MAGAZINE SUMMER 2021
Stewards of the earth Biology fieldwork yielding discoveries
Alumni careers support sustainability
Celebrating the Class S U of M M2021 E R 2021 |
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Summer 2021 VOLUME 54, ISSUE No. 2
Ripon Magazine (ISSN 1058-1855) is published twice annually by Ripon College. Postage paid at Ripon, Wisconsin. Copyright © 2021 Ripon College POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Ripon Magazine, 300 W. Seward St., Ripon, WI 54971
Ripon College prepares students
Editor: Jaye Alderson, aldersonj@ripon.edu 920-748-8364 Editorial Assistants: Loren Boone, Ric Damm, Michael Westemeier Student Assistants: Kourtney Camm ’22, Zoe Hazel ’22, Jillian Heidenreich ’21 Design: Ali Klunick Photography: Ric Damm Office of Constituent Engagement: 920-748-8126
citizenship. Our liberal arts
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of diverse interests for lives of productive, socially responsible and sciences curriculum and residential campus create an intimate learning community in which students experience a richly personalized education.
Inside 6 RARE BEE FINDS A HOME ON THE PRAIRIE Assistant Professor of Biology Ben Grady is an advocate for rare species. With an aim at protection, he is gathering data on an endangered bee species in the Ceresco Prairie Conservancy and he is helping examine damage to a rare wildflower in Nevada.
9 KEEPING THE ENVIRONMENT GREEN Despite some setbacks caused by the pandemic, Ripon College is maintaining sustainability and conservation as a priority.
18 CERESCO PRAIRIE CONSERVANCY TURNS 25! Alumni share some of their special memories of this large, outdoor classroom.
24 CELEBRATING THE CLASS OF 2021 Commencement was held in person again, with a limited, socially distanced ceremony on campus. The time-honored pride, emotions and joyous spirit of every Commencement held forth.
DEPARTMENTS: 22 Sports 30 Around the Clocktower 32 In Memoriam 36 Remarkable Ripon ON THE COVER: A rare rusty patched bumblebee (Bombus affinis) was discovered last fall in Ripon College’s Ceresco Prairie Conservancy. The discovery effort was carried out by Assistant Professor of Biology Ben Grady and Christina Seese ’23.
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LEFT: Spring Wonder cherry trees were in full bloom in April outside Harwood Memorial Union’s The Spot. The goal of Physical Plant is to plant more trees than are removed and since 2007, 132 trees have been planted on campus. Ripon College was named a Tree Campus USA by the Arbor Day Foundation in June 2020. This honor is bestowed on colleges and universities that promote healthy trees and involve students and staff in conservation.
FROM THE PRESIDENT
‘Sky’s All the Surprise’ One of the best perks of being the president of Ripon College is that my family and I live at 1 Merriman Lane where the Ceresco Prairie meets campus. I often wake up at daybreak, especially during the early sunrises of the late spring, to let our dogs — Elena and Bruno — out for a run. I’ll have a cup of coffee while I listen to the rustling of the leaves on the spectacular giant oaks in the front yard and then watch the orioles swoop in for a taste of the grape jelly we have left out for them. Ripon’s prairie is beautiful in every season, and I try to walk the trails, including South Woods, a couple of times each week, sun or snow. Thanks to Professor Emeritus of Biology Skip Wittler and our physical plant staff, fallen trees are cleared and there’s a new environmentally friendly walkway over the marsh where the blackbirds trill. I like to stop at the bluff where Professor Emeritus of English David Graham has a poem installation, “Sky’s All the Surprise.” David and I put a bench next to his poem where you can stop and rest. We dedicated the bench to all the animals of the prairie. In my nine years at Ripon, I’ve seen giant turtles emerge from Silver Creek, ring-necked pheasants in the backyard and deer that eat placidly from our bird feeders along with foxes, snakes, river otters and sandhill cranes. On the patio, I enjoy Elena and Bruno’s constant geostrategic and tactical battles with the squirrels and chipmunks. At the beginning of June, out for an afternoon walk, I bumped into Assistant Professor of Biology Ben Grady and a Ripon student doing summer research on the prairie. They excitedly told me about their discovery of a rare bumblebee and that they were out taking photographs. Ben’s news felt extra-special and reminded me (again) that most of our students are away from campus during Wisconsin’s spectacular — June, July and August — months, something perhaps that we can start to change in the years ahead. It is summertime again and it has been an eventful year as you’ll read in the pages ahead. This year’s Commencement felt less like the end of something and more like a beginning of a new chapter, post-pandemic. Ripon College is humming along. Our endowment surpassed $100 million in March, new scholarships were created and 250+ new students will matriculate in the fall in the Class of 2025. All of the sudden, the normal feels special. Or, as David Graham wrote in his poem about the prairie, “No surprises, but sky’s all the surprise I need.”
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Zach Messitte and Bruno ready for a walk on Ceresco Prairie.
FROM THE RIPON ARCHIVES
Updates to the historical Black student story New information has been found for the archive story in the Winter 2021 issue of Ripon Magazine: “Robert Page Sims Jr. the first Black student at Ripon College.” Information the College had at that time gave no resolution as to what happened to Sims after his first year at Ripon. Jane Burge Terry ’69 found the tragic ending to the story in an article published June 23, 1925, in the Oshkosh Northwestern newspaper. Sims died of heart failure while swimming in Big Green Lake the summer after his freshman year.
An earlier Black student It also has been discovered that there was at least one earlier Black student at Ripon. George R. Young was a 1911 graduate of Jacksonville (Illinois) High School. He was shown in the 1913 Crimson in the freshman class photo and the cross country team photo; and the 1914 Crimson as a member of the track team.
In this photo from the 1914 Crimson, George R. Young is shown seated, second from left, as a member of the track team.
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FROM THE RIPON ARCHIVES
Mascoutin Village was a little town on the prairie long before Ripon College, city of Ripon
A 1906 map of the Upper and Lower Fox River watershed area around Berlin, Wisconsin, about 10 miles from the Ripon College campus. Ripon is southeast of Berlin, roughly between Rush Lake and Green Lake on the map. (Map courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society). inset The Ripon College campus in the 19th century.
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he snowstorm. The prairie. The determined men. The mythology surrounding the founding of Ripon College in 1851 overlooks the fact that in the middle of the 17th century the Mascoutin people had built a village of 3,000 inhabitants less than a dozen miles from the current campus. Ripon College was not built on an empty prairie. “During a gentle snowstorm in the early spring of 1851, ‘two grim, determined men’ climbed the hill overlooking the village of Ripon. Into the possibly still half-frozen ground, they pounded some stakes outlining the first building of what was eventually to become Ripon College.” While George Miller and Robert Ashley’s Ripon College: A History begins with this genesis scene, we know nearly all histories begin in medias res, the so-called middle of the story. The story of this prairie hill could have begun with the founding of the village of Ripon by David Mapes and John Scott Horner. Or it could have begun on the other side of the hill with the founding of the utopian society Ceresco led by Warren Chase in 1844. Or it could have begun 200 years earlier in 17th century Paris — on the heads of fashionable gentlemen. Indeed, the piece of prairie adjacent to the upper Fox River on which Ripon College sits has had a significant impact on global fashion as well as having been an axis point for the domination of North America. At the beginning of the 17th century — before the Pilgrims had landed at Plymouth — Samuel de Champlain was busy exploring the Great Lakes to establish trading relationships with the area’s American Indians. Europeans had developed an affinity for North American beaver pelts, which were used in creating hats fashionable to the era’s Parisians. Champlain, along with many other traders, was busy exchanging goods for these furs in an attempt to make
their fortunes. Champlain and other traders operated in what is now Quebec and southward toward New York. The demand for beaver pelts quickly outpaced the beaver population. Soon, powerful tribes like those of the Iroquois confederacy pushed farther west in search of more beavers to trap. The Iroquois moved through the Great Lakes to the area just west of Lake Huron, where a smaller tribe called the Mascoutin had been living. Being no match for the powerful Iroquois, the Mascoutin moved west of Lake Michigan to the banks of the Fox River. By 1620, Champlain was no longer exploring the expanse of North America himself but remained at the trading post at present day Quebec as its chief administrator. Explorations were now undertaken by younger men like Jean Nicolet. In 1634, Champlain convinced Nicolet to explore the region beyond Lake Huron and into Lake Michigan. After passing through the straits of Mackinac, he continued along the northern shores of the lake and eventually made landfall. Popular legend purports that Nicolet wore a silk robe and fired his guns in the air upon meeting the Puans (the ancestors of the HoChunk) people near Green Bay. While both the legend and the location of this landfall is currently under debate by scholars, Nicolet had a friendly encounter with the Puans which included several banquets as well as a gift to him of more than 120 beaver pelts. After this encounter, he traveled up the Fox River through Lake of the Puants (Lake Winnebago) and to the point of the river where Berlin is currently located. Here on the plateau above the river, about four kilometers away, was the village of the Mascoutin people. While at the village he heard about other great rivers — the Wisconsin and the Mississippi to the west — but rather than traveling farther up the Fox to reach them, Nicolet instead decided to turn south to meet the Illinois people. The unexplored rivers, opportunities for trading and mission work brought other European explorers in following years. Fathers Jean Claude Allouez and Jacques
Marquette, both Jesuit missionaries, followed Nicolet’s path up the Fox River to the Mascoutin. John Brown Among the Quakers: And Other Sketches, by Irving Berdine Richman, records these accounts: Allouez remarks, “These people are settled in a very attractive place, where beautiful plains and fields meet the eye as far as one can see. These poor mountaineers are kind beyond the power of belief.” Marquette reports, “I took pleasure in observing the situation of this village. It is beautiful and very pleasing. For, from the eminence upon which it is placed, one beholds on every side prairies extending farther than the eye can see, interspersed with groves, or with lofty trees. The soil is very fertile, and yields much Indian corn. The savages gather quantities of plums and grapes, wherewith much wine could be made if desired.” Another missionary, Father Doblon, visited in 1670 and reported a population of 3,000 people “with at least 800 men for defense against the Iroquois” (Richman). While the colonialist mindset is evident in these descriptions, Marquette, Allouez and Doblon recognized the advantages the Mascoutins had created for themselves in the location of their city by the Fox River. European-Americans would not have a city of this size in the immediate area for almost two centuries. Both Berlin and Ripon would not surpass 3,000 residents until the 1880 census. Berlin would not reach 4,000 residents until 1890 and Ripon not until 1940. The Mascoutin village, however, did not last long into the 18th century. The social upheaval unleashed by white settlers moving westward from the British colonies on the Atlantic coast set off a chain of reactions of different tribes moving to new lands. Many of the Mascoutin moved out of the area in 1710 along with the Kickapoo, Miami and Fox. ANDREW PRELLWITZ ASSOCIATE LIBRARIAN-USER SERVICES COLLEGE ARCHIVIST
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STEWARDS OF THE EARTH A rare rusty patched bumblebee was found in fall 2020 in the Ceresco Prairie Conservancy.
Rare bee, buckwheat species inspire work in the field for Ben Grady Rusty patched bumblebee found in Ceresco Prairie
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hen Assistant Professor of Biology Ben Grady was considering coming to teach at Ripon College, the presence of the Ceresco Prairie Conservancy held great appeal. Last fall on the prairie, Grady and Christina Seese ’23 of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, discovered a rare bee, the rusty patched bumblebee (Bombus affinis). “I knew of the bee because it was listed on the federal endangered species list a couple of years ago,” Grady says. “It used to be much more common around the upper Midwest. There was a potential for it to be around here because this hits its historic range and it likes prairies. I wasn’t at all sure, but I was really hoping we would find it.” And find it they did. While completing a
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preliminary survey of pollinators in the Ceresco Prairie, they took as many photos as they could and came across the bee. They believed they had correctly identified the bee with the help of online guides and images. They sent the images for verification to the Wisconsin Bumble Bee Brigade, a citizen science group dedicated to raising awareness and collecting data on bumblebees. The confirmation was particularly exciting because the bee has never been recorded in Fond du Lac County. Grady plans to continue investigative work this summer with Gemma Krause ’22 of Ripon, Wisconsin, and Frederick Mannelli ’22 of Williams Bay, Wisconsin. They plan to document other pollinators
and see if they can find the rusty patched bumblebee in other places. “Part of the challenge is to figure out how much trouble they’re in,” Grady says. “The bee is associated with tall grass prairies, and most of those are gone now. My goal this summer is to get a better sense of how many there are here, what types of plants they’re using, when they’re active, etc. This is baseline information. Any of that is helpful in preserving the species.” He adds, “I don’t think we would have found the bee if it hadn’t been for the restoration efforts of Dr. George “Skip” Wittler (professor emeritus of biology and director of the Ceresco Prairie Conservancy) and other folks.”
