Ripon Magazine Fall 2009

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From the President Academics vs. Athletics:

The longest game in college history?

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t the heart of the uneasy truce between academics and athletics lies a question: What role do athletics play in preparing young adults for the “real” world?

The same question seldom is asked of academics because pretty much everyone can agree on their value. Not everyone feels that way about athletics. This is a shame because I feel that Ripon College and many schools of our ilk have struck not only a truce, but a pretty respectable balance between the two disciplines. And they are disciplines.

Obviously, academics are a college’s raison d’etre, but it is only a part of the constellation of experiences college offers.

Even institutions that offer no sponsored athletics whatsoever still make a wide array of extracurricular activities available to their students. The rationale for doing so is the same as offering a robust athletic program: enrich the college experience by giving students of varying abilities and interests a chance to pursue their passions and excel in them.

I feel that athletic pursuits are no less noble or valuable than academic pursuits.

Both demand dedication and preparation.

Fundamental skills must be learned and constantly rehearsed. Dig deeper and work harder, and you’ll generally be rewarded for your efforts. Collaboration is typically a must (especially at Ripon). In both cases, your skills eventually are put to a test which, by design, favors the well-prepared. Perseverance in either endeavor builds confidence; failure, humility.

Both are valuable traits. Both are teachable moments.

The confidence and leadership that all athletes learn translates well to the marketplace. The process of refining one’s skills in a sport, testing those skills in a competitive scenario, then refining further builds good life habits. The prepare/test/refine cycle instills in athletes the ethic of constant personal evolution.

Non-athletes can be equally competitive, of course, but I believe that the learning curve may be a bit steeper.

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hen I attended graduate school at Yale University in the mid 1970s, the grading structure was honors/high pass/pass. There were no letter grades, no “fail” marks.

“Honors” was the result of exemplary work, reserved for the rare occasion when the student’s work really stood apart. “High Pass” represented the excellent work expected of a graduate student. “Pass” meant that one did the minimum, but it was worthy of credit. As you might imagine, “High Pass” was the standard grade received most often by students in my program. The rationale for this system was the effort to create a culture of learning that was not hampered by the quest for grades. As a self-appointed nonconformist, I liked that model. I even earned one (surprise) “Honors” in 75 credits of graduate work.

The world is competitive because human nature is competitive. Eventually, Yale returned to the letter-grading structure with which we are all familiar because the students demanded it. It seems that our biological imperative to compete and tri-

umph supersedes our simple desire to learn. Every living thing competes in some way for what it needs. You can begrudge humankind that fact; or you can try to foster a model of competition that rewards people for being more than the sum of their parts through teamwork on the court and collaboration in the classroom. We’ve chosen the latter.

Some lessons are best learned in the heat of competition.

For example, I believe that women, especially, have benefited from Title IX and increased participation in athletics. It has to have helped women to “level the playing field” in the competition for a position and then in the competition for an organization. In this recent economic downturn, we have learned that one’s gender has little bearing on job security. Job performance and the ability to compete seem to be primary determinates.

Athletics helps teach this lesson.

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ot coincidentally, the Ripon College tagline “More. Together.” sums up our approach to both academics and athletics. We can accomplish more together than we can individually. Our athletic and academic teams aren’t built around stars — they’re built around leaders. The individuals working on a group project don’t get different grades based on their individual contributions — they get one grade based on the quality of the final product.

Division III athletics on the whole doesn’t often get its due.

The public face of intercollegiate athletics appears to focus on men’s Division I football and basketball (Note the TV lineup.).

As anyone who has played, or even watched, the non-televised pursuits that comprise the other 90 percent of collegiate athletics can attest, the competition is just as fierce in other sports and across genders. Most Ripon College coaches hold academic rank and teach, on and off the playing surface. That these coaches are treated as faculty members is really quite rare. It sets us apart.

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ipon College will continue to pursue an educational process that holds athletics and academics in high regard.

Not everyone is passionate about their studies, and not everyone is passionate about sports. We hope that most are passionate about both these things, along with their participation in the arts, clubs, community service, leadership and more. No matter where your passions lie, those who approach every discipline with curiosity, a strong work ethic, respect, honor, humility and grace are rewarded with powerful and transformative lessons. In the end, it’s OK if academics and athletics have the occasional tussle. Competition makes us better, and who doesn’t want that?

