28, when the College holds its annual #OneDayRally. This event has grown to be one of the most active days of virtual engagement for the entire Ripon College family, which means prospective students are taking note of this day, too. All alumni are encouraged to sport their Ripon College attire and post it on their social media platforms. If you are interested in being an official Social Media Advocate, promoting Ripon’s #OneDayRally on all of your social media platforms, email [email protected]. You will receive an official toolkit to use in your social media posts. To donate outside of the #OneDayRally event, you can donate online any time at www.ripon.edu/give/.

Seeking New Class Agents:
After 25 years of serving you, ANGELA KEITH ’95VINCE PADILLA ’95, and I are retiring from our Class Agent positions. If you are interested in being a Class Agent, please let us know and we will put you in touch with the appropriate Ripon staff members. It is fun to be so closely involved with the College. Duties include writing Class Letters twice a year, and helping plan the Reunion every five years. Who wants to take on this fun and critical role? If it’s you, let us know!

A shout-out to DAN YOST ’95 who is representing our class on the Alumni Board. Thanks, Dan!

We hope to be able to see all of you later this year, when we can share and celebrate the amazing memories we created together in that little town called Ripon.

Class Notes:
DAN YOST ’95 of Antioch, Illinois, ran for election to the Illinois House of Representatives to represent District 61 with the Republican Party. He lost a tough race in the general election on November 3, 2020.

MICHELE CUMMINS KORNET ’95 of San Antonio, Texas, married Michael Kornet on October 10, 2020. Michele works at San Antonio Academy with her mother, CATHY ZENDAR CUMMINS ’65.

Stay healthy,

AMY DEKEYSER PADILLA ’95
(608) 445-1038
Your 1995 Class Agent

Submitted by: Class Agent: Amy Dekeyser Padilla

1994 – Spring ’21 Class Letter
Submitted by: Class Agent: Kimberly Woolley
1994
Ripon, WI
Class Letter

1994 – Spring ’21 Class Letter

Kimberly Woolley
Class of 1994
Ripon, WI
Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 1994!

I hope you are all staying sane during this remarkable time in our lives. I last sat down to write a class letter in February 2020. At that time, I was aware of the COVID-19 pandemic but it was distant – something other countries were dealing with. I never imagined my daughters would come home from school on March 13, 2020 and not return to in-person high school for over a year. I never imagined our dining room table would become a workstation and days spent wearing real pants would count as a notable event.

There have been a few silver linings from the last year. I have reconnected with Ripon classmates over Zoom and made new friends with alums from my sorority, Alpha Delta Pi.  Friends in Alpha Chi Omega also invited a group of us to crash their Zoom party, which was very fun. The pandemic made us all slow down a bit and helped make those connections possible. I’m looking forward to a time when we are all vaccinated and can travel safely again to see each other in person. Until then, reach out if you’d like to meet up on Zoom! I can’t promise I’ll be wearing pants.

Update on the College:

The College has navigated the COVID-19 pandemic extraordinarily well, with students living on campus and taking in-person classes both semesters of this school year.  Most recently, classes started back up on January 25 with a mix of in-person, online, and hybrid formats. The weekend before classes started, the entire campus community (all students, faculty, and staff) were required to take a COVID-19 test, which was administered on campus in Great Hall.  Luckily, there was a less than 1% positivity rate. Since February 1, the College has been doing random weekly testing, where approximately a quarter of the College community are tested. There are contingency plans in place for all eventualities but the desire is for all students to be able to safely remain on campus through the end of this semester.

Ripon’s annual giving day, known as #OneDayRally, will be held on Wednesday, April 28th. Please save this date and if you can donate, support the Ripon Fund, and post about it on social media. I know many of you give to the College on an annual basis. Thank you for helping the College during this difficult time. If you cannot help financially, please consider reaching out to the College to volunteer on behalf of the alumni or admissions office, or become a mentor to current students for career and professional development.

Alumni Weekend was cancelled in 2020 but there is hope that the College can once again hold an in-person alumni gathering on campus this year. In fact, 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.

Class Notes: Thank you to the classmates who reached out to me with updates. Here are what some of our classmates are up to:

ERIC ATKISSON ’94 of Alexandria, Virginia, was recently hired to serve in the new position of Director of Communications at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, where he started as a public affairs specialist in 2011. In his new job, he leads a division of up to 15 staff responsible for all of the agency’s external and internal communications, including media relations, speechwriting, strategic communication, and more.  He continues to write nonfiction and fiction on the side and hopes to have more essays and short stories published in the years ahead.

KIM CONROY ’94 moved to Green Lake, Wisconsin, with her husband WADE PACKARD ’93 in June. She recently left her job at NBC Universal Business Affairs to support Jeeun Kim, the Co-Head of CBS Studios Business Affairs. Kim previously worked for Jeeun when they were both at NBC and she had a great opportunity to support Jeeun again in this new role. Kim and Wade plan to return to Los Angeles once the schools and offices reopen.