Ben Grady works in the field in Yosemite National Park in California.
Grady also is an expert on wild buckwheat, an interest he has held since he was a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This group of plants has limited distribution and grows mostly across the western U.S. deserts, mountains and areas in between. Last year, Grady was an important voice in discussions surrounding Tiehm’s buckwheat, a wildflower known to grow only in a small, 10-acre patch of the Silver Peak Range in Nevada. “It’s extremely limited in distribution, and it’s always been rare since we’ve known about it,” he says. “It is growing on a really strange soil, with high levels of lithium and boron, which is toxic to other plants,” he says. “I find plant
species that are restricted to unusual habitats to be quite interesting, and I study how these types of patterns have evolved in plants.” Tiehm’s buckwheat also is interesting to Grady because it is a critical part of the ecosystem. The local pollinators depend on it for food during May and June since the habitat is otherwise pretty desolate because of the soil. “This plant could help us to understand how plants can grow on toxic soils,” he says. Tiehm’s buckwheat has had national attention over the past year because a mining corporation plans to construct an open-pit lithium mine right under where the plant is growing. This would put about 2/3 of the entire known world population
of Tiehm’s buckwheat at risk. In September 2020, a large portion of the existing population was found with severe damage, and it was unclear whether the damage was from animal predation or from human vandals. There have been multiple lawsuits and investigations as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service tries to determine whether to offer protection to the species. Grady was called in to offer expert advice. “Whatever happened destroyed a lot of plants,” he says. “From my perspective, it just matters that we lost a significant portion of the species that is under even more threat now.”
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Christina Seese ’23 observes the rusty patched bumblebee in the Ceresco Prairie Conservancy.
Human destruction has been ruled out. While that is a good thing, the indication now is that this was done by rodents. “Now we have this new problem,” Grady says. “I’ve never seen that type of damage before.” Theories include that extreme drought has pushed animals to search for new water and food sources. With the threats of climate change and a drastically warming climate, “This type of disturbance could be more common in the future,” Grady says. Work is underway to earn federal protection status for Thiem’s buckwheat, which potentially could halt the proposed mine project. “The main importance is that this is a species that has been in this spot for thousands of years,” Grady says. “If humans are leading to its extinction, that is a real problem. Human actions are leading to lots of extinctions right now. If we have the power to prevent this from going extinct, we should do that. “Ecologically, it provides a pollen source for insects in that area that rely on it. It grows in unusual places. There are things we could learn from this plant with potential for getting other plants to grow in unusual soil.” JAYE ALDERSON RIPON COLLEGE EDITOR JILLIAN HEIDENREICH ’21 MONROE, WISCONSIN 8
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In September 2020, about two-thirds of the known world population of Tiehm’s buckwheat was mysteriously ravaged.
An “Ivory Silk” lilac tree was planted April 27, 2021, along the sidewalk connecting S.N. Pickard Commons and the lawn area in front of Harwood Memorial Union. Shown are John Tobin, grounds manager, left, and Josh Byrum, maintenance worker. The tree was donated by members of the Cincinnati Alumni Group in memory of David Lives ’62, who died Jan. 23, 2021. The alumni group includes Julie Scharon Chovan ’78 and Joe Chovan; Larry Hollmaier ’75 and Lori Hollmaier; Debbie Foster Lin ’75 and Peter Lin; Dan Newyear ’79; Ruth Kortemeier Roeber ’49; Mary Sweeney ’78; and Jenny Stambaugh Voorhees ’77.
Despite pandemic-related setbacks, College moves ahead with sustainability application of some of those concepts. Still, the commitment to conservation and sustainability continues and will resume fulltilt after pandemic restrictions are lifted.
malls; how excess food from restaurants and catering services might be used by food pantries; and “food deserts” in Chicago, areas which have no grocery stores.
Today, Ripon College has files full of efforts to save energy, lower waste, recycle as much as possible and to help its students understand the need for sustainability and conservation on a global scale.
Mark Kainz, associate dean for the Catalyst curriculum and assessment coordinator, says 100 percent of Ripon students are exposed to sustainability concepts consistently through the required Catalyst 300 Applied Innovations Seminar. Student collaboration groups consider five challenges based on U.N. Sustainability Goals, pick one of the challenges and then formulate a specific problem to address.
Kainz, the Patricia and Philip McCullough Class of 1969 Professor of Biology, says students also get a taste of sustainability in Catalyst 100 and Catalyst 220 courses. Ripon also offers a major in environmental studies and a minor in environmental biology.
COVID-19, however, not only put a damper on conservation and sustainability, it temporarily halted the practical
Among the challenges students undertook this spring were food insecurity in Wisconsin; reuses for abandoned shopping
Since its founding, Ripon College has been on a mission to conserve, to assure sustainability of its practices and to make its carbon footprint as small as possible. The College may not have purposely stated its intentions in its early years, but small budgets and, at times, challenges to its livelihood demanded that it pay attention to conservation and sustainability.
The curricular emphasis on sustainability, Kainz says, “has now become normal. It’s not viewed as exotic or beyond anyone’s ability to understand or incorporate” into one’s thinking or classes.
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Jaylend Brown ’24 of Madison, Wisconsin, takes advantage of a ToGo meal, offered to meet CDC guidelines during the pandemic. Through the class ENV 210: Sustainability Lab and Sustainability Fellowships, students helped create a pollinator path. Ecologically friendly flowering plants attract bees and butterflies and promote the natural ecosystem around campus.
“It’s good to see the students’ enthusiasm and excitement,” says Sarah FrohardtLane, director of the environmental studies program and associate professor of history. “Many Ripon students are eager to learn more about, and contribute to addressing, some of today’s and tomorrow’s most pressing problems. I think they have gravitated to courses in sustainability and in environmental studies to approach these issues from interdisciplinary perspectives.” Because of pandemic challenges, the “reallife” implementation of sustainable practices in Ripon’s plant department and food service have been limited. John Tobin, supervisor of housekeeping and grounds, adds, “Shutting down (the campus) for COVID-19 helped us think outside the box and to try things that hadn’t been tried before.” In some cases, COVID-19 “reversed efforts to be sustainable,” according to Keith Lauth, new director of the Ripon College Physical Plant. Sustainability “is the first consideration when an idea is brought forward.” As a result of COVID-19, energy needs increased in places where energy previously had been minimal. “We added more air changers to maximize air flow,” Lauth says, adding that Center for Disease Control
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(CDC) guidelines were specific about cleaning and maintenance. Cleaning efforts were impacted as spaces were added to accommodate in-person classes where students could be spaced out to meet distancing requirements. Lounges, a dance studio, The Terrace gathering spot and other spaces were converted into classrooms; ionization systems to filter out negative air were added; and S.N. Pickard Commons got new heating and cooling systems. Among the sustainability challenges during COVID-19 was a dramatic increase in trash in the residence halls, a result of all food being offered as carry-out (ToGo) and many students eating in their residence hall rooms. “Pre-pandemic, we were moving in a positive manner” with sustainability, Lauth says. For two years, the College had a sustainability director who “was ramping up efforts and bringing additional attention to it.” Funded by a grant from Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, significant successes were realized, not the least of which were general awareness and student and faculty interest. In addition, a retreat on sustainability in 2019 drew 16 faculty members; and students conducted sustainability research which was presented at national conferences and has been published in journals. Other
SAGE Dining Services changed all self-serve food stations to employee-served stations during the pandemic.
programming also brought attention to aspects of sustainability and financial assistance to support teaching and initiatives. The College saved energy when it was almost entirely shut down from March to August 2020 and then again between Thanksgiving 2020 and the end of January 2021. Almost all students were off campus, and most staff worked remotely. Despite the pandemic challenges, sustainability efforts continue: • All lights are switched to energy-saving LED whenever possible. • Less lawn is mowed around the athletic fields and president’s home, returning those areas to prairie. • Students remaining on campus during breaks are congregated into fewer buildings, allowing total shutdowns of some buildings. • A “mulch-in-place” system is practiced with no leaf collection each fall.
• Ripon plants at least as many trees as it removes in a year. • Snow removal has been altered and drop-spreaders are used for sidewalk salt distribution.
Fellowship boosts student experience
• Additional water stations for refilling bottles are being added.
Shreeya Gautam ’21 of Kathmandu, Nepal, and Valerie Doornbos ’21 of Allendale, Michigan, took part in fellowships with the Summer Institute on Sustainability and Energy in 2020.
• Because of budget restrictions, there are fewer staff and an administrative position was eliminated in a transition to a College-operated plant department. • Better pricing on some products has allowed the College to buy more locally. Shreeya Gautam ’21
• A Focus on Energy assessment has identified places on campus where efficiencies can be gained. On the food service side of sustainability, during the heart of the pandemic in 2020, Ripon hired a new provider in SAGE Dining Services. SAGE, as a corporation, notes that “every aspect of our organization reflects our commitment to the environment.” Trying to implement company-wide sustainability practices during a pandemic has been challenging but not impossible, according to JD Gildemeister, general manager at Ripon. “COVID-19 has had us rethink how we do things,” he says. Food service has used ToGo options at all retail outlets on campus, including Pickard Commons, to meet CDC guidelines. All serf-serve food stations have been changed to employee-served stations. Traditionally, Gildemeister says, “SAGE partners with local suppliers to increase the use of fresh, seasonal products, support local farming initiates and reduce fossil fuel emissions.” Among the projects specific to Ripon are conversations about using campus gardens as a source of herbs, vegetables and fruits. The firm also encourages trayless dining and recycling and is interested in re-starting composting at Ripon. It also uses reusable or biodegradable cutlery and service ware whenever possible. SAGE has educational programs and seeks student input via a sustainability board. Their Meet the Farmers program brought an apple orchard producer to campus last fall. SAGE also works with its staff with internal educational programs “to ensure they know how to reduce waste, recycle where we can and cut back on ToGo supplies whenever we can” while following COVID-19 guidelines, he says. Gildemeister sees SAGE working as a partner with Ripon, which he says “is very interested in maintaining and increasing its sustainability program.”