Dr. David C. Joyce President joyced@ripon.edu

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VOLUME 42, NUMBER 3

CELEBRATING A TEACHING LEGEND Robert Hannaford joined the philosophy faculty at Ripon in 1956. Fifty-three years later — despite having retired in 1996 — “Spud” continues to teach a class or two each semester. During Homecoming, the College celebrated Hannaford’s 80th birthday and the legacy of Spud and his wife, Neola, with the formation of the Professor Robert V. “Spud” and Neola Hannaford Endowed Scholarship.

Colleagues, alumni and friends share their memories of the couple here.

On the Cover: Presidential Spouse Lynne Joyce, Bill Neill ’67 and Judith Wilkinson Neill ’68 are decked out in the fashions of the 1920s American Prohibition Era to celebrate the fourth annual Arts & All That Jazz fine arts scholarship benefit. This year’s theme was “Speakin’ Easy,” and a crowd of students, alumni, Trustees, faculty, staff and friends of the College filled Great Hall for the festive occasion.

Jim Koepnick photo

Ripon College prepares students of diverse interests for lives of productive, socially responsible citizenship. Our liberal arts curriculum and residential campus create an intimate learning community in which students experience a richly personalized education.

Ripon Magazine (ISSN 1058-1855) is published quarterly by Ripon College, 300 Seward St., Ripon, WI 54971-0248.

Periodical postage paid at Ripon, Wis. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Ripon Magazine, PO Box 248, Ripon, WI 54971-0248.

Editor: Ric Damm e-mail: dammr@ripon.edu Editorial Assistants: Jaye Alderson, Cody Pinkston Student Assistants: George Infantado ’10, Katie Mead ’11, Alyssa Paulsen ’10, Erin Schaick ’12.

Layout design by the graphics factory – Deba Horn-Prochno ’74 Print Production by Ripon Printers Ripon on the Web: www.ripon.edu Visit Ripon’s online community at: www.riponalumni.org

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THE RIPON CONNECTION OF THREE HEALTHCARE EXECS Bob Malte ’76, Kevin Sheridan ’82 and Robert Brandfass ’83 are top-level executives in the healthcare industry.

They’ve each crossed paths with one another in the “real world,” and each attributes his success to the education and experiences he received at Ripon.

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A SAMPLE OF SUMMER RESEARCH Thirty Ripon College students remained on campus this past summer to conduct research of one kind or another.

Jaye Alderson caught up with five young women to find out what intriguing projects kept them here during the three-month “break.” Faculty were also hard at work, and Ripon Magazine provides a list of faculty and students and what they were up to.

These Days at Ripon

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Sports

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Class Notes

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Last Word

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ore than a half-century of dedicated service to Ripon College and generations of students is being celebrated with the establishment of the Professor Robert V. “Spud” and Neola Hannaford Endowed Scholarship Fund.

Future generations of students will be the ultimate beneficiaries of the funds, as income will generate annual scholarships to philosophy majors who exhibit Hannaford’s qualities of scholarship, leadership, integrity and service to others.

A celebration of Hannaford’s 80th birthday and a formal presentation of the scholarship was held during Homecoming weekend. The endowment, to date, has garnered more than $62,250.

Hannaford received his doctorate degree from Columbia University and then was a postdoctoral fellow at Yale University before joining Ripon’s department of philosophy in 1956. Although he retired in 1996, he continues to teach as an adjunct A young Professor professor. Here, several of Spud’s past “Spud” colleagues and students share memories of what has made this man so special to generations of Riponites.

S Robert “Spud” and Neola Hannaford

The Professor Robert V. “Spud” and Neola Hannaford Endowed Scholarship Fund w Ripon celebrates the 80th birthday of a teaching legend and future generations of philosophers

pud’s colleague and fellow professor of philosophy Vance Cope-Kasten says the Hannafords have provided the keel for the boat that is the study of philosophy at Ripon. “In the process, they have helped steady and smooth many other craft in the College’s armada,” he says.

Cope-Kasten says many students have been aware only of Professor Hannaford, but the shared presence and work of both he and Neola has been widely effective and is quite well-known to faculty and staff — and to quite a few students, as well.