JULIAN GARDNER ’94: As many of you know, in October 2011 Julian went into cardiac arrest but recovered. He then suffered a second heart attack in March 2016. Since that time, Julian’s heart function continued to decline and he was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure at the age of 45. But there is some really good news to share – On February 22, 2021, he received a new heart from a donor and he is doing extremely well in his recovery. According to a post on Facebook,  Julian said he can never have another bad day after the transplant. He is challenging everyone to appreciate the small things because we don’t know when it will potentially be the last. If you would like to help support Julian, please contribute online.

ASHLEIGH HENRICHS ’94 of Kenosha, Wisconsin, has three children: Caroline is a sophomore at Carthage College, Mary is a senior in high school, and Henry is a sophomore in high school. Ashleigh works for the Gateway Technical College Foundation as the Foundation and Alumni Relations Manager, and during a normal year she enjoys running marathons and ultra-marathons, but she reports that many have been canceled. During the recent polar vortex, Ashleigh still managed to run 11 miles wearing a down coat and a 22-miler with no food or water (initially because her fingers were too cold to open anything and then because she just wanted to keep going and get finished). She’s an inspiration!

BROOKE TIREMAN KONOPACKI ’94 of Larsen, Wisconsin, works as the Director, Education for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. There are over 1,000 members, including Caterpillar, John Deere, Volvo, and Komatsu, that manufacture off-road heavy equipment for construction, agriculture, forestry, mining, and utilities. Brooke works in the customer connections area, where she builds positive customer connections for the Association’s members, primarily through trade shows. Her company owns and manages the largest trade show in the Western Hemisphere and Brooke coordinates all the education that occurs at the tradeshows. She also works on the CONEXPO-CON/AGG Tech Talks, a three-part series of on-demand education. Brooke loves her job because she works for a company that treats their employees well, has transparent communication, and has given her new and exciting challenges every year.

LIZ MAHONEY ’94 of New York, New York had been working at the same commercial real estate company in New York City for close to 17 years, but the pandemic and the shift to working from home is having a devastating impact on the commercial market. Like many others, Liz found herself looking for work at the end of 2020. She didn’t have to look very far as a message to a former employer on LinkedIn quickly yielded a job offer. In January, Liz returned to her roots, working for William Vitacco Associates, a building and zoning law consulting firm in Manhattan. As Operations Associate, Liz is a jack-of-all-trades, handling facilities, IT, information management and anything else that comes up as the company navigates the changing construction industry and new work from home culture. Liz has kept her sanity throughout the pandemic with the help of her Ripon friends who join weekly online trivia contests as part of “Liz’s Trivial Friends.” Starting as a group of alumnae who needed a platform to connect with each other in a casual manner, the group has grown to include friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers who pop in for laughs, support, and the rare top-ten finish. They are also using this platform to educate others about Harrison Ford and Ripon College!

Now for some sad news. I am sorry to report that MATTHEW A. MIDDLETON ’94 of Sandwich, Illinois, died in his home on November 10, 2020. At Ripon, he majored in economics. He had worked for Experian and then was a founding member of Launch Digital Marketing/Dealer Inspire. His roles included project manager and DMS support manager. He enjoyed animals, golfing, cooking, sailing, and spending summers in Onekama, Michigan. Survivors include his mother, Betty Middleton; and his partner, Jennifer “Jiffy” Baker.

LISA SPROSTON SUTTER ‘94 will be writing our next class letter in the fall. If you have updates that didn’t make it into this letter, please reach out to her at [email protected].

In the meantime, please stay healthy and safe.

Wishing you all the best,

Kimberly ’94
www.facebook.com/kimbo.woolley /
www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-woolley-a903959

Lisa ’94
(608) 347-6543

Submitted by: Class Agent: Kimberly Woolley

1993 – Spring ’21 Class Letter
Submitted by: Class Agent: Melinda Trainor Hutchinson
1993
Ripon, WI
Class Letter

1993 – Spring ’21 Class Letter

Melinda Hutchinson
Class of 1993
Ripon, WI
Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 1993!

Wow, what crazy lives we’ve all led lately, right? I hope you are all doing well, staying healthy, and keeping busy. At Ripon, students and faculty are learning and teaching in person, online, or in hybrid formats. Thank you to everyone who supported the College over the past year, and save-the-date for Ripon’s annual giving day, #OneDayRally, which is right around the corner on Wednesday, April 28, 2021.

Check-in on www.ripon.edu and/or social media for the latest College updates. If you’re not part of the Ripon College Class of 1993 Facebook page, please join!

Here’s some news from our class:

CHRIS GRAHAM ’93 of Colorado Springs, Colorado, completed a one-year term on the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Board of Governors. The Board of Governors is the highest governance body in the NCAA and is composed of institutional chief executive officers that oversee Association-wide issues. The board is charged with ensuring that each division operates consistently with the basic purposes, fundamental policies and general principles of the Association. He continues to serve as the Commissioner of the Division II Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

I also have some sad news to share with all of you. ERIC PILSL ’93 of Wautoma, Wisconsin, passed away on February 27, 2021. He taught math and was a track coach at Parkside Middle School in Wautoma. He is survived by his wife Jennifer, stepsons Ashton and Hayden Schwartzman, and many, many family and friends. HIs obituary can be viewed here.