Valerie Doornbos ’21
Gautam graduated with a degree in environmental studies and a minor in computer science. She took part in discussions related to sustainability and energy in a virtual conference with energy leaders like Steven Chu, former energy secretary, and Dr. Michael K. Dorsey, who helped give rise to the Sunrise Movement. She collaborated with the American Energy Society to collect data to build energy ecosystems based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
“This opportunity provided me a great insight on the future of renewable energy as well as my own possible career interest in the energy sector,” Gautam says. “Right after this fellowship, I got interested in energy policies and volunteered as a researcher writing memos for the Wisconsin Climate Task Force committee, specifically under the Energy, Housing and Infrastructure subcommittee.” Doornbos graduated with degrees in environmental studies and history with a minor in Spanish. “I collaborated with other fellows to investigate various energy sectors within the Des Moines, Iowa, ecosystem,” she says. “I focused on discussing and developing a variety of solutions for pressing energy and environmental topics, including the COVID-19 pandemic, energy policy, social justice, the new energy economy and decarbonization.” She will attend graduate school in geography and environmental sustainability at the University of Oklahoma-Norman. Both students were selected to co-write articles for the American Energy Society’s official e-magazine, Energy Today. They also helped write review articles about different presentations during their conference, plus Doornbos is cowriting an article about various energy ecosystems investigated by the fellows. ZOE HAZEL ’22 FRIENDSHIP, WISCONSIN S U M M E R 2021
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Joe Fontaine ’06 helps energy industry help the environment “The energy industry has a significant impact on our environment as well as so many other aspects of life and work,” says Joe Fontaine ’06 of Monona, Wisconsin. “That gives those of us in the industry great responsibility for that stewardship, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to take on that responsibility and work with others to make a better world.” Fontaine is an energy policy advisor at the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, the state agency responsible for regulating
electric, gas, and water utilities. “I was a politics and government major at Ripon. I knew that I wanted a career that would fit with those interests and provide opportunities to make a real impact on the world,” he says. “I thought public policy was a good fit, a way to engage directly with government decisions and apply a range of practical skills.” He earned a master’s degree in public affairs from the University of Wisconsin-
Madison La Follette School of Public Affairs and has since worked in Wisconsin state government. He was a program evaluator for the Wisconsin Legislative Audit Bureau and evaluation manager for Focus on Energy, the state’s energy efficiency and renewable energy program. The move to his current position in June 2019 “was a natural transition,” he says. “My policy advisor role involves the same sorts of analysis, oversight and collaboration I was doing for Focus on Energy, across a wider range of issues.” “The transition toward renewable energy is the biggest change to the energy industry in decades, which means it’s a great chance to make an impact and an important time to do our work well,” he says. “The transition provides big opportunities to save money and help the environment, and we want to find ways to capture those opportunities. But it’s also important to manage these big changes in a way that works for everyone, that keeps costs as low as possible for customers, and makes sure that utilities can still manage their system in a way that keeps the lights on.” He says his Ripon education was great preparation for his work in public policy. “A liberal arts education helps you learn how to understand different perspectives, talk to different people, and use a number of different tools to analyze and understand the world,” he says, “and all of those skills are essential to the work I’m doing every day.”
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Kaitlyn Welzen ’15 promotes sustainability in her ‘corner of the world’ “One part of my job is managing all of the zoo’s sustainability efforts,” she says. “The other major component is overseeing our commissary department, which is responsible for preparing the animal diets. I also lead our ‘Green Team.’”
Kaitlyn Welzen ’15 of Kenmore, Washington, never intended to work in a zoo, but her love of the environment and sustainability led her there. She is now the sustainability and purchasing manager at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington.
After majoring in environmental studies at Ripon, she pursued a master’s degree in sustainable management from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. At the same time, she began working at Woodland Park Zoo as the recycling and compost coordinator. “I completed my degree in May 2020 with the goal of becoming the sustainability director for an organization. In November, I was lucky
enough to get that opportunity at Woodland Park Zoo,” she says. “I want to have a positive impact on my small corner of the world and empower others to do the same. I want to make my workplace as ‘green’ as possible. I also want to be able to share those sustainability success stories and inspire people to take their own ‘green’ actions. “There are so many reasons to want to protect the environment, but I think it all comes back to nature being valuable but fragile. Human action is what destroys nature and it’s our responsibility to be active stewards of the planet.”
Sarah Brewster Reilly ’05 feels a relationship with nature and environmental education. “I have most enjoyed working in the forest learning and collecting data about plants,” she says. “I like learning about the interconnectedness of the many parts of an ecosystem and how the health of the system is dependent on the balance of intricate details.”
Sarah Brewster Reilly ’05 of Three Lakes, Wisconsin, focuses her career on environmental stewardship. “With modern human infrastructure, it is easy to become separated from nature, when in fact we are as much a part of the natural balance as any other living or nonliving entity,” she says. Her educational and work positions include research, forest silvicultural management, invasive species control, native seed collecting for long-term storage
In June, she started as a field technician for the National Science Foundation’s National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). NEON is the largest ecological observatory network in the country and collects data from aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems at 20 different locations across North America. She will work at a field site near Land O’ Lakes, Wisconsin. “My work with NEON will allow me to work with plants growing in their natural habitats,” she says. “By making all data
collected freely available to researchers and students, it will save them the time and expense of doing their own field observations and therefore promote a more collaborative scientific community.” At Ripon, Reilly majored in environmental studies with an environmental biology minor. “I hope that by working for the NEON program, I will be taking part in research being done by the greater scientific community that can be applied to largescale ecological problems, such as climate change, that are vital to the future health of the earth,” she says. “We can’t throw away the earth and get a new one when we have used it all up. She is our one and only, and we can’t leave the repairs to a future generation that may know and understand even less about her than we do now.”
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Paul Meuer ’13 reduces development’s impact on environment
“The health of our local communities is inherently linked to the health of the natural environment,” says Paul Meuer ’13 of Fitchburg, Wisconsin. “To ensure the sustainability of these environments, I think critically about my daily actions and what larger systemic issues I may be reinforcing.” Meuer is a senior environmental scientist working in the water and environment sector for WSP, a leading international
engineering and consulting firm. “I am responsible for advancing our wetland and ecological consulting services throughout the Midwest region.” These include wetland delineations, permitting, wetland mitigation banking and design, ecological restoration, threatened and endangered species surveys, contaminated land remediation, and other services, he says. “I also operate on an emergency response group that is responsible for responding to and remediating environmental disasters.” Numerous people and experiences throughout his life have provided him with opportunities to pursue a career in environmental sciences, Meuer says. At Ripon, he majored in environmental studies with a minor in communication. “Significant influences during my time at Ripon College came from Dr. (George) ‘Skip’ Wittler and Dr. Bob Wallace (both
professors emeritus of biology), whose mentorship, guidance and enthusiasm for teaching were instrumental in supporting my current success. I also want to give a shoutout to Mark DeDina ’07, who provided me with my first real professional opportunity in the environmental consulting field.” He hopes that his work will have an impact. “For every project that I am involved with, I ask myself: ‘How can I reduce or eliminate impacts to the environment? How can I improve current conditions of areas that may be impacted?,’” Meuer says. “Development isn’t inherently bad, but poor planning, bad design and improper execution can make it so. If I can leave an area in better condition than I found it, I consider that an accomplishment.”
Danielle Streber Varnell ’93 helps with advancement of new energy sources
Danielle Streber Varnell ’93 of Davidsonville, Maryland, is a renewable energy lawyer and a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Bracewell LLP, an energy-focused global law firm based in Houston, Texas.
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Her practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, and project development in the energy sector, with a focus on renewable energy and innovative clean technologies. “It is clear that we are in the midst of an energy transition, away from traditional fossil fuels and toward cleaner and more efficient power sources,” Varnell says. “It’s exciting to be on the forefront of these trends as technological advances and corporate stewardship focused on ESG (environmental, social and governance) issues transform our energy mix.” She says much of her career success is related to her strong analytical and writing skills which were honed at Ripon College, where she majored in English and
Spanish. “For someone who loves to read and write, and reread and rewrite, being a transactional lawyer is a great fit,” she says. She received a Juris Doctor from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “It is critical to grid reliability that we have a mix of power sources,” she says. “Fortunately, technology is rapidly advancing so there are continually new sources of innovative clean power as, for example, corporations and utilities develop and build offshore wind plants and U.S. energy policy focuses on advancing and investing in carbon capture, utilization and storage technology.”
Pooja Chawda ’06 works toward ‘environmental justice’ through global interconnectedness Growing up in east Africa and India and spending several years in Europe and North America, Pooja Chawda ’06 was always drawn by the interconnectedness of people, things and experiences. Early in her life, she realized that this systemic interdependence is an important lens through which the world should be viewed. After majoring in communication and German at Ripon College, she earned a master’s degree in peace and conflict resolution in Austria and a master’s in sustainability management at Columbia University. In between her master’s degrees, she spent almost 10 years working in global offices and the United Nations headquarters in New York to advance sustainable
development in sub-Saharan Africa. She transitioned to a new career focus because of her “belief in helping disadvantaged communities in Africa to obtain basic sustenance and a means to live a dignified life,” she says. “I worked with war-torn communities to support sustainable development by helping former warring parties to become law-abiding citizens, and to move the needle on the justice aspect. “Environmental justice became a central piece to me,” Chawda says. “I realized that even in my home state of New York, there are several disadvantaged communities that are bearing the brunt of climate
justice. I started to connect the dots, that we collectively as a society have not done enough to ensure that disadvantaged communities are facing what they are today, that we have not been as thoughtful about the greenhouse gases we emit, and not as courageous as we should have been in investing in innovation needed for cleaner air quality for all.” Chawda now is a project manager at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. She conducts analyses of regulatory landscapes to support development of policies and strategies mandated by New York State’s Climate Law and Community Protection Act. The act is a commitment to 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040, 85% reduction in greenhouse gases, and carbon neutrality across all sectors of the economy by 2050. It sets forth groundbreaking targets to decarbonize the state’s electricity and, eventually, the entire energy system. “What drew me to this law is not just the speed and scale on the emissions side, but also the ambition on environmental justice and climate justice,” Chawda says. “I see my role as driving on-the-ground engagement for emerging efficiency, electrification and value of carbon policies.” She says her work helps ensure that lowand moderate-income disadvantaged communities in New York have access to clean and affordable energy. “This job allows me to be a steward of the environment and sustainability,” Chawda says. “We cannot just be ‘neutral’ here. We have to work toward environmental justice and we have to go that extra mile to ensure equity in the communities we inhabit.”
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O U T S TA N D I N G A LU M N I
Sarah Lehmann ’92 preserves water resources for the future Serendipity and a solid grounding in the liberal arts have led Sarah Lehmann ’92 to a career protecting the nation’s waterways. Lehmann works for the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C., and is team leader for the National Aquatic Resource Surveys, designed to assess the condition of our nation’s lakes, rivers and streams, coastal waters and wetlands. She helps refine and implement work at more than 1,000 sites each summer, contributes to data analysis and supports water quality management decisions.
At Ripon, she majored in politics and government as well as German, “learning not only about these fields, but providing me with a solid foundation that supported me in taking on a role that might not, at first glance, seem to be a perfect fit,” she says. “These skills included writing, critical thinking, the ability to organize and manage my time, and, most importantly, confidence in my ability to learn.” She earned a master’s degree in political science from American University in Washington, D.C. A class on International
Environmental Agreements sparked an interest in working in the environmental field. She was hired by the EPA in the water monitoring program. “I didn’t know it then, but EPA’s Office of Research and Development had been conducting work to apply the approaches behind statistical surveys, such as those used in social science research and medical studies, to the field of environmental monitoring. Given my background in political science and using statistical surveys in my course work, I had just jumped into something that would become a major component of my career.” She says it is important for the public to have information about water quality issues and progress; and that policy makers have data they can use to identify and tackle widespread environmental issues. She also says it’s essential that scientists and other experts have long-term datasets they can use as they research approaches for protecting and restoring water resources; and that students, researchers and the public be inspired to investigate environmental questions from climate change to environmental justice, and from restoring water quality to protecting our remaining high-quality resources. “For me, environmental stewardship is important because our natural resources are the source of our health and well-being,” Lehmann says. “My grandfather always taught us to leave places we went as clean (or cleaner) than we found them – and I firmly believe in the ethic of passing on to the next generation an environment that is better than the way we received it.”
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Sarah Anderson ’10: Protecting nature for the future of our planet “The combination of loving nature, interdisciplinary thinking and learning how to use policy to solve real-world problems” led to a job as an ecologist for Sarah Anderson ’10 of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. She works in the Forest Management, Range Management, and Vegetation Ecology area in the U.S. Forest Service’s Washington, D.C., office. Her staff area is part of the National Forest System, the branch of the Forest Service responsible for
managing public lands under the agency’s jurisdiction, including all 154 of the National Forests and Grasslands. She provides ecological knowledge and expertise, contributes to management guidelines and answers questions from people in the field, agency leadership, partner organizations and Congress. She says her focus is on two major projects: the Terrestrial Condition Assessment which helps assess the health of ecosystems; and
the National Reforestation Program, which addresses a backlog of areas in need of reforestation and to leverage Forest Service lands to mitigate climate change. “Growing up in the north woods of Wisconsin, I have always been a naturalist at heart,” Anderson says. “We lived along the Apple River surrounded by water and trees. The love of nature led me to major in biology at Ripon and continue my studies by earning my Ph.D. in ecology at Washington State University.” She received Ripon College’s Outstanding Young Alumni Award in 2020. She says she wants her work “to make the planet a safer, healthier place for all of us from fellow people to birds to the springtails in the soil. There is a lot to conserve and preserve, and I want my work to contribute to that for the future. “Life has been on this planet for billions of years. We are inheriting a rich tapestry of diversity and beauty that support life-giving processes. So far, we have done a good job at impairing the very functions (filtering water, purifying air, producing oxygen) that sustain our existence. Individually, life is precarious and precious. Collectively, life endures and will continue on this planet long after we are gone. If we desire to continue to be part of this incredible chance of fate … then we need to recognize the incredible cosmic gift of our existence and subsequently have our actions reflect that acknowledgment.”