“Many former students, who were guests in the Hannaford home while at Ripon have returned for later visits and even extended stays, often enough with their growing families. They have become, in a genuine sense, friends,” says Cope-Kasten.

Joyce Brownworth Klingbail ’57 of West Leyden, N.Y., says she and her husband, Kermit Klingbail ’56, still regard themselves as personal friends to the Hannafords.

“They arrived at Ripon when we were seniors,” she says. “After Kermit and I were married, they let us live in their home while they went back to Indiana. They are enormously generous with their hearts and their minds.”

Frances Lee McCain ’66 of San Anselmo, Calif., says she has had the great pleasure of transitioning from a student to a lifelong friend of the Hannafords. She fondly

recalls many ways the couple has supported her over the years and the great times they’ve shared.

“I’m especially grateful for the times we shared when I came back to teach at Ripon for a semester in the drama department,” says McCain.

“There were many nights of good food and good wine and, as the Irish would say, good ‘crack’ — stories and conversation that extended into the night and left one with the expansive feeling of time well-spent … truly one of life’s great gifts.

“I love them both dearly and am thrilled that Spud’s contribution to Ripon is being honored and acknowledged in this scholarship.”

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Dena Willmore ’67, chair of the Ripon College Board of Trustees and a former pupil of

Hannaford’s, presents him with a check signifying the $62,250 raised to date for the enne of the clear values of the Hannaford dowed scholarship. scholarship, according to Cope-Kasten, is that it will enable students who might otherwise not have had the opportunity to come to Ripon to says Brose. “He didn’t need to do that. I always felt like do so and to have the opportunity to form relationships he wanted to. with faculty and staff similar to those that so many fortu“We usually just chatted; no school stuff. He was just nate students have developed with the Hannafords. a guy who was interested in what college kids were up to, “In these ways, they might receive some extra menand he took the time to relax on a personal level. If you toring and they might even develop lifelong friendships,” told him a funny story, he laughed out loud. If you asked says Cope-Kasten. him his opinion of someone, he would tell you. I never A philosophy minor, Michael J. Brose ’87 of New detected a hint of phoniness. I really appreciated that.”

Richmond, Wis., developed such friendship with Spud Another value of the scholarship, says Cope-Kasten, Hannaford. is that it will give students at least the chance to get a “I had dinner at his house on one occasion, and we taste of philosophy. would oftentimes visit around campus or in his office,” “Virtually all the students who major in philosophy at Ripon did not come here to do that — or at least they didn’t realize that at the time,” he says.

“The actual study of philosophy is a new experience for the vast majority of Ripon students, and some find it compelling and transformative.”

“Philosophy and the liberal arts curriculum generally laid the foundation for habits and attitudes that have served me well: examining prejudices, being open and critical, and appreciating well-crafted arguments,” says Richard Konrad ’64 of Sandnes, Norway.

“I found majoring in philosophy at Ripon to be of immense help in law school,” says Ray Besing ’57 of Sante Fe, N.M. Besing was a trial lawyer of 38 years and now teaches law and has written a book. “Studying law is a highly theoretical endeavor,” he says. “One learns the ‘whys’ and the reasoning, but little of the practical side of practicing law. Thus, dealing with abstract ideas in philosophy was very helpful to me, and I certainly would recommend studying philosophy to anyone thinking of going on to law school.”

Richard Konrad ’64 gives Robert Hannaford a hug while Neola looks on.

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ope-Kasten says philosophy has the reputation of “appealing to unusual and often strong personalities of very diverse temperament and ideas.” He says this was certainly true during most of Hannaford’s full-time work in the philosophy department, most of it during what some see as the “glory years” of the department, when there were three or four full-time faculty in philosophy.

“To much of the outside world, the department got along remarkably well. And so, in many ways, it did. But much of that was due to Spud’s calming influence and his ability to negotiate reasonable accommodations, for we did not always agree with one another, if I may understate the case,” says Cope-Kasten. “We were not without our own ideas, some of them very creative, about how things ought to be done.”

Hannaford’s ability to work comfortably with others also benefited the College greatly in the form of several conferences he organized. Usually working with very small budgets, he was able to get significant thinkers to come to Ripon’s campus to explore not only such philosophical topics as ethical relativism or the ethics of care vs. the ethics of justice, but also larger questions involving values and business or values and technology.