Make sure you keep your contact information updated so you don’t miss any Ripon news. Contact the Alumni Office directly with changes at [email protected] or via U.S. mail to Alumni Office, Ripon College, P.O. Box 248, Ripon, WI 54971.

I have good news to share 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.

Thank you and stay well!

MELINDA TRAINOR HUTCHINSON ’93
(215) 704-6478
Your 1993 Class Agent

Submitted by: Class Agent: Melinda Trainor Hutchinson

1992 – Spring ’21 Class Letter
Submitted by: Class Agent: BONNI DEMBROSKI FREDRICK ’92/P’23
1992
Ripon, WI
Class Letter

1992 – Spring ’21 Class Letter

Bonni Fredrick
Class of 1992
Ripon, WI
Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 1992!

It has certainly been a weird year full of challenges in our world. What I (BONNI DEMBROSKI FREDRICK ’92/P’23) would like to share with you today is how, in true resilient Ripon spirit, the College has risen to the occasion. This past fall, while many campuses around the country and across our state remained locked down, Ripon College put in the work to ensure its students could not only return to campus but could have the opportunity to have in-person and hybrid classes. Second semester has the students back on campus again and in the classroom. Did you know Great Hall is now a functional classroom on campus? When the conference canceled the basketball season, Ripon found a way for their teams to continue to play. Spring sports are playing now with baseball, softball, and track back on the field. The proactive response to these unprecedented times by the college administration, staff, professors, and students has filled me with pride to be able to call myself an alumna of Ripon College.

And now our Class Notes!

CATHERINE PARNELL WYLIE ’92 of Appleton, Wisconsin, was appointed to a position as the Lincoln County’s Human Resources Director and Administrative Coordinator.

BRAD ALBERTS ’92 of Southlake, Texas, president and CEO of the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League, was interviewed in September on the Jay Young Show. A Ripon College feature of this news story can be accessed here.

We would love to include additional news of our classmates. It is not only major life events that everyone wants to hear about, but also things as small as what you are up to and how you are spending your time these days. Also, here’s a reminder to start thinking about your summer plans for 2022 as we are looking forward to our 30-year Class Reunion!

Your donations are extremely important to the College at this time in particular. In the 2019-2020 fiscal year our class had an approximately 18% participation in College giving. We can push that percentage up over 20% if just five more of us choose to give this year. Let’s rise to the challenge to push us over that mark!!

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.

Kind regards,

BONNI DEMBROSKI FREDRICK ’92/P’23
(262) 617-7421

JUDEE STOJSAVLJEVIC FISCHER ’92
(262) 681-8509

ERIN M. MCCORMACK ’92

Submitted by: Class Agent: BONNI DEMBROSKI FREDRICK ’92/P’23

In Memory of Tom Domencich ’55
Submitted by: Associate Director of Engagement
1955
Wellington, FL
Obituary

In Memory of Tom Domencich ’55

Tom Domencich
Class of 1955
Wellington, FL
Obituary

Thomas Domencich, an entrepreneur, economist and investor on the forefront of the cellular industry passed away peacefully on June 20, 2020. He was 87. Tom was a
resident of Wellington, FL and is survived by his spouse Nephele Wing Domencich and
his daughter Schuyler Riley as well as his siblings Sue Dolinar and Jack Domencich.
Tom’s brother Don Domencich passed away in 2017. Tom had been active in many
aspects of the wireless communications industry focusing on the cellular telephone
industry. He was part of the initial FCC lottery that launched the cell phone industry.
Tom subsequently became an investor and at one time owned interests in
approximately 40 cellular systems. Tom was one of the original investors in Nextel. In
addition he founded Milliwave, LP, a nationwide broadband wireless carrier, which was
sold after only two years to a competing carrier for millions in cash and stock. Tom was
an economist by profession. He began his career as a consultant with Arthur D. Little,
Inc. and then moved to Charles River Associates. Tom was involved with many
important works on Transportation and Economics in Washington D.C. He co-wrote
much of the deregulation for Transportation in the U.S under the Nixon Administration.
In probably his most well known work, Tom co-authored a book with Daniel McFadden
called “Urban Travel Demand” which has been cited over 100 times from the publishing
date of 1975 up through 2018 which proves the work to have withstood the test of
time.

Tom was born April 6, 1933 in West Allis, Wisconsin to Anthony and Dorothy (Sheahan)
Domencich just outside of Milwaukee. He graduated from Ripon College in 1955 with
a degree in Economics. The value of education was high on Toms list and he paid
tribute to that by serving as a Trustee on the Board at Ripon College for many years.
He was also on the Board of Overseers of the Tufts Graduate School of Engineering.
Tom attended graduate school at the University of Indiana and the University of
Chicago where he received his Masters in Economics.