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Celebrating the Ceresco Prairie Conservancy
Ripon College’s largest outdoor classroom turns 25 this year! The 130-acre Ceresco Prairie Conservancy west of Willmore Center was established in 1996, a partnership with the Department of Natural Resources as part of its Glacial Habitat Restoration Program. The aim is to restore this tract of land to the native prairie, oak savannah and wetlands habitat that once covered a large portion of Fond du Lac County. It has served students in Ripon’s botany, ecology and animal biology courses, and those doing research projects on plants and animals. There also have been projects involving English, art, theatre and economics students. Each year, hundreds of passionate students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends assist in maintaining the prairie, battling invasive species and enjoying the serenity and beauty of the conservancy. Here, Ripon College alumni share some of their special memories.
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George “Skip” Wittler, professor emeritus of biology, is director of the Ceresco Prairie Conservancy. He will lead his popular walk on the prairie during Alumni Weekend 2021 in August.
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One of my fondest memories of the Ceresco Prairie is from the first winter I spent at Ripon College. Having grown up in Virginia, I was used to very mild winters and was so excited to experience more snow. When the first big snowstorm arrived, several friends and I trudged down to the prairie, throwing occasional snowballs along the way. I vividly remember walking through prairie as the snow beat gently down and vacillating between feelings of peaceful serenity and giddy, childlike joyfulness. The stillness and beauty of the prairie blanketed in a layer of white was enchanting. During my four years at Ripon, I spent many hours running, biking, walking and attending classes in the prairie, and got to witness how the prairie changes from season to season. I came to appreciate the majesty of each season and loved watching the plants progress through their annual cycles. However, that first snowy day has always stuck out as one of my favorite memories.
My Ceresco Prairie memory is pretty simple. I attended Ripon from 2000 to 2004. The prairie was my place to go to recharge. As soon as I stepped across the little wooden bridge at the entrance and into the tall prairie grasses, I could feel my body relax and release. I’d often slowly wander around on the trail and listen to the birds, insects and other wildlife. Sometimes I’d jog or run through the trails, but mostly I just enjoyed leisurely walking through the space. This was long before the practice of mindfulness was trendy, but as I look back now, the prairie was a space where I could be present with myself nonjudgmentally — the very essence of mindfulness.
Rachel Schmidt Pufall ’04 Ashland, Wisconsin I used to go sit at the top of the overlook, where no one could see me and read or just think. It was a favorite place to go for a walk or just sit and look out at the campus.
Rachel Thompson Casey ’99 Lake Crystal, Minnesota
I was a student in the early ’80s and lived in Bovay Hall. We always had great views of the sunset. Senior year, Larry Huebner ’83 and I went to the Rev. Jerry Thompson’s sunrise Easter service on a cold, cloudy morning. Afterwards, Larry and I decided to take my car to the top of the prairie to watch the sun come up over the community. A beautiful morning of life eternal. Years later, I became involved as a parent volunteer and the Alumni Board of Directors. Before the pandemic, I would run the prairie on those evenings when I came to Ripon in June. So beautiful! I came face-to-face with baby bunnies and walked up to deer on the path. My favorite place to view the campus.
Kevin Dykstra ’83 Glendale, Wisconsin
Eric Smith ’13 Louisville, Kentucky 20
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All photos by George “Skip” Wittler
My senior year, my roommate, Emma, and I went to the prairie at midnight so we can watch the Milky Way get brighter and brighter!
Going into Ceresco Prairie in the pouring rain to collect data for class. Everyone was soaking wet, including Professor (Ben) Grady, but it was a lot of fun and one of my favorite memories.
Ashley Shudy ’21 Waukesha, Wisconsin
Rebecca Bajt ’19 Coal City, Illinois My husband, Nick Vraney ’03, proposed to me in the Ceresco Prairie. It was such a significant part of our Ripon College daily life. We used to walk and bike in the prairie all the time. Since we met at Ripon, he figured no better place to propose than where it all first started. Almost 16 years into marriage and we love to come back to Ripon College, usually for our boys’ youth basketball tournaments, and we still walk in the prairie for old time’s sake. Such a fun memory for us!
Michelle Tobin Vraney ’04 Sherwood, Wisconsin
I think my favorite memories of being on the prairie are just late-night walks with friends, and I did get a huge kick out of Dr. Bob and Dr. Wittler’s expertise during ecology and botany labs spent on the prairie. It was always so cool to learn the names of everything (common names and scientific names — skunk cabbage is a very memorable common name but a less memorable scientific one!) we saw with Dr. Wittler, or to hear about how different species interacted with each other in the prairie or North Woods ecosystems with Dr. Bob. I did have the honor of managing two bee colonies on the prairie.
I greatly enjoyed the Ceresco Prairie Conservancy – both as a place to walk and as a place to learn. The courses that I took with Dr. (George “Skip”) Wittler that involved the Ceresco Prairie developed my love of prairie, which continues to this day. I received my Ph.D. in prairie plant ecology (the degrees were sustainable agriculture and ecology and evolutionary biology – but my focus was on using prairie plants for bioenergy), and I continue to do research on prairie. Outside of work, I also enjoy working with prairies. At a previous house, I did a prairie restoration on my property. I also continue to serve prairie organizations – I am the president of Spirit Mound Trust, which is a restored prairie site, and I am on the board of directors of EcoSun Prairie Farms. The combination of Dr. Wittler’s deep love for prairie and the community-based learning that we were able to do at the Ceresco Prairie (e.g., harvesting seed which I think was given away to others who were establishing prairie) and at other locations (e.g., we helped to plan a prairie restoration at one of the philosophy professor’s houses, we did the seeding on another prairie restoration project) has been extremely influential on my life.
Elizabeth M. Walsh ’14 Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada
Meghann Morrissey Jarchow ’03 Vermillion, South Dakota S U M M E R 2021
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SPORTS
Brice Swick ’20
Despite trials, support of baseball program brought Brice Swick ’20 back again and again “One of the main things I’ve learned being a part of Ripon’s baseball program is that hard work and dedication are the only way to get where I want to go,” Swick said. “I spent all my time prior to my freshman season in the gym trying to improve my game. I ended up winning a spot in the pitching rotation which I carried into my sophomore year.”
For senior baseball player Brice Swick ’20, the path to graduation has been a long and winding road. Recruited as a highly touted pitching prospect, Swick had led the Kimberly (Wisconsin) High School team to back-to-back state tournament appearances. Hoping to have that same success at the college level, Swick had to prove himself all over again as a freshman. 22
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With his pitching career trending upward, near tragedy struck on Dec. 2, 2017. Swick was an infantryman in the Wisconsin National Guard. He had fallen violently ill and had no sleep the night before a drill in Waupun, but without a doctor’s note he had to attend. After a full day, an exhausted Swick started the 25-minute trek back to Ripon. Having been awake for 36 hours straight, he fell asleep and his car drifted across the centerline and hit another car head-on.
“I don’t remember anything that happened from that moment until two days later,” Swick said. “They had to use the Jaws of Life to get me out of the car and a Flight for Life helicopter to bring me to the hospital.” He suffered a fractured humerus, broken elbow, torn triceps tendon, torn PCL, spleen laceration and a concussion. After five days in the hospital and just four months until the start of his junior season, Swick used the same regimen he had as a freshman — hard work and dedication — to set a goal of returning to the field by opening day. “That accident was the lowest moment in my life as I didn’t know if I’d ever play baseball again, which felt like my identity was being stripped from me,” Swick says. “After two months of recovery and physical therapy, I found my way back to the mound and was starting our first game of the 2018 season on our spring trip to Florida.”
SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY Named to National All-Academic Team with cumulative grade-point average of 3.1 or higher. MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SWIMMING: National Scholar All-America Team honors with cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. After pitching just six innings on that trip, Swick had another setback. He needed more surgery for his torn triceps tendon, “which hit me hard,” Swick says. “After another year of physical therapy, I was back throwing and competing prior to the 2019 season.” That season, Swick had a year for the ages, going 7-2 with 73 strikeouts and just 16 walks in 73 innings of work, while recording an earned run average of 1.84, the second-lowest in the Midwest Conference. His performance helped the Red Hawks advance to the MWC Championship game, while Swick earned All-Region and All-Conference accolades. “2019 was the highlight of my college career,” Swick said. “Not only was it the best season I have ever pitched in my life, but our team was really good and I had some great teammates who were all very competitive.” That MWC Tournament would be the last time Swick and his teammates would play a game for 664 days. The next season was cancelled because of COVID-19. “Another low point for me was when we found out our season was cancelled just hours before we were about to leave for our spring trip in Florida,” Swick says. “I thought my college career was over at that point, but I was presented an opportunity to come back to Ripon this spring through Ripon’s Plus Semester Program,” he says. “I saw that as a chance to get my prerequisites for graduate school and an opportunity to play one more season.” The one constant that helped him get through his trials and tribulations was that the baseball program and Department of Athletics always had his back. “I didn’t anticipate my accident, the injuries or a global pandemic, but Ripon’s baseball program has helped me become the person I am today,” he says. “I’ll forever be thankful for the lessons I learned about hard work, dedication and sacrifice. Without Ripon baseball, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to set an example for my peers. This program means the world to me for trusting me, giving me an opportunity, and for all they have done for me. I’m forever grateful that I decided to make Ripon my home away from home.” MIKE WESTEMEIER DIRECTOR OF ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
MEN’S TENNIS Defeated St. Norbert and Cornell for the first time in 14 years.
MEN’S SOCCER Christian Millan ’23 of Ripon, Wisconsin, was named to the Wisconsin Men’s Soccer All-State Second Team and named Wisconsin Men’s Soccer’s Sportsperson of the Year by the United Soccer Coaches Association. WOMEN’S SOCCER Camrie Schmitz ’21 of Kiel, Wisconsin, finished her career with 31 goals, seventh in program history, despite playing just 40 career games. Goalkeeper Stefani Zeiger ’21 of Mundelein, Illinois, finished her career with 222 saves, sixth in program history.
BASEBALL Nick Tenny ’22 of Gilberts, Illinois, gave Ripon a 10-9 win over conference-leading Beloit with a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth to complete a comeback against the Buccaneers. Nick Terrell ’22 of Peoria, Illinois, hit three home runs at St. Norbert, tied for second in program history for a single game.
SOFTBALL Victoria Duran ’23 of Albuquerque, New Mexico, recorded five RBI against conference-leading Lake Forest, a tie for second in program history for a single game.
FOOTBALL Quarterback Cormac Madigan ’22 of Rosendale, Wisconsin, tied a school record for most completions in a single game, completing 31 passes at Concordia-Wisconsin. MEN’S BASKETBALL Jack Brady ’22 of Brookfield, Wisconsin, made seven 3-pointers in a win at Lake Forest, tied for sixth in program history for a single game. WOMEN’S BASKETBALL In just her second season, Alison Leslie ’23 of Clayton, Wisconsin, moved into 10th in school history for career 3-pointers. MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD Jackie Zeman ’21 of Ripon, Wisconsin, broke indoor and outdoor school records in pole vault, clearing over 11 feet twice. At the Midwest Conference North Division Championships: • 34 All-Conference honors and nine event champions • Both teams finished second • Callista DeCramer ’21 of Princeton, Wisconsin, was top female point scorer, including wins in the 4x400 Relay and 400m hurdles. • Payton Rahn ’22 of Omro, Wisconsin, is Ripon College’s 14th recipient of MWC’s Elite 20 Award. • Dameco Walker ’23 of Brown Deer, Wisconsin, MWC North Men’s Outstanding Track Athlete of the Meet; and Josh Pillath ’24 of Peshtigo, Wisconsin, MWC North Newcomer of the Year. Both tied as top individual point scorers. S U M M E R 2021
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Noah Fish, senior class speaker.