“I think the genius behind these conferences was to recognize that good thinkers like to come together to think with other good thinkers, and so they would come to Ripon from all over the country to spend two or three days interacting with thinkers from the Ripon College community, who were always built into the planning, and with each other, doing so for very modest hono-

Blanche Bartizal Babcock ’53 gives Neola Hannaford a warm welcome.

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Professor Spud Hannaford stands at the podium in East Hall’s Kresge Little Theatre during his retirement celebration in 1996. Thirteen years later, he’s still teaching.

raria,” says Cope-Kasten. “By the way, it did not hurt this effort that Spud’s own work in philosophy, especially in ethics, was widely respected in the professional world.”

Hannaford also took some of Ripon’s best and brightest off-campus and introduced them to the country via the nationally televised “College Bowl” in 1963. Four students — Sandra Miller ’65, Stephen Peters ’65, Robert Schneider ’64 and David Stankow ’65 — represented the College, and Hannaford served as their adviser. The Ripon College Bowl team made it through four rounds on the popular television quiz show, eventually losing in the fifth round to Bowdoin College.

Blanche Bartizal Babcock ’53 of Three Lakes, Wis., recalls how she and her husband, Tom, first came to know the Hannafords through the College Bowl team.

“We came to know Spud as an intellectual force on campus and a commendable teacher,” she says. “Tom, a young trustee, enthusiastically agreed to participate with other alumni and trustees, including Kitty Worzalla ’51 and Paul Rodewald ’21. Kitty, Paul and Tom served on a panel allowing the student participants to hone their skills before the actual TV competition. It was through this event that the seeds of friendship were planted and nourished, later to fully blossom when Tom and I retired.”

Those friendships, and Hannaford’s many classroom lectures, were always spiced with his indelible sense of humor.

“I found Spud Hannaford to be a gifted teacher who excelled in broad areas of philosophy. He has a great sense of humor, which really helped us when we were drowning in difficult subjects of study,” says Besing.

“As a teacher, Spud’s enthusiastic approach to philo-

A Reflection on ‘Spudness’

by Geoff Guevara-Geer ’92, assistant professor of Spanish I first worked with Dr. Robert Hannaford in 1989 in an independent study about the philosopher David Hume. Hannaford on Hume was doubly intimidating. Every week, I’d enter Hannaford’s office, Hume in hand — but it would be a while before he became “Spud” for me. Dr. Spud, perhaps? How about Professor Spud? Mr. Spud? I resisted at first: he was a capital “P” Professor of capital “P” Philosophy.

But he soon convinced me of his indelible “Spudness.” His reason — having loved potatoes since he was “yea high” — was as memorable as it was endearing.

Only a professor at the top of his game can afford to identify with the lowly potato (Not to disparage potatoes, but they are tubers). Plus, “Spud” has a ring to it, a ring to him, the ring of a professor who can push a student to grow without standing above and over him. So, he became Spud. Just Spud. And, with his help, David Hume became Dave as Spud pointed out that Hume began many sentences with the phrase “ ’Tis true … .” Spud’s commentary was dry and to the point: “Strange habit for a skeptic.” Spud was

right; Hannaford was Spud; David was Dave; and I was doing philosophy — little “p” — and growing.

Years later, I’m still doing philosophy.

Largely thanks to Spud and his courses on Hume and Ethics, I majored in philosophy at Ripon and went on to grad school where I continued to study philosophy when other coursework left some wiggle room. Spud’s nonchalant, hard-working approach — to the big thinkers, the big books, the big questions — had put a ding in the intimidating seriousness of philosophy. Philosophy, dinged and imperfect but beautiful and worthwhile, was something I could do, too, and something that informed other studies, especially as I pursued my doctorate of philosophy in … whatever. My piece landed, finally, on Spanish, but I never flew far from Spud’s ethics, from Dave’s “strange habit” of hard-won clarity, from a one-on-one relationship with great thinkers who could be approached with the great humility of the potato. A Ph.D. in Pennsylvania, postdoctoral studies in Chicago, teaching in Alaska — this approach took me far.

sophical issues was infectious,” says Konrad. “His combination of critical acuity and humor made coming to class something to which I looked forward. And what a great laugh, well-exercised, no doubt, by being on the hearing side of Neola’s sharp wit.”