No stranger to adventure, Tom traveled and lived the world. He would pack up his wife
and daughter and travel through Europe for weeks. From renting a condo on the beach
in Portugal to the streets of Paris, Tom loved all the experiences that life had to offer.
Having lived many years in Middlesex VT, Tom was an avid skier and loved sailing. He
passed on his passion for outdoor life to his daughter Schuyler who has become a
world class equestrian. Tom always encouraged people to love what you do and do
what you love. His unconditional love of his family drove him to support the passions of
those close to him. Tom and his wife Nephele created an unique Equestrian estate in
Stockton NJ. In the past ten years, Tom loved the opportunity to give “the tour” to a
fresh face in his golf car around the horse farm. His daughter Schuyler has achieved
multiple accolades in the Equestrian world and continues a successful career and
business today in large part due to her father’s support.

Tom believed in giving back and passed on to his family a philanthropic heart. Having
lived a modest life and made good fortune Tom always chose to support those
organizations who work to improve the lives of other creatures both two legged and
four. He created the Thomas and Nephele Wing Domencich Foundation in order to
fund annual gifts to organizations that were close to his heart. Both Nephele and
Schuyler will continue to manage this fund in his honor. Anyone who wishes to
commemorate and celebrate the life of Tom Domencich is asked to send a donation in
his name to any of the organizations listed below.

Friends and family of Tom remember him as honest smart and generous. In lieu of a
funeral the family would like to hold a celebration of life in a few months when the
world will allow us to safely gather in Milwaukee, WI. Anyone interested in sharing their
memories of Tom Domencich and/or looking for further information regarding a
celebration of life may email his daughter Schuyler at [email protected].

Memorial Sloan Kettering
https://giving.mskcc.org/donate-now
[email protected]
866-815-9501

Hospital for Special Surgeries
https://giving.hss.edu/
[email protected]
212.606.1196

New Bolton Veterinary Clinic
https://giving.apps.upenn.edu/fund?program=VET&fund=630160
[email protected]
484-6537686

Joslin Center for Diabetes
https://www.joslin.org/support-joslin
[email protected]
(617) 309-2412

Everglades Foundation
https://evergladesfoundation.org/support-us/ways-to-give/
[email protected]
305-251-0001

Submitted by: Associate Director of Engagement

In Memory of G. William “Bill” Chapman ’52
Submitted by: Associate Director of Engagement
1952
Oconomowoc, WI
Obituary

In Memory of G. William “Bill” Chapman ’52

Bill Chapman
Class of 1952
Oconomowoc, WI
Obituary

G. WILLIAM “BILL” CHAPMAN ’52 of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, died May 19, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in economics, participated in athletics and Alpha Phi Omega, and was commissioned through ROTC. He received his law degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He served two years as an officer in the Korean War. He was passionate about municipal law and represented numerous communities. He was instrumental in the 1988 creation of the Lake Country Municipal Court, the first such joint court in Wisconsin. He also dedicated years of service to the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Civil Service Commission. He was the longtime treasurer of the local YMCA and was key in the building of the new YMCA. He was recognized as Oconomowoc’s Citizen of the Year in 2000.  Survivors include two sons.
Full obituary:
G. William “Bill” Chapman died peacefully on May 19, 2021, at Shorehaven Health Care Center in Oconomowoc. Bill was born on September 8, 1930, to Herbert and Catherine Chapman.
He grew up in Hartland, received his bachelor’s degree from Ripon College, and his law degree from the University of Wisconsin. He served two years as an officer in the Korean War.
On June 21, 1952, he married Joyce Johnson. They had three sons, Stanley, James (Krista) and John.
He was predeceased by his infant son Stanley, and his wife Joyce.
Bill was passionate about municipal law; he was instrumental in the 1988 creation of the Lake Country Municipal Court, the first such joint court in Wisconsin. He represented numerous communities throughout his career, and dedicated years of service to the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Civil Service Commission. He was the long-time treasurer of the local YMCA, and was key in the building of the new Y. In 2000, Bill was recognized as Oconomowoc’s Citizen of the Year. His many other good deeds, including hours of pro bono work, mentoring, and counseling, were largely unknown to the general public. He is survived by his two sons, his niece Michelle Burris, other relatives and many friends.
A celebration of Bill’s life will be scheduled for sometime this summer at the new Chapman Park.

Submitted by: Associate Director of Engagement

In Memory of James Landwehr ’56
Submitted by: Associate Director of Engagement
1956
Glendale, WI
Obituary