President Zach Messitte addresses the graduates.
Masked and safely distanced spectators follow the ceremony.
John Harmon, the honorary degree recipient, performs his own composition, “I Raise My Glass to You.”
Danielle Vollendorf, left, and Kim Mueller, representing the Fond du Lac County Health Department, and Maria Dietrich are introduced before accepting their respective Founders’ Day Awards.
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Guy Runals Henshaw ’68 and Susan Siegel Henshaw ’68 of Danville, California, received the College’s Medal of Merit.
Dakota Marlega, senior class speaker.
Ripon College Class of 2021 comes back together again for in-person ceremony
A
fter a year of uncertainty, a cancelled 2020 Commencement ceremony and many adaptations to campus life, the Ripon College Class of 2021 came together Sunday, May 16, with joy, spirit and pride to celebrate at a modified but in-person Commencement ceremony. The theme was “Wisconsin Music: Riffs from the Heartland,” honoring the significant musical heritage of the state. A full video of the Commencement ceremony can be viewed at ripon.edu/ Commencement. Honorees included: • John Harmon of Winneconne, Wisconsin, a widely acclaimed composer, jazz pianist and music educator, who received an honorary degree. • Maria Dietrich of Ripon, Wisconsin, a longtime community arts administrator and a retired adjunct instructor of piano at Ripon College, who received the 2020 Founders’ Day Award. The 2021 award
recognized regional partner the Fond du Lac County Health Department. • S andra Polcyn of Ripon, Wisconsin, who received the Distinguished Educator Award. She is the band director at Ripon High School and an adjunct instructor of music at Ripon College. •L ongtime supporters Guy Runals Henshaw ’68 and Susan Siegel Henshaw ’68 of Danville, California, accepting virtually, who received the College’s Medal of Merit. During his address, Harmon said, “It’s an overwhelming honor, but the real stars of this show are sitting right over here,” indicating the graduates. “You guys are the ones, especially under the circumstances (under which) you had to operate.” He reflected on his years as a composer and musician and shared words of wisdom he has followed: “If you love what you’re doing, there is nothing that inhibits you,” he said. And a friend once told him, when things are daunting and progress seems
slow, “Never look at how much is left to do,” Harmon said. “Only look at what you’re doing and ‘do it good.’” Student class speakers were Dakota Marlega of Waupaca, Wisconsin, and Noah Fish of Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. President Zach Messitte told the graduates that with the passage of time, we may not remember so much the difficulties of a year in pandemic, but “more about the success you achieved in the classroom, relationships you’ve built with professors and staff, friendships, successes. … You have grown and benefited from working with us, but each of us are better because of each of you.” He concluded, “Today we celebrate your past and your future. It is important as the years pass for you to remember Ripon College. It’s said that to make people happy is one of the greatest things you can ever do. There is much to be happy about today. We won’t forget you. Don’t forget Ripon.”
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CLASS OF 2021
Where are they heading? Here is a sampling of plans for some of our recent graduates
HANNAH KRUEGER
BENJAMIN GEORGIA of Green Bay, Wisconsin, majored in chemistry-biology. He will pursue a master’s of science in nursing at DePaul University in Chicago.
of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, majored in history as well as politics and government, with minors in national security studies, Spanish, law and society, and American studies. She will attend the University of Miami’s School of Law.
MARIA REBER of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, majored in music with a minor in theatre. She will take a gap year then pursue a master’s degree in music therapy at Augsburg University.
TORI BRAUN NHI LE of Glendale, Wisconsin, majored in communication as well as politics and government. She will pursue a master’s degree in communication from the University of Nevada-Reno.
JULIA GOEKS of Lake Forest, Illinois, majored in chemistry and physics with a minor in mathematics. She will pursue a doctorate in materials science and engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 26
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of Juneau, Wisconsin, majored in mathematics with a minor in educational studies. She will pursue a Ph.D. in mathematics at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
KAITLIN HUTCHINSON of Sturtevant, Wisconsin, majored in chemistry-biology. She will attend pharmacy school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
ALIENA WALLS
SHANNON SORBO
of Madison, Wisconsin, majored in English with a minor in communication. She will pursue a master of fine arts in writing through an online program with Lindenwood University.
of Nekoosa, Wisconsin, majored in sports management with minors in business management and coaching. She will pursue a master’s degree in sports management at Florida State University, while also being a graduate assistant for the men’s basketball team.
LUKE DRETSKE of Berlin, Wisconsin, majored in finance as well as politics and government, with a minor in law and society. He is a legislative assistant for the Wisconsin State Assembly.
AVA CONRAD of Waukesha, Wisconsin, majored in elementary education with a minor in psychology. She will pursue an education specialist degree in school psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
ALEXIS RIGGS of Ripon, Wisconsin, majored in anthropology with a minor in sociology. She will study clinical rehabilitation counseling at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
KAYLEY GRABOWSKI of Plainfield, Illinois, triple majored in mathematics, economics and business management. She will pursue a Ph.D. in economics at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
MADELINE KUHL of Whitewater, Wisconsin, majored in finance and minored in economics. She will be a search associate at e.serv Technical Solutions. BRITTNY BROWN of Independence, Wisconsin, majored in psychology with a minor in business management. She is working for Ascension Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh.
MEGAN DILLE of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, majored in educational studies and psychology. She will teach in the Fond du Lac School District.
MADISON KING of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, double majored in mathematics and economics. She will be an associate implementation analyst with OpenGov.
CONNOR KUHN of Hilbert, Wisconsin, majored in mathematics with a minor in educational studies. He will complete his student teaching experience and then become a high school math teacher in northeast Wisconsin.
CALLYSTA HANSEN of Franksville, Wisconsin, majored in biology with a minor in criminal justice. She will be a pathology research assistant at Covance in Madison, Wisconsin.
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Abbe Lane ’22 of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, posts stickers displaying individual donors’ names during #OneDayRally.
Ripon College’s endowment surpasses $100 million, better securing our future I
n March, Ripon College’s endowment crossed above the $100 million mark for the first time. This milestone indicates Ripon’s financial foundation and the commitment of its alumni and friends to its future. Just over a decade ago, the endowment was only $35 million. The College has emphasized building the endowment over the decades to keep Ripon affordable to the best and brightest students, regardless of their financial situation. One hundred percent of Ripon College students receive some form of financial assistance. The Class of 2024
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has 23% diversity, and 45% are first-generation students. “Colleges traditionally draw their revenues from three principal sources: tuition, annual gifts and interest from the endowment,” says President Zach Messitte. “The larger the endowment, the less we have to rely on students’ tuition dollars. Over the decades, alumni and friends have been incredibly generous, believing in our mission. They have donated their time, treasure and talent to make sure our future will continue to be bright.”
#ONEDAYRALLY The worldwide Ripon College community came together again for the #OneDayRally giving day April 28 to support the Ripon Fund, Red Hawks Club in athletics and Friends of the Arts. The event raised $1,694,548 from 2,087 donors, up 72 donors from the 2020 #OneDayRally. Donors included 217 Game Changers who helped inspire participation and new gifts through unique challenges. The Class of 1978 led all classes with the highest number of donors at 80.
Richard V. and Frances S. Dietrich
Kate Maynard ’23 of Roscoe, Illinois, left, and Hannah Brockman ’24 of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, celebrate #OneDayRally.
The Class of 1967 led with the highest collective donation amount of $505,551. Support for the Red Hawks Club and Friends of the Arts, which is included in the overall amount raised, included $47,351 from 228 donors to the Red Hawks Club; and $27,075 from 164 donors to the Friends of the Arts. SCHOLARSHIPS During the spring semester, major funding sources were established to help bring a more diverse population to Ripon:
David I. Chemerow and Doreen Conforti Chemerow ’73
• The Richard V. and Frances S. Dietrich Trust Scholarship and Richard V. and Frances S. Dietrich Faculty Development Fund, with a combined value of more than $2 million, focus on first-generation students with financial need, and creating opportunities for faculty. They were established in the name of the parents of Professor Emeritus of Music Kurt Dietrich and his siblings. • The Conforti and Chemerow Scholarship will benefit graduates of Tremper High School in Kenosha, Wisconsin, who display financial need and improve Ripon’s racial and ethnic diversity. It was established by Doreen Conforti Chemerow ’73 and her husband, David I. Chemerow, both graduates of the high school. • The Franzen/Cristo Rey Endowed Scholarship will benefit graduates of Cristo Rey Jesuit, a high school in Milwaukee. The focus is first-generation students. It was established by Mark Franzen ’83 and Janice Heinz Franzen ’83.
Janice Heinz Franzen ’83 and Mark Franzen ’83
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AROUND THE CLOCKTOWER 1
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Megan Gannon
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Rafael Francisco Salas
Nicholas Eastman
Steven Martin
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1. New micro grants support diversity and inclusion
• Senior Class Award: Professor of Communication Steven Martin.
5. Robert L. Wallace receives four-year NSF research grant
The Office of the President launched a new annual grant initiative. Awards of up to $2,000 support projects designed to enhance the quality of life at Ripon College with an emphasis on diversity and inclusion.
3. Lamont Colucci book explores international relations in Bible
Robert L. Wallace, professor emeritus of biology and the former Patricia and Philip McCullough 1969 Professor in Biology, has received a four-year research grant from the National Science Foundation of more than $100,000 to study aspects of the ecology and evolution of rotifers.
The first awarded projects included a “Bringing Drag to Campus” event by the Queer Straght Alliance; a Men of Color Initiative; and a project to assist international students upon their arrival to Ripon College. A mural celebrating the message of diversity was painted on campus. Painting II students of Professor of Art Rafael Francisco Salas submitted proposals for the design, which then were sent to diversity groups on campus for feedback. The winning design is by Bailey Zanck ’22 of New Berlin, Wisconsin. It features the words Diverse Not Different enhanced with traditional ethnic textile patterns from a variety of cultures. The mural was painted on the south exterior of Johnson Hall. (Bailey Zanck ’22 helps paint the mural she designed.)
2. Faculty members honored for 2020-21 academic year Four faculty members were honored for the 2020-21 academic year at the spring awards ceremony. • Faculty/Staff Mentor Award: Associate Professor of English Megan Gannon. • James Underkofler Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching: Professor of Art Rafael Francisco Salas. • May Bumby Severy 1908 Award: Assistant Professor of Educational Studies Nicholas Eastman.
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The International Relations of the Bible, a new book by Professor of Politics and Government Lamont Colucci, explores the world, politics and people of the Old and New Testaments. Its description states: “International relations is an increasingly important topic for the average American. It determines job prospects, economic growth and decline, war, peace and whether or not a foreign entity uses a weapon of mass destruction.”
4. Ripon, Marian University exploring possible partnership Ripon College and Marian University in Fond du Lac have created a joint working group to examine the possibility of a more collaborative arrangement. Administrators, faculty, staff, trustees and students from both institutions, with the support of consultants from the Registry Advisory Services, explored potential benefits of establishing a closer partnership around administrative, academic and co-curricular activities. The joint working group presented their findings to the boards of trustees at both institutions, and further summer exploration is ongoing. “We’re two different schools with two distinct histories and cultures, but we’re not looking to merge — rather, find some ways to cooperate,” said Zach Messitte, president of Ripon College. “We each care deeply for our students, and we each want to provide them with a comprehensive and quality education that is affordable and enriching. I’m hopeful that we will find areas where, by working together, we might be able to enhance our respective institutions.”
This research is a collaborative effort with colleagues from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and the University of Texas El Paso. Those institutions have received their own support for the project. The research will focus on the life cycles and reproduction processes of phylum Rotifera, typically called rotifers.
6. Henrik Schatzinger now a U.S. citizen Associate Professor of Politics and Government Henrik Schatzinger became a U.S. citizen in March. A profile about his 20-year journey to American citizenship ran March 10 in the Ripon Commonwealth Press. The profile can be read at ripon.edu/citizenship. He joined the Ripon College faculty in 2009 and also serves as co-director of Ripon College’s Center for Politics and the People. Schatzinger now has U.S., German and Finnish citizenships, but he says he’s “all about America right now.” Schatzinger also was cited in an article in March published in the Belgian newspaper La Libre. Because of his book Game Changers, written with Professor of Communication Steve Martin, Schatzinger was asked to comment on former President Trump’s possible plans for spending the millions in dollars he has raised after the 2020 election.