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think Neola helped Spud greatly to live up to this vision and in this way, amongst others, to keep him on an even keel, too,” says Cope-Kasten.

“While he believed in the practical, she lived it. I remember the first time I met her: she was on a stepladder, engaged in remodeling their home, having just taken out a major interior wall. Had I not been so nervous, despite being made to feel most welcome, I might also have noticed the spectacular garden she created in their double lot, a place which has given me many delights in many seasons over the decades.”

Babcock, too, mentions the garden as a source of pride for both Spud and Neola.

“We came to know Neola’s love of gardening and flower arranging and Spud’s interest in county fairs.

[These interests] brought them to the Northwoods each summer to help the Babcocks display their flowers and vegetables at the Vilas County Fair. Without their help,

And then, some five years ago, I came back to Ripon, this time as faculty. Spud was here, and he was among the first to contact me as I came back to what had been home a dozen years before. Now, our one-on-one dialogues have made way for tennis volleys (Yes, tennis, although my old professor continues — they tell me — to age). Happily, I can report that Spud plays this erstwhile “gentleman’s sport” like he philosophizes — down to earth and unbelievingly. To the ball he wallops over the fence, he yells — defying causality itself — “drop down, darling, drop down!” Davie H. would be proud.

And with his losing partner, his winning opponent, his losing opponent or his winning partner, he shakes hands vigorously and exclaims: “ring-a-ding!” It always fits. Vibrant, brisk, with yesteryear’s jargon and a promise of tomorrow’s game: ring-a-ding.

Ripon is lucky to have Spud, and I’m glad to know that the ringing — and the dinging — will go on with this latest example of his generosity, his endowed scholarship. Ring-a-ding, Spud, ring-a-ding.

we would not have received so many blue ribbons,” says Babcock. “I remember one time Spud pulled out a nicotiana plant, roots and all, threw it into a five-gallon bucket and declared our work finished. Neola and I shook our heads and decided that if Tom could enter a wormy rutabaga, Spud could enter his nicotiana plant.

Much to our chagrin, Spud won the Best of Show award.”

And while there were plenty of other interests and hobbies to keep Spud away from the classroom in his retirement, the pull of teaching drew him back. Some 13 years after he “retired,” Hannaford continues to teach yet another generation of Ripon students. This, says CopeKasten, is a true blessing for both the College and its students.

“In both his own writing and in his teaching, Spud Hannaford places very high value on having ideas connect and interact with our genuine experiences of ourselves and the world around us. That is not to say that he thinks and teaches that our unreflective experiences should be the judge of the validity of ideas, but it is to say that good ideas must eventually square with our experiences once we have thought about things and have given ourselves a chance to carefully see what our experiences really amount to,” says Cope-Kasten.

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Besing ’57 Catches Up with Bill Tyree

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pud Hannaford is not the only “sprightly, vigorous and active man” to have taught philosophy at Ripon. Ray Besing ’57 recently visited with Professor of Philosophy Emeritus William E. Tyree and believes Hannaford simply may be following the example of the man who lured him to Ripon College long ago. Tyree still lives in his large, three-story home in the small town of Rushville, Ill., about 50 miles west of Springfield. He recently celebrated his 92nd birthday, and Besing says his former professor is “as charming, lively and bright as ever.”

In late July, I found Dr. Tyree, impeccably dressed, in his Rushville home and ready to take me on tour of one of those classic and majestic Midwest houses so popular in the 1900s.

The Tyree family tree in America started in 1791 when the Tyrees emigrated from Scotland. Bill Tyree’s father, Earl C. Tyree, and his mother, Elizabeth Mellow Tyree, moved from Champaign, Ill., in the early 1900s, and young William was born in the Rushville home in 1917. Earl Tyree was a partner in the Morris Wells Men’s Clothing Store, while Elizabeth’s father, Hart Mellow, owned the Mellow Monument Company for many years before retiring in 1922. Earl also was an excellent baseball catcher and played for the Champaign team just before it was acquired by the Chicago Cubs. A sore throwing arm lead Earl into the clothing business in Rushville instead of playing for the Cubs. Young Bill also was a good baseball catcher during his high school years in Rushville. For more than 25 years, Bill’s mother, Elizabeth, served as city clerk of Rushville.