In Memory of James Landwehr ’56

James Landwehr
Class of 1956
Glendale, WI
Obituary

JAMES B. LANDWEHR ’56 of Glendale, Wisconsin, died May 8, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in English and participated in student government. He stayed active in several ways, including serving on class reunion committees and as Class Agent. He served in the Coast Guard and particularly enjoyed being stationed in Alaska. He worked for GM’s AC Spark Plug for the space program and First Wisconsin National Bank (now US Bank).  He was involved in his children’s sports, coached boys’ and girls’ softball, and was a swim official for the swim clubs and high school swim teams. After retiring, he volunteered with the Wisconsin Marine Historical Society, researching and lecturing on the History of the Great Lakes. Survivors include his wife, CAROLYN CALLAHAN LANDWEHR ’55; two sons and two daughters.
Full obituary:
Found peace finally on May 8, 2021 at the age of 92 years.  Preceded in death by his parents, Harold W. and Gladys, and sister Mary E. Berry.  Beloved husband for almost 63 years of Carolyn (Callahan) and children, Catherine, Jenifer (Joe) Vollmer, Hans (Linda) and Karl.
Jim graduated from Whitefish Bay High School and Ripon College.  He worked for GM’s AC Spark Plug for the space program and First Wisconsin National Bank (now US Bank).  He loved his years being involved with his children’s sports.   He especially enjoyed coaching, boys and girls softball, and being a swim official for the swim clubs and high school swim teams.
Jim joined the Coast Guard prior to college.  He loved that period, especially when stationed in Alaska.  In later years, on a cruise in the Alaska area, he and his wife had the experience of being on the receiving end of the Coast Guard services.  After college and work years it was time to enjoy his passion for the Great Lakes.  So the retirement years were spent volunteering with the Wisconsin Marine Historical Society researching and lecturing on the History of the Great Lakes.  He also began writing his memoir, but Alzheimer’s got in the way so he didn’t finish.  His daughter Jenny was able to pull his stories together and managed to get it published – “My Hitch”.  Had he understood what she had done, he would have been greatly pleased.
The family will receive relatives and friends on Friday, May 14, 2021 at the Feerick Funeral Home, 2025 E. Capitol Dr., Shorewood from 4:00 PM until the time of the Memorial Service at 6:00 PM.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Alzheimer’s Society, the Wisconsin Humane Society or the Wisconsin Marine’s Historical Society.

Submitted by: Associate Director of Engagement

In Memory of Richard Menson ’65
Submitted by: Associate Director of Engagement
1965
Dunwoody, GA
Obituary

In Memory of Richard Menson ’65

Richard Menson
Class of 1965
Dunwoody, GA
Obituary

RICHARD L. MENSON ’65 of Dunwoody, Georgia, died May 17, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in history and economics, participated in the undefeated football team, and was commissioned through ROTC. He also was a graduate of Northwestern University Law School and George Washington University. He served his country as a JAG officer from 1965-1973, including 18 months in Vietnam. He joined Gardner, Carton and Douglas in Chicago, Illinois, and was a partner from 1977-1998. In 1998, he joined McGuireWoods as managing partner of the Chicago office. He retired in 2012. Survivors include his wife, Lynne Lemke Menson; and two daughters.
Full obituary:
MENSON, Richard Lloyd “Rick”
Born November 10, 1943, in Chicago, Illinois, and died unexpectedly on May 17, 2021 in Dunwoody, Georgia.
Survived by his beloved wife of 50 years Lynne Lemke Menson; his daughters Dr. Melissa Halbach and Kristin Menson; his son-in-law Brandt Halbach; his grandchildren, Brynn Elisabeth, Ansley Ecklin, and Thomas Crenshaw Halbach; his brothers and sisters, John Menson, Rob Menson, Jim Menson, Susan Edwards, and Elizabeth McKinstry, and many nieces, nephews, and friends.
Rick was a graduate of Ripon College (B.A. ’65), Northwestern University Law School (J.D. ’68), and George Washington University (L.L.M. ’73). He served his country as a JAG Officer from 1965-1973 including 18 months in Vietnam. He joined Gardner, Carton, and Douglas in Chicago, Illinois, soon thereafter and was a partner from 1977-1998. In 1998 he joined McGuireWoods as managing partner of the Chicago office. He retired in 2012.
There will be a visitation on Wednesday, May 26 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at H.M. Patterson and Son, Arlington Chapel, 173 Allen Road Ne, Sandy Springs, GA. A celebration of his life will be held on Thursday, May 27 at 11:00 AM at St. Luke’s Presbyterian Church, 1978 Mt. Vernon Rd, Dunwoody, GA.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to one of the following:
– Atlanta Vietnam Veteran Business Association Foundation, 2568 Mercedes Dr. NE, Atlanta, GA 30345
– Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, 1762 Clifton Rd. NE, Suite 1400, Atlanta, GA 30322. (Contributions will support both the Champions and Friends of Dunwoody Country Club Professorship in Prostate Cancer Endowment and the Winship Sarcoma Fund.