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7. Trent Jones ’20 selected in second round of TBL draft
9. Ripon alumni contribute to success of online play
One year after playing his final game in a Ripon College uniform, Trent Jones ’20 was drafted in the second round (39th overall) by the Tampa Bay Titans of The Basketball League (TBL).
A Zoom production of Margaret Cavendish’s comedy “The Sociable Companions,” directed by Associate Professor of English Ann Pleiss Morris, was presented in March by Sweet Tea Shakespeare of Fayetteville, North Carolina. It can be viewed at ripon.edu/tea.
The TBL consists of 35 teams, and each team drafted two players. After a two-week training camp, the regular season of 34 games began in April. Jones has since been traded to the Shreveport Mavericks, where as of April 23 he was averaging 15 points, two rebounds, and two assists per game, while shooting 50 percent (7-14) from 3-point range. Jones was a business management major from Dodgeville, Wisconsin. He finished his Ripon career with 1,293 career points, 12th in program history and tied for ninth in career steals (110).
8. Micaela Rivera ’21 third author on widely shared paper Micaela Rivera ’21 of River Falls, Wisconsin, is the third author on groundbreaking research published in the prestigious journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B in March. The findings gained national attention in outlets including National Public Radio, The Atlantic, Science Daily, Smithsonian Magazine and Live Science. Cognitive behavior in cuttlefish was researched at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Rivera helped train cuttlefish for the experiment and collected data. She majored in psychobiology at Ripon and hopes to pursue a Ph.D., most likely in animal behavior.
Participating Ripon alumni included: Jessie Lillis ’13 of Staunton, Virginia; Charlotte Lee Wahle ’13 of Marshall, Minnesota; Amanda Finn Haggerty ’14 of Chicago, Illinois; Brennan Kane ’17 of Anoka, Minnesota; Allison Rose Macknick ’17 of Chicago, Illinois; Sophie Widman ’18 of Minneapolis, Minnesota; Jimmy Ballesteri ’19 of Plymouth, Wisconsin; Sam Ginkel ’19 of Mequon, Wisconsin; Bailey Jerrick ’20 of Stoughton, Wisconsin; Ryan Krogsgaard ’20 of Lewisville, Texas; DeShawn Thomas ’20 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Ben Morris of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Philly D. Slim, provided music. He is the son of Director Emeritus of Theatre Bob Amsden and Professor Emerita of Education Jeanne Williams.
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The funding is supporting the study of the combined use of immunotherapy and targeted radionuclide therapy to treat metastatic cancer.
11. Megan Gannon has poems published in journals Megan Gannon, associate professor of English, has a poem, “Dispatch from the Hotel Pool,” published in the fall/winter 2020 issue of Atlanta Review. She has two poems in the Winter 2021 issue of Willow Springs: “Dispatch from Simultaneous Swim Lessons” and “Dispatch Four Days After the Funeral.”
12. Emma Bronson ’17 accepted into global leadership program Emma Bronson ’17 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is learning about international affairs with like-minded individuals from around the country. She was accepted into the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition Next Generation Program after being nominated by President Zach Messitte. It is being held virtually.
Dan Miles ’14 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was the host.
“I have always had a servant heart and been drawn to something bigger than myself,” Bronson says. The program focuses on bipartisanism and teaching the next generation about diplomacy, advocacy and international relations.
10. Team co-led by Zachary Morris ’02 earns $12.5 million research grant
13. Bren Davis ’22 honored in short story contest
Zachary Morris ’02 of Madison, Wisconsin, vice chair in the Department of Human Oncology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, co-leads a team of researchers who have earned a five-year, $12.5 million National Institutes of Health Research Program (P01) Grant, plus $2 million in institutional matching funds.
Bren Davis ’22 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, won honorable mention in the 2021 ACM Nick Adams Short Story Contest, open to students at Associated Colleges of the Midwest schools. Davis is majoring in English. Winning and honorable mention stories were named by final judge Sandra Cisneros, an award-winning novelist of The House on Mango Street.
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In memoriam JANE ALLEN WATERS ’42 of Columbia, South Carolina, died Aug. 10, 2012. At Ripon, she participated in Kappa Delta/Delta Phi Sigma. Her husband served in the Army and they lived in Georgia, Virginia, Germany and Italy prior to their retirement in Columbia. Survivors include one son. Her husband, ROBERT L. WATERS SR. ’41, died in 1992. FREDERICK W. ALLEN ’45 of Peoria, Illinois, died Jan. 24, 2021. At Ripon, he participated in Phi Kappa Pi. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II and was trained as a pilot. He later was a pitcher with the Papermakers of Appleton, Wisconsin, a minor league affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. He then received a law degree from Northwestern University. He had a long career as a plaintiff’s attorney, eventually owning his own law firm. He was a member of numerous national and international professional organizations and held various leadership positions. He enjoyed golf, watching baseball, and was a member of the Elks Club for more than 70 years, the American Legion and community groups. Survivors include two daughters. ANNETTE SOLWAY DHEIN ’46 of the town of Sevastopol, Wisconsin, died March 10, 2021. At Ripon, she majored in biology and participated in Alpha Chi Omega/Alpha Gamma Theta. She taught English and biology in Edgar, Wisconsin, before her marriage, then lived in West Bend where she was a substitute teacher and was active in Immanuel United Church of Christ and various community organizations. She later lived in Sturgeon Bay and was a member of Hope United Church of Christ, PEO and the Door County Historical Society. She enjoyed knitting and cross stitch, playing bridge, reciting poems and telling stories. Survivors include one son and two daughters. Her husband, WILLARD DHEIN ’49, died in 2017. MARY JANE “JANIE” KRAUS WEEKS ’46 of DeKalb, Illinois, died Nov. 7, 2010. At Ripon, she majored in psychology and English and participated in the College Days newspaper and Alpha Phi/Kappa Sigma Chi. She taught in Aurora East School District 131 for more than 40 years and received numerous recognitions for excellence in teaching. She lived in Cape Coral, Florida, from 1984 to 2005, and was a lifelong member of Our Lady of Good Council Church in Aurora, Illinois. Survivors include four daughters. SAMUEL W. DOUGAN ’48 of Tucson, Arizona, died Jan. 21, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in history, was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon/Delta Sigma Psi and was commissioned through ROTC. He later was a class agent and a charter member of Partners in the Legacy. He served in the Army during World War II. After earning a master’s degree in education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he taught grades 8-12 for 34 years. He was recognized by the University of Arizona for leadership in their student-teaching program. He was involved in community theatre, the Tucson Stamp Club and related activities, team bowling, and showing Scottish terriers. He was an active member of St. Philip’s in the Hills Church and enjoyed traveling and physical fitness. FRANCES H. HOCKENHULL RALFF ’49 of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, died May 11, 2021. At Ripon, she majored in biology and participated in Alpha Xi Delta/Kappa Theta. She earned a degree in medical technology in Madison. She worked as a medical technician in Madison before becoming a bookkeeper for her husband, Rudy’s, real estate business. She was active in her United Methodist Church and worked as a church secretary until she retired at the age of 85. She enjoyed reading, sewing,
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needlework, attending church, baking and calligraphy. Survivors include two children. CHARLOTTE KRAUS SCHARNO ’49 of Venice, Florida, died May 11, 2020. At Ripon, she majored in English and participated in Ver Adest and Alpha Phi/Kappa Sigma Chi. She taught and served as principal at numerous Catholic schools. She especially enjoyed teaching the fourth-grade level. She retired to Venice, Florida, from St. Louis in 1994 and was active in numerous community committees. Survivors include one son and two daughters. Her husband, RICHARD L. SCHARNO ’49, died in 2018. CARLTON “SMOKEY” BLOCHWITZ ’51 of Avon Park, Florida, died Sept. 25, 2020. At Ripon, he majored in psychology and was involved in Ver Adest, football, ROTC and Theta Chi/Alpha Omega Alpha. He later was a member of Partners in the Legacy. He studied law at Drake University. He served in the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps during World War II and in Korea. He enjoyed traveling in his motorhome during the summers, and tennis. Survivors include his wife, Carol; and children. PETER H. ORVIS ’51 of Arlington, Virginia, died Aug. 13, 2020. At Ripon, he majored in mathematics and physics and participated in Ver Adest, athletics and Phi Kappa Pi/Merriman. He received a master’s degree in system management from the University of Rochester. He had a career as a surface warfare officer. His duties included working on the staffs of the Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force Pacific, and the Chief of Naval Operations. He also taught at the U.S. Naval Academy. He retired at the rank of captain in 1974. After retirement, he worked for the company Survivors include his wife, Jean; one son and two daughters. NANNETTE WEIMAR KEENAN ’51 of Franklin, Tennessee, died Oct. 30, 2020. After Ripon, she attended Northwestern University where she excelled in theater and landed the coveted position of assistant to the famed acting teacher Alvina Krause. She and her husband, Joseph Keenan, were active in theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, and Murfreesboro, Franklin and Nashville, Tennessee. She also taught speech and theater at Middle Tennessee State University. She was a passionate professional actress and director, an avid gardener, and volunteer of many organizations and social causes, including the Church of the Resurrection Episcopal Church in Franklin. Survivors include two sons and one daughter. G. WILLIAM “BILL” CHAPMAN ’52 of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, died May 19, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in economics, participated in athletics and Phi Delta Theta/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, represented numerous communities and 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 a new YMCA. He was recognized as Oconomowoc’s Citizen of the Year in 2000. Survivors include two sons. 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 Chi Omega/ 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 daughterin-law, SARA OBERHAUSER BABCOCK ’83; and a grandson, PETER BABCOCK ’09. Her husband, THOMAS BABCOCK ’51, died in 2002. KENNETH E. FENSKE ’53 of Waupun, Wisconsin, and formerly Germantown, Wisconsin, died Feb. 5, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in German and participated in Ver Adest, ROTC and Phi Kappa Pi/Merriman. Pi. He played football, was co-captain his senior year and was on the All-Midwest Conference first team as a defensive end. He played golf and served as junior class president and fraternity treasurer. He served in the U.S. Army in Germany and was a manager for the Wisconsin Telephone Co., Chicago Decal Co. and 3M. For 40 years, he was an insurance consultant and received many industry honors. He was a member of Toastmasters, Kiwanis and Rotary, and enjoyed flying kites, swimming, fishing, golfing, reading, Bible studies, playing cards, photography, refinishing antique furniture and traveling. Survivors include his wife, Barbara; and two daughters. EVERETT L. SCHWALBE JR. ’55 of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, died Feb. 19, 2020. At Ripon, he majored in economics, participated in athletics and Phi Kappa Pi/Merriman, and was commissioned through ROTC. He served in the U.S. Army from 1951 until retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 1978. He owned a Standard service station with his brother, Glenn, in the early 1960s; managed the Ben Franklin store in downtown Brillion for several years; sold insurance; and was a supply chain manager for Speed Queen. He was a member of Holy Family Parish and Knights of Columbus and was a Boy Scout leader and a football coach. He enjoyed camping and doing handyman work. Survivors include two sons and one daughter. RAY G. BESING ’57 of San Antonio, Texas, died April 16, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in philosophy and was involved in athletics, Crimson, choir and Sigma Chi/Omega Sigma Chi, and he served as president of the Student Body and chairman of the Student Court. He later was a trustee of the Alumni Board of Directors and a Partner in the Legacy. He received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2012. He studied international law at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. He practiced law for 40 years. He then taught a master’s course at the Faculty of Laws, University College London. He retired to Santa Fe, New Mexico. He enjoyed travelling, opera, charity work and the Dallas Cowboys. Survivors include four sons. 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.