After receiving his bachelor’s degree at Illinois Wesleyan University, Tyree obtained a divinity degree from Northwestern University and was ordained as a Methodist minister in 1942, shortly before joining the U.S. Navy. He served aboard an attack transport ship in the Pacific Theater as a Navy chaplain during World War II until 1946. At the Professor Emeritus William urging of his bishop, Tyree earned a master’s degree Tyree at Alumni Weekend in sacred theology at Union Theological Seminary in 2004.

New York, becoming a close friend of his mentor, the great American theologian Reinhold Neibuhr. He then earned his doctorate in 1949 at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Tyree started his teaching career at Ripon in 1950.

Tyree and Hannaford became a very effective and balanced teaching team at Ripon. Tyree taught those philosophy courses more closely related to theological issues, and Hannaford taught those more closely related to the secular and scientific realms. Both were regarded by generations of Ripon students as extremely articulate, “silver-tongued” lecturers who made the complex fields of philosophy come alive. Having learned the ability to think and analyze abstract thought and concepts, many philosophy majors under Tyree and Hannaford headed to graduate schools in theology, law, political theory and advanced teaching degrees in philosophy itself. A 1995 dinner at Ripon honoring Tyree and the endowed scholarship established in his name brought back scores of students and friends from the 1950s, ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, many of whom had gone on to great academic and vocational achievements.

Many former students of Tyree — and many students who never took a course from him — have benefited from his personal caring for students who were having serious personal or vocational crises in their lives. Looking back, those many students realized what Tyree had meant to them when personal, family, financial or academic problems were resolved as a result of his counseling skills and his big heart.

Ray Besing ’57

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nd there is, finally, what Cope-Kasten personally considers to be the major contribution of the Hannafords.

“In January 1982, while Spud was on sabbatical at Harvard, studying under John Rawls, the Hannafords were staying outside of Boston in the then-summer home of former Professor of French Dan Delakas and his wife, Mimi. They invited me to visit them, which I did that bitterly cold winter,” recalls CopeKaten. “Unbeknownst to me, they also invited their niece, Janilyn, to spend a couple days, allegedly as a stop-over on her way from her family’s home in Florida to her current residence in Maine. I guess you can decide whether this was a set-up and, if so, whether it, too, was deeply practical or wildly speculative. We wed within six months and the Hannafords have been a kind of second grandparents to our children, who have been, as I have been, taught and even mentored by them. I owe to them, as does Ripon College, essentially inexpressible gratitude.”

Terry M. Goode ’66 of Bailey’s Harbor, Wis., recalls Spud Hannaford as “a good teacher, even a great teacher.

“He was tough, but fair, and showed considerable patience — particularly with me!

His tests were difficult. And one never received a paper back from Spud that wasn’t totally redlined — but always with thoughtful comments,” says Goode.

“I have told many that if it wasn’t for Spud’s preparation, I would not have gotten through graduate school. More than that, however, Spud Hannaford is simply a good person and a great mentor. He is quiet, gentle and kind. He and his wife, Neola, became personal friends of mine and my wife, Pam (Kurz Goode ’66), and have served as role models for us in life — as teachers, partners, parents and friends. They are both so deserving of this scholarship in their name,” Goode says.

“Spud and Neola are warm, generous people, and it’s my pleasure to call them friends,” says Babcock. “They are truly the ‘Best of Show.’ ” r

Top-level Executives Attribute Success to Ripon

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hat happens when a student graduates from Ripon College and steps out into the “real world” with a liberal arts degree? Three graduates who have become top-level executives in the healthcare industry say their undergraduate experiences at Ripon had a hand in getting them to where they are today and led to some surprising interactions along the way.

Bob Malte ’76 of Littleton, Colo., and Kevin Sheridan ’82 of Wilmette, Ill., both majored in economics at Ripon; and Robert Brandfass ’83 of Morgantown, W.Va., majored in politics and government.

“Ripon enabled me to be wellprepared, to listen, to ask good questions, to learn from every experience (including your mistakes) and person and to be a student for life,” Malte says.

“My main job as CEO [of Exempla