Submitted by: Associate Director of Engagement

In Memory of Blanche Bartizal Babcock ’53
Submitted by: Associate Director of Engagement
1953
Three Lakes, WI
Obituary

In Memory of Blanche Bartizal Babcock ’53

Blanche Babcock
Class of 1953
Three Lakes, WI
Obituary

BLANCHE BARTIZAL BABCOCK ’53 of Three Lakes, Wisconsin, died May 21. 2021. At Ripon, she majored in philosophy and psychology and participated in Ver Adest and Alpha Gamma Theta. She was a longtime benefactor and supporter of various Ripon College initiatives, was instrumental in the Babcock Family Endowed Scholarship and received the Medal of Merit in 2006. She received a master’s degree in education from the National School of Education and worked for many years as an elementary school teacher in Rondout, Illinois. She was active in her communities both in Illinois and Wisconsin. Survivors include one son and two daughters, including TIMOTHY BABCOCK ’82 and KATHERINE BABCOCK ’80; a daughter-in-law, SARA OBERHAUSER BABCOCK ’83; and a grandson, PETER BABCOCK ’09. Her husband, THOMAS BABCOCK ’51, died in 2002.
Full Obituary:
Blanche Bartizal Babcock, age 91, of Three Lakes, WI, died on Friday, May 21st at her beloved home on Butternut Lake, surrounded by her family and her long-time four-legged companion Sniffy.
Blanche was born on April 14th, 1930 in Riverside, IL, the daughter of Dr. John and Henrietta (Nee Skala) Bartizal. Blanche grew up in Riverside, IL, graduating from Sacred Heart Academy.
She graduated with a BA in philosophy from Ripon College. Subsequently she earned her Master’s Degree in Education at the National School of Education. Blanche worked many years as an elementary school teacher in Rondout, IL.
In 1954 she married Thomas Babcock, her partner for the next 48 years, with whom she had three children, daughters Nancy and Kathy, and son Tim.
They lived in Winnetka, IL for 17 years, where she was actively involved in the community. In 1986, she and her husband Tom moved to their summer home on Butternut Lake in the Nicole National Forest.
After moving to the Northwoods she was a founding member of Company B of the Hiles Volunteer Fire Department. Additionally, she volunteered for the hospital auxiliary, palliative care, the Native American Archeological excavations group, and the Butternut-Franklin Lakes Association and Foundation.
She is survived by her three children, Nancy (Roman) Ciapalo of Dubuque, IA; Kathy Babcock of Waukegan, IL; Tim (Sara) Babcock of Jefferson, WI; two grandchildren Peter and Bridget (who knew her as Babi); sister, Henrietta Pons, of Winnetka, IL; brother Paul Bartizal of Tennessee; and sister-in-laws Sally Barnhart of Phoenix, AZ, Susan Burt of Dana Point, CA, Bonnie Lyon of Eagle River, WI, and numerous nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her parents, her brother Dr. John Bartizal Jr., and her granddaughter-in-law Ellen Mae Stone Babcock.
There will be no service or visitation. In lieu of flowers, memorials to the Butternut Franklin Lakes Foundation, the Thomas and Blanche Babcock Family Scholarship Fund at Ripon College, or a charity of your choice.
 

Submitted by: Associate Director of Engagement

In Memory of Christine Gruett Robillard ’71
Submitted by: Associate Director of Engagement
1971
Simpsonville, SC
Obituary

In Memory of Christine Gruett Robillard ’71

Christine Robillard
Class of 1971
Simpsonville, SC
Obituary

Simpsonville, SC- Merrie Christine Robillard, 69, wife of Richard Robillard, died Sunday, May 13, 2018.
Born January 26, 1949 in Port Washington, WI, Christine was a daughter of the late Frank Albert and Elaine Reichgeld Gruett. She was a dedicated teacher and worked at Oak Creek Elementary in Oak Creek, WI, Pontiac Elementary in Columbia, SC, and most recently having served 17 years at Fairforest Elementary School before her retirement.
In addition to her husband, Christine is survived by her son, Brett J. Robillard of Columbia, SC; her daughter, Heidi Rappole (Robert) of Raleigh, NC; and three grandchildren, Hayley Robillard, Abigail Robillard, and James Rappole.
She was predeceased by a sister, Susan Seimann.
The family will receive friends Tuesday, May 22nd, 6-8PM at Dunbar Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the following charities that Christine supported: P. S. I Love You Ministries, P O Box 162242, Boiling Springs, SC 29316 or to the American Cancer Society, 154 Milestone Way, Greenville, SC 29615.

Submitted by: Associate Director of Engagement

1991 – Spring ’21 Class Letter
Submitted by: Class Agent: Samantha Bailey Fast
1991
Ripon, WI
Class Letter

1991 – Spring ’21 Class Letter

Samantha Fast
Class of 1991
Ripon, WI
Class Letter

1991 Spring 2021 Class Letter

Submitted by: Class Agent: Samantha Bailey Fast

1990 – Spring ’21 Class Letter
Submitted by: Class Agents: Robert Corkery, Jr. & Christina Maggio Kellerstrass
1990
Ripon, WI
Class Letter

1990 – Spring ’21 Class Letter

Christina Kellerstrass
Class of 1990
Ripon, WI
Class Letter

1990 – Spring 2021 Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 1990!

Hope this note finds you healthy! It’s hard to believe that it’s been one year since our nation has been grappling with the COVID-19 crisis and… we hope this is behind us. 
We have good news regarding Alumni Weekend and our 30th Class Reunion! We will be celebrating our 30th Reunion along with the Class of 1991. As you know, many of us have friends from neighboring classes so this should be extra fun to share in the celebration. 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 including our 30th Reunion celebration, 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.