NANCY E. CONNER ’58 of Carlsbad, California, formerly a longtime resident of Oceanside, California, died March 3, 2021. At Ripon, she majored in psychology and participated in Alpha Chi Omega/Alpha Gamma Theta. She received a degree in psychology from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. She worked as a senior aide to the head of the Art Institute of Chicago, then with Charles F. Murphy, head of a leading Chicago architectural firm. In 1975, she relocated to Oceanside, just north of San Diego. She worked with the president and CEO of Ecke Ranch in Encinitas, one of the largest poinsettia producers worldwide. She finished her career with the North County Transit District. She enjoyed genealogy and travelling to learn about her Irish and French heritage. VICTOR G. WOESTE ‘59 of Eugene, Oregon, died March 1, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in economics and participated in WRPN radio, football, ROTC and Phi Kappa Pi/Merriman. He later became a Partner in the Legacy. STANLEY E. BALL ‘60 of Brighton, Michigan, died Feb. 15, 2020. At Ripon, he studied economics and was a member of Theta Chi/Alpha Omega Alpha, He received a master’s degree in finance from Indiana University Bloomington. He worked at Ford Motor Credit Co. for 31 years in the commercial paper department, retiring as assistant treasurer in 1995. He and his wife then worked in fundraising for Send International, a mission agency, for eight years. He served on the Cornerstone EPC missions committee for 13 years. He was an avid baseball and Green Bay Packers fan. He enjoyed working with model trains, playing golf and the beach. Survivors include his wife, JUDITH PELINO BALL ’60; and three daughters. COLDWELL SIDNEY “SID” JOHNSTON III ’60 of Scottsdale, Arizona, died Nov. 8, 2014. At Ripon, he studied economics and participated in Sigma Alpha Epsilon/Delta Sigma Psi. He had a long career in banking that eventually took him and his family to Phoenix, Arizona, where he spent the majority of his life. He retired as a senior vice president at Bank of America in 1993. He loved animals and enjoyed the beach in San Diego, surf fishing, reading, tennis and watching football. Survivors include one son and one daughter. GEORGENE KLANER KOBLENZ ’60 of Chicago, Illinois, died Dec. 5, 2020. At Ripon she studied biology and was a member of Alpha Xi Delta/Kappa Theta. She later was a charter member of Partners in the Legacy. She had worked as a funeral director for more than 60 years and was a longtime employee of Household Finance Corp. DANIEL L. BENKA ’61 of Prince George, Virginia, died Jan. 26, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in economics and participated in football and Phi Kappa Pi/Merriman. He was commissioned through ROTC and received the ROTC Distinguished Military Graduate recognition. He served in the U.S. Army from 1961 to 1987, including tours in Vietnam, three years in France and two years in South Korea. He retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1978. While serving, he received his master’s degree in economics from the Florida Institute of Technology. He then worked with the Department of Defense and Dominion Energy. He was a member of several community groups and served numerous high-level posts with the Jaycees. Survivors include his wife, Elizabeth; one son and one daughter; and a brother, JOHN BENKA ’60. WILLIAM W. SOUTHERN ’61 of Two Rivers, Wisconsin, died June 12, 2020. At Ripon, he majored in psychology, participated in athletics and Phi Kappa Pi/Merriman, and was commissioned
through ROTC. He served in the Army and completed a master’s degree in psychology from Michigan State University. He enjoyed walking his dog, taking trips with his wife, and attending local basketball games, tennis matches, track and cross country meets, and school events. Survivors include his wife, Marie; two sons and one daughter. KENNETH P. DUNLAVY SR. ’62 of Buffalo Grove, Illinois, died April 9, 2021. At Ripon, he studied physical education and participated in athletics, ROTC and Phi Kappa Pi fraternity. He was named to the Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002. He received a master’s degree from the College of Notre Dame. He served in the United States Marine Corps for 29 years, as a fighter pilot during the Vietnam War and then a helicopter pilot, retiring as a colonel. He was a pilot for American Airlines for 28 years, retiring as a Boeing 777 captain. He enjoyed storytelling and coaching his sons in football. Survivors include his wife, STEPHANIE ROWLAND DUNLAVY ’65; three sons and two daughters; and nieces and nephews, including APRIL DUNLAVY ’03, KIRBIANNE DUNLAVY ’14 and JOHN DUNLAVY ’07. DAVID J. GROTHE ’62 of Hayward, Wisconsin, died Jan. 26, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in history, participated in Sigma Alpha Epsilon/Delta Sigma Psi and was commissioned through ROTC. He joined the Army as a second lieutenant, where he received paratrooper training. He had a varied career, working as a fry cook, chef, purchasing agent for a hotel, tax consultant, bookkeeper, and manager of a flight kitchen for an airline. He enjoyed boating and was a co-owner and vice president of Marina Del Sol. He lived in numerous places, including Wisconsin Rapids, Fort Benning, Georgia, Las Vegas, Hilo, Hawaii, and Corpus Christi, Texas. DAVID R. LIVES ’62 of Fairfield, Ohio, died Jan. 23, 2021. At Ripon, he studied politics and government and was commissioned through ROTC. He served in the U.S. Army. He was a material manager at several hospitals until retiring in 2008. He was a longtime resident of Forest Park where he was on various boards and committees, including serving on city council from 2001 to 2007 and 2011 to 2015. Survivors include one son and two daughters. JACK L. FLAKER ’63 of Rothschild, Wisconsin, died April 28, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in physical education, participated in football and Phi Delta Theta/Alpha Phi Omega and was commissioned through ROTC. After his time serving in the U.S. Army, he was an accountant at Marathon Electric and then Able Distributing, both in Wausau. He enjoyed curling and was a member of the Wausau Curling Club. He also enjoyed travelling with this wife, visiting all 50 states and 67 countries. Survivors include his wife, Yvonne; and two daughters. ANTHONY N. STEPHANIE ’63 of Cranberry, Pennsylvania, died Aug. 27, 2019. At Ripon, he majored in economics, participated in Lambda Delta Alpha/Delta Upsilon and football, and was commissioned through ROTC. He served in the U.S. Army, guarding missile sites during the Cold War. He then worked in the paint and wall coverings industry. He served as president of the National Decorating Products Association and Mid-American Decorating Stores. Survivors include his wife, Becky; one son and two daughters. His first wife, JULIE PAULSON STEPHANIE ’64, died in 1989. JAMES L. UNDEM ’63 of Savannah, Georgia, died April 24, 2018. At Ripon, he studied economics, was a member of Sigma Chi/ Omega Sigma Chi, and was commissioned through ROTC. He
received a master of business administration degree in marketing from Indiana University Bloomington. He served as an officer in the U.S. Army, stationed in South Korea. He worked for Nixdorf Computer in the Chicago and Boston offices, then for many years in Houston, Texas. He had a great sense of humor and enjoyed golf, softball, camping, fishing and music. Survivors include his former wife, Jan; one son and one daughter. 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. ROBERT C. “CHRIS” DOLLOFF ’69 of Belfast, Maine, died April 16, 2021. At Ripon, he studied chemistry and French and later became a Partner in the Legacy. He was an internationally award-winning creative chocolate chemist and expert in quality control at “The Chocolate Factory” (Merkins) in Mansfield, Massachusetts. He formulated the cocoa for the Oreo cookie and for Paul Newman’s chocolate products. He had a broad range of interests, including word games, anthropology, history and trivia. He enjoyed cats, complex woodworking projects, the culinary arts, caring for plants, genealogy and music; and he played the guitar and keyboard. MELODY MOLAND KANTEN ’69 of Baldwin, Wisconsin, died Jan. 11, 2021. She received a degree in fine arts from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and was an advertising executive for Colle & McAvoy Advertising Agency in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She loved animals, living on a farm, downhill and cross country skiing, scuba diving, kayaking and flying. She also enjoyed riding horses, bicycling, walking and creating objects out of wood. Survivors include her husband, Tom. JOHN H. AINSLIE ’70 of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, died April 4, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in biology and was commissioned through ROTC. After serving in the U.S. Army, he worked in the insurance industry for both American Family Insurance and the State of Wisconsin. After retiring in 2013, he enjoyed working in his garden, fly fishing, woodworking, singing with various community choirs, tai chi, traveling and studying geology. He volunteered for the Sun Prairie Food Pantry and delivered meals for The Colonial Club. He enjoyed learning and earned two master’s degrees. Survivors include his wife, CHRISTINE VANDERSLICE AINSLIE ’71; two sons; siblings, including WILLIAM AINSLIE ’79; and a niece, KYLIE AINSLIE ’11. WILL ALDIS ’70, formerly known as William Porter, of Los Angeles, California, died Dec. 3, 2019. At Ripon, he majored in English and was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon/Delta Sigma Psi. He received a master’s degree in education from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He was an actor, screenwriter and director, best known for “Back to School” (1986) with Rodney Dangerfield, “Stealing Home” (1988) with Jody Foster and Mark Harmon, “Avenging Angelo” (2002) with Sylvester Stallone and Madeleine Stowe, “Black Cadillac” (2003) with Randy Quaid; and the cult classic “Clifford” (1994) with Martin Short. His novels include Lily Wyatt, The Rascal Prince and Owen Nobody. He
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taught screenwriting at the Art Institute of Santa Monica and was a passionate Chicago Cubs’ fan. Survivors include his wife, Miriam Flynn; one son and one daughter. M. CHRISTINE GRUETT ROBILLARD ’71 of Simpsonville, South Carolina, died May 13, 2018. At Ripon, she majored in psychology and educational studies and participated in Alpha Delta Pi/Pi Tau Pi. She taught at Oak Creek Elementary in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, Pontiac Elementary in Columbia, South Carolina, and for 17 years at Fairforest Elementary School before her retirement. Survivors include her husband, Richard Robillard; one son and one daughter. JOHN G. WINKLEPLECK ’73 of Naples, Florida, died Feb. 20, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in economics and was a member of Theta Chi/Alpha Omega Alpha. He later was a member of the 1851 Club. He received a master of business administration degree in finance from Cleveland State University. He spent his entire career in banking in Cleveland, at Central National Bank, Ameritrust and Key Bank, from which he retired. He was an avid golfer and loved racket sports, especially tennis, squash and paddle tennis. He was a member of Tavern Club and Mayfield Country Club, serving a term as president. Survivors include his wife, Nancy; and one daughter. ROBERT M. MERRITT ’74 of Wilmington, Delaware, died Jan. 13, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in psychology and participated in athletics. He received master’s and Ph.D. degrees in applied social psychology from New York University. He retired from Independence Blue Cross of Philadelphia as a project manager. Survivors include his wife, Maria; and two sons. JAMES J. NAULT ’74 of White Stone, Virginia, died April 11, 2021. At Ripon, he studied chemistry and participated in Phi Delta Theta/Alpha Phi Omega and the Beta, Beta, Beta honors society. He earned a Ph.D. in paper chemistry from the Institute of Paper Chemistry. He worked for more than 40 years in the pulp and paper industry, holding many technical and management positions, including positions at WestRock (formerly SmurfitStone Container Corp.). He enjoyed fishing, boating and oyster farming. Survivors include his wife, Janice; one daughter; and a nephew, KEITH KAISER ’97. 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 nationally 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.