If you are curious as to how the pandemic has affected life on Ripon’s campus, here are a few updates:

  • Classes officially started on January 25 with a mix of in-person, online, and hybrid (part online and part in-person) formats. The weekend before classes started, the entire campus community (all students, faculty, and staff) were required to take a COVID-19 test, which was administered on campus in Great Hall resulting in a less than one percent positivity rate. 
  • Beginning on February 1, the College began random weekly surveillance testing where approximately a quarter of the College community will be tested.
  • Those who are interested in following the plans and procedures this semester, as well as tracking the COVID-19 positivity rate on campus, can visit www.ripon.edu/coronavirus-information/ for more information.

#OneDayRally and Ripon Fund Updates:

  • Ripon’s annual giving day, known as #OneDayRally, will be held on Wednesday, April 28. Be sure to save the date.  
  • All alumni are encouraged to sport their Ripon College attire and post it on their social media platforms on that day. 
  • Thank you to all of you who support the College in any capacity. The Class of 1990 had 29 donors who gave a total of $32,995.10 this past fiscal year, ending on June 30th. Nice job, Class of 1990. This support makes a difference, and it is especially admirable to see our class gift given what we all experienced this past year. 

Here are our Class Notes:
DAN TRAMPF ’90 of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, has been honored by his profession to be selected into the Wisconsin Athletic Trainers’ Association Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will be in April of 2021. He will be the first Ripon College Alum to be placed into the Hall of Fame as an athletic trainer. A plaque with his biography and picture will be placed at the University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse, which is where all hall of fame plaques are featured. 
SUSAN FRIKKEN ’90 of Madison, Wisconsin was featured in a story about her experience at Ripon College. Here is a snippet from the article: Ripon College gave Frikken “life skills, the ability to engage thoughtfully and intelligently about the wide world, and a lifelong community of friends,” she says. Frikken’s studies at Ripon prepared her for a variety of career endeavors. She has worked in environmental education, as a ballroom dance instructor, at the nonprofit Whitman-Walker Health in Washington, D.C., and then as a massage therapist. The article in its entirety can be accessed here. Susan will also be featured in an article in the 2021 winter edition of the Ripon Magazine.
Don’t hesitate to send us your update for the Class Letter at any time throughout the year. We look forward to hearing from you, and we hope to see many of you this summer at our 30th Class Reunion celebration!
Stay safe and see you soon, we hope!
ROBERT E. CORKERY, JR. ’90
(508) 930-9027 / [email protected]
CHRISTINA L. MAGGIO KELLERSTRASS ’90
(708) 764-1881 / [email protected]
Your 1990 Class Agents

Submitted by: Class Agents: Robert Corkery, Jr. & Christina Maggio Kellerstrass

1988 – Spring ’21 Class Letter
Submitted by: Class Agents: Kathy Wade & David Jonas
1988
Ripon, WI
Class Letter

1988 – Spring ’21 Class Letter

Kathy Wade
Class of 1988
Ripon, WI
Class Letter

1988 – Spring ’21 Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 1988!

From KATHY WADE ’88

I hope you, your family, and your loved ones are all well!  This has definitely been a strange year for me and probably for you, too. I have not attended a Ripon event since 2019! In a typical year, I attend, at least, one event each quarter. I sure miss my Ripon family and friends!

 
 
 
 
 
I have been on campus once since 2019! MATT KITTELL ’88, his wife, Cathy, their daughters, and I met on campus in July for a walk down memory lane and an afternoon in Green Lake. If you are missing being on campus or have not visited the campus recently, check out this virtual campus tour at https://tour.ripon.edu/

 
 
 
 
 
I have traveled once since 2019. Cathy Kittell, the Kittell daughters, and I road tripped in October of 2020. We stayed in a house on the South Bay of Little Saint Germain Lake! It was beautiful, relaxing, and most importantly, a change of scenery from our respective houses!! Cathy and I stopped at Prime Choice Meat Market and took this photo.
I am looking forward to being fully vaccinated in 17 days, as of the day I am writing this letter! Yes, I am counting down! I have several trips planned and hope to catch up with classmates and other alumni in those cities. Currently, I plan to be in Chicago and Carlsbad, California. I may be in Raleigh, North Carolina for a few days in July, or I may drive to Lake Lure, North Carolina with a few stops on the way. Let me know if you are near any of these locations and I will let you know when I will be there!
Upcoming Events
Alumni Weekend Returns with Two Offerings
There are several Ripon events to look forward to this summer.  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.
In June, In honor of our 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. 
In August, 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.

#OneDayRally
Ripon’s #OneDayRally event is on April 28, 2021. Please check out the #OneDayRally event link on Facebook.
Local Lodging Updates
A few years ago, the Heidel House closed. It is opening up, again, this July! I know I have a lot of memories there. My family and I dined there after our commencement ceremony. There is a new hotel in Ripon, the Mapes Hotel. If my memory is correct, it is where the Davis Hotel and Les and Bunny’s were. 
Class Notes
STEVE FORDHAM ’88 of Waukesha, Wisconsin, is an adjustor at Erie Insurance.
CAROL SHAY HORNUNG ’88 of Madison, Wisconsin, shared “I wanted to pass along the tidbit that I have a new book out, the start of a series that I’m really excited about. I even put 30 years of experience in the advertising world to work and wrote up a press release. STEVEN BANASIEWICZ ’89 provided encouragement and a read-through to make sure I didn’t stray in areas where I didn’t have the expertise. This is the first of a series and each book is going to take place in a different city and state. This one is Madison, of course, dear to my heart, and the next one has our heroes traveling to Nashville, Tennessee.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In Closing
DAVID JONAS ’88 and I appreciate all of your support of the College over the years and in particular this last year! We hope to see you all soon! Please watch for the #OneDayRally updates! It is a fun day of giving and hearing from fellow alumni! Believe it or not, our next reunion, our 35th, is in two years! Wow!! Please start making plans to attend!
 
KATHY WADE ’88
(248) 470-4336
DAVID JONAS ’88
(202) 251-9640
Your 1988 Class Agents

Submitted by: Class Agents: Kathy Wade & David Jonas

1987 – Spring ’21 Class Letter
Submitted by: Class Agents: Dorrie Smith Scranton & Chris Templeton
1987
Ripon, WI
Class Letter

1987 – Spring ’21 Class Letter

Chris Templeton
Class of 1987
Ripon, WI
Class Letter

1987 – Spring 2021 Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 1987!

What a crazy year we’ve just had. Hopefully, we are all starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We hope that each and every one of you are healthy, happy, and able to find some joy during this time of upheaval.  We can’t wait to see all of you in person at, or even before our next Reunion. Perhaps consider attending Alumni Weekend this summer?
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 TODD CIESIELCZYK ’87, a 2020 inductee (posthumously). 
  • 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.

Some campus updates to share. A small school in a small town has some advantages during a pandemic:

  • Ripon classes started virtually January 25 following a campus-wide testing event with a less than 1% positivity rate!
  • Students and faculty have adapted to learning and teaching in person, online or in hybrid ways

Admission numbers for next fall are looking good:

  • Enrollment is up 30% 
  • Student-athlete enrollment is up 40% 
  • Evenly split between male and female 
  • Approximately 35% first-generation students, a slight increase from previous cycles 

We’re a little light on classmate news this update, so please be sure to share your news with us at any time throughout the year. We’d love to hear from you!
Class Notes:
RAY SCOLAVINO ’87 of East Troy, Wisconsin, was made Distinguished Lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Nice work, Ray!
BETSY MEYERS KNIGHT ’87 of San Diego, California, has discovered that she really enjoys working from home.
DORRIE SMITH SCRANTON ’87 of Woodstock, Connecticut, is obsessed with seed gardening with a focus on growing cut flowers. Trays of seedling have taken over the dining room, along with a winter sowing experiment. Could a dedicated DIY YouTube channel be far behind?
CHRIS TEMPLETON ’87 of Chicago, Illinois, is putting all that Colorado snowfall to good use with a newfound love of Nordic skiing and snowshoeing.
Your Class Agents,
DORRIE SMITH SCRANTON ’87
(860) 455-6108 / [email protected]
CHRIS TEMPLETON ’87
(312) 402-6207 / [email protected]

Submitted by: Class Agents: Dorrie Smith Scranton & Chris Templeton

1986 – Spring ’21 Class Letter
Submitted by: Class Agent: Dan McNaughton
1986
Ripon, WI
Class Letter

1986 – Spring ’21 Class Letter

Dan McNaughton
Class of 1986
Ripon, WI
Class Letter

1986 – Spring 2021 Class Letter

Greetings, Class of 1986!

Dear Classmates,
What a year. I saved a ton on haircuts, only got one last year. Sorry, I refuse to include a photo… but I will share it with those who make it to our 35th Class Reunion in August. 
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 will feature other outdoor events like Rally Run and prairie walk.
  • Additionally, the Class of 2020 will officially be welcomed to our alumni community with a special commencement ceremony.

Our Class Reunion is our last best chance to see each other before we hit our sixties. (COVID-19 be damned). Not sure I want to be so future-oriented anymore! Strange space to occupy, not wanting to look forward to far and living with people who have heard my greatest hits one too many times. I am sure the rest of our class is interested in what you’ve been up to lately. Please send me a note that I can share in the next Class Letter.
Meanwhile on campus: classes began on January 25th with a mix of live and remote learning. Recruiting for the class of 2025 has been going great. Interest in Ripon College has increased during the COVID-19 era. As of March 8, deposits for Ripon College incoming students are at 158, up roughly 15% from last year at this time. Great news!
Looking forward to interacting with you all during #OneDayRally on Wednesday, April 28th. If you haven’t been part of it yet, jump in and engage via email, LinkedIn, Facebook, or whatever your favorite platform is, and join in on the fun.
Hoping you all have been safe and able to avoid cabin fever these last months. 
Dan
(612) 209-2996 / [email protected]
Your 1986 Class Agent

Submitted by: Class Agent: Dan McNaughton