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BIRGIT ABROMAITIS RETSON ’77 of Williamsburg, Virginia, died May 11, 2021. At Ripon, she majored in English and was a member of Alpha Chi Omega/Alpha Gamma Theta. She later was a charter member of Partners in the Legacy. She received a degree in nursing from George Mason University. Survivors include two sons, including PHILIP RETSON ’15, and one daughter. STEPHEN C. SNYDER ’77 of Cameron, Wisconsin, died Jan. 31, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in biology, participated in the Wilder Field Station several times and began an interest in radio work. He received a degree in forestry from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. He worked for more than 40 years as a forestry technician for Rusk County and as an announcer for WWIB Radio for 41 years. He enjoyed the outdoors and fishing, racquetball player, his faith, and performing as a keyboardist and singer. GARY H. SCHUBERTH ’78 of Barrington, Illinois, died Jan. 25, 2021. At Ripon he majored in biology and participated in soccer and Sig Alpha Eps/Del Sig Psi. He graduated from Emory University in 1989 with a specialty degree in orthodontics. He founded Schuberth Orthodontics in Barrington, where he practiced for more than 30 years. He was an avid outdoorsman, fisherman and golfer. He enjoyed adventuring and spending time at his parents’ cabin in the Smoky Mountains, with his family on Kauai, and fishing in Lac Seul, Ontario. Gary is survived by his wife of nearly 39 years, Colleen; one son and two daughters. JEFFREY P. 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, travelling, cooking, and jazz and blues music. Survivors include his wife, Laura; and one daughter. PATRICK J. TESTER ’81 of Texas died Jan. 29, 2021. He spent a year at Ripon and participated in Sigma Nu/Theta Sigma Tau. He then joined his family in Fort Worth, Texas, and attended Texas Christian University. He worked in education for more than 25 years in Austin, Denver and, primarily, the Dallas Independent School district, focusing on special education. After retiring from education in 2006, he worked as a Realtor. He was an active member of Lions Club International. PETER W. JOCHIMSEN ’89 of Minneapolis, Minnesota, died April 17, 2021. He had attended Ripon College and Kirkwood Community College. He worked for North Prairie Tile Works and made specialty tiles, some used in historical buildings. He enjoyed biking, camping and studying Gen. George Custer. He participated in the St. Paul Curling Club and Soo Line Community Garden. Survivors include his father, PETER R. JOCHIMSEN ’61 and his mother, Grace; and an uncle, WILLIAM G. JOCHIMSEN ’61. ERIC R. PILSL ’93 of Wild Rose, Wisconsin, died Feb. 27, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in speech communication and played basketball. He received a master’s degree from Marquette University. He was employed as a pharmaceutical sales representative until his passion for working with youths led him to his teaching career at Parkside Middle School in Wautoma. He taught math and was a track coach. He loved the outdoors, especially hunting, fishing, cooking and playing golf. Survivors include his wife, Jennifer; and two stepsons.
MATTHEW R. “NIGEL” KENNY ’07 of Orland Park, Illinois, died Jan. 29, 2021. At Ripon, he majored in politics and government and participated in Student Senate, football and as president of Phi Delta Theta/Alpha Phi Omega. He worked at Xtra Lease in Chicago and was a White Sox fan. He enjoyed political debates, yard work and motorcycles. Survivors include his wife, Kate; one son and one daughter.
FACULTY AND STAFF JERRY BASKETT of Green Lake, Wisconsin, who had served as a chef at Ripon College, died March 15, 2021. He served in the Navy in Korea, Cuba and Vietnam. He honed his cooking skills in his ships’ galleys, earning both the rank of commissaryman second class, and the nickname “Biscuit” from his fellow sailors. After leaving the Navy, he settled in Ripon and Green Lake. He worked as a chef at Ripon College and the Green Lake Conference Center, and owned his own interior/exterior painting business. He enjoyed fishing. Survivors include his wife, Darlene; one son and three daughters. MELVIN “HEZZY” BERNDT of Ripon, Wisconsin, a former maintenance worker at Ripon College, died Jan. 24, 2021. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1944-1946, He was a foreman at Admanco in Ripon for more than 25 years, and retired from the College. He was a member of V.F.W. Schultz-Klemp-Wentland Post 5278 and enjoyed hunting and fishing. PETER CHOBANIAN of Ripon, Wisconsin, a librarian at Ripon College from 1962 to 1994, died April 4, 2021. He was an avid and lifelong student of the humanities, studying history, literature and the arts. From Italian operas to Broadway show tunes, he loved to sing. He also published his own short stories and poems. Survivors include one son and one daughter. ELAINE M. REILLY of Ripon, Wisconsin, died May 25, 2021. She had been a bookkeeper at the Ripon College bookstore and also had worked as a teacher’s aide for the Ripon schools. She was a hospice volunteer for several years, a member of Immanuel United Methodist Church in Ripon and Zion United Methodist Church in Neshkoro, Wisconsin, and was active with several organizations within the churches. In her younger years, she enjoyed making crafts, traveling and camping. Survivors include five children. VIDA VANDE SLUNT of Waupun, Wisconsin, a longtime staff member in academic support at Ripon College, died March 31, 2021. She worked at Ripon for 20 years, retiring in 2014 as administrative assistant for West Hall. She received the E.R. Nichols Campus Communicator Award in 2014. She was active in theatre productions all her life, including at Ripon College, Ripon Summer Players and Waupun Community Players. She enjoyed music, watching her children play hockey, traveling and cooking Lithuanian meals for family and friends. Survivors include her husband, Dennis Vande Slunt; and three sons, including ADAM VANDE SLUNT ’98 and MICHAEL VANDE SLUNT ’04.
A Packer or not? It’s a question of interpretation
Ripon College in the news • Ripon’s Plus Semester(s) Program received wide coverage in January. Students enrolled in the fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters whose studies of certain classes were impacted by the pandemic were eligible to have their tuition waived for a ninth semester or fifth year.
• Ripon College senior Chan Myae Khine ’21, a native of Myanmar,
A question and answer about a onetime Ripon College football standout recently was shared on packers.com. “No, they didn’t play for the Packers; But some of the stories are whoppers’’ ran April 1, 2021, answered by Packers team historian Cliff Christl. “When I was in high school, I had a math teacher that claimed he played center for the Packers and was from Ripon College. I think he would have played early 1920s. His name was Dwight Kenyon. … Your teacher never played for the Packers in a league game, but I’m all but certain he started at left guard against the Hibbing (Minn.) Miners in the Packers’ only exhibition game before the 1923 season. During Kenyon’s stay in Green Bay, the Green Bay Press-Gazette referred to him only as “Crow” (sic) Kenyon, a product of Ripon College. I can’t imagine it’s not the same guy as your teacher. The Packers used only 12 players against Hibbing and Kenyon was the only starter who was replaced. He left the game in the second quarter. Why and why he never played again, I can’t tell you. If I had three guesses, I’d say he didn’t play well and was cut, he was injured and Lambeau got rid of him so he didn’t have to pay him, or he simply quit. Playing pro football at the time wasn’t exactly a life of luxury. Plus, he probably would have made more money as a teacher. He was a good player at Ripon. He was team captain as a senior and weighed 235 pounds, which was big for that time. Dwight “Kro” Kenyon ’24 did always say he had played for the Packers under Earl “Curly” Lambeau, and that was stated in his obituary in 1976. At Ripon, Kenyon studied physics and mathematics. He entered school in 1913 but interrupted his studies to volunteer for service in the Army in France from 1917-1919 during World War I. He returned to Ripon, serving as an assistant coach because his playing eligibity had run out, and graduated in 1924. The campus later wrote of him: “During his Ripon days, he was one of that great triumvirate of football linemen … who have long since placed in the Crimson hall of athletic fame. He was also an excellent singer and instrumentalist.” In his long career in education, he was a teacher, coach, administrator and longtime county superintendent of schools in Ashland County, Wisconsin.
was featured Feb. 18, 2021, in the Ripon Commonwealth Press. The article documented her concern for her family and home country after a military coup there earlier that week. The interview can be read at ripon.edu/Myanmar. On March 16, she did an interview on the same subject on WOSH Radio in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
• A touching article on milesplit.com, which ran Feb. 28, 2021, commemorated Eric R. Pilsl ’93 of Wild Rose, Wisconsin, who died suddenly Feb. 27 just hours before his stepson, Ashton Schwartzman, ran a race in the adidas Indoor Nationals in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
• Adam Sonntag ’08 started as city administrator of the City of Ripon in March. “Welcome (back) to Ripon, Adam Sonntag!” was published March 10, 2021, in the Ripon Commonwealth Press.
• Leading up to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in March, “Dairyland Dance: 20 players and coaches from Wisconsin in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament” ran in the Wisconsin State Journal/madison.com and other media outlets. The list included Brad Soderberg ’84, assistant coach for the University of Virginia Cavaliers. He started his college playing career at Ripon College, played under Dick Bennett ’65 at UW-Stevens Point and coached under Bennett at UW-Madison from 1995-2001.
• In March, news that Ripon College and Marian University in Fond du Lac created a joint working group to consider a possible collaborative partnership was shared in several news media, including Ripon Commonwealth Press, KFIZ Radio and Inside Higher Education.
• Vice President for Enrollment Jennifer Machacek was quoted March 21, 2021, on centralmarketingnews.com: “How has the COVID-19 Pandemic Affected Ripon College Enrollment and Recruitment?”
• On April 6, 2021, Inside Higher Education published “A Pandemic Financial Success Story?” The focus is Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts, but Ripon’s success financially and in enrollments during the pandemic is highlighted.
• Ripon’s on-campus COVID-19 vaccination clinic on April 6, 2021, received attention from area media, including the Ripon Commonwealth Press and television stations WFRV and Fox 11.
• An exhibit by Director of Creative and Social Media Ric Damm, who also owns Ric Damm Photography, was featured in several area media outlets. The exhibit ran through May 31 at the Thrasher Opera House in nearby Green Lake, Wisconsin.
• Paul Schoofs, professor emeritus of economics, continues to give interviews about current economic issues for area radio stations. Most recently, on April 23, 2021, he talked about how he sees further stimulus payments as unnecessary.
S U M M E R 2021
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Arnold H. Glasow ’27: A ‘happychondriac’
American humorist and businessman Arnold H. Glasow ’27 kept the nation laughing with his insightful and quirky views of the world. His knack for creating snappy observations began in high school in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and was honed at Ripon College. At Ripon, he majored in English, served as president of Phi Kappa Pi and for two years was editor-in-chief of College Days. He wrote jingles for “Campus Chaos,” part of a column called “Squirrels on the Hill.” This proved to be a “good training ground for writing and publishing,” Glasow later said. 36
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For more than 60 years, Glasow published a syndicated monthly newsletter of humor and inspiration to businesses around the country to share with their customers. At the newsletter’s height, there were more than 100 publications representing 45 states with a circulation of half a million each month.
he said. “Again, I have Ripon to thank for developing this knack. The truth is that I bought very few textbooks during my four years in college. The night before a quarterly exam I’d borrow one from some less procrastinating classmate and go through it faster than I went through my quarterly allowance.”
For decades, Glasow also had a humor column in the Chicago Tribune and was quoted in national publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Saturday Evening Post and Reader’s Digest.
Ripon presented him with the Distinguished Alumni Citation in 1977.
He still is cited in anthologies of humor, although some of his quotes are attributed to “Anonymous” or other people who happened to repeat them. In 1995, at the age of 90, he published Glasow’s Gloombusters, a selection of about 800 of his best writings from a 70-year career.
“My intent has always been to bring cheer and optimism to a world which too frequently abounds in negative thinking,” he said. He added at another time, “The one fact about my work that has been most interesting to me is that I first learned to write one- and two-line gags for the ‘Squirrels on the Hill’ column of The (College) Days. You see, you can never tell just how you’ll be able to cash in on a college education.” He died in 1998 at the age of 93.
“Writing humorous commentaries day after day calls for some super-fast reading – the ability to fathom a page at a glance,”
“THE TROUBLE WITH THE FUTURE IS THAT IT USUALLY ARRIVES BEFORE WE’RE READY FOR IT.”
“Don’t let yourself become discouraged. Remember the mighty oak was once a nut like you.” “IF THE BEST IS YET TO COME, WHAT’S HOLDING IT UP?”
“Laughter is a tranquilizer with no side effects.” “THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG IF YOU’RE ALWAYS RIGHT.”
“An education enables you to worry about things in all parts of the world.” S U M M E R 2021
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Flash Back 2019 Jairo Javier Morales ’19 of Chicago, Illinois, exudes joy during Commencement 2019. He was a first-generation immigrant from Mexico and a first-generation college graduate. “The monarch butterfly is a national symbol for immigration, immigrants and immigrant rights,” he says. “The book The Dreamers, by Walter Nicholls, walks through a little more of that. I wanted to give recognition to the work it took to get me through college because of the limited aid I received, the barriers of access to other developmental opportunities while in school and limited economical/financial assistance available to immigrants. In all, I wanted to close my college life with one final act of political activism and personal commemoration to my mom’s life, immigrant’s life and other Latino Ripon College students.” The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History has collected Javier Morales’ oral history and his graduation regalia for a project on documenting immigrants involved in political activism throughout the United States. 38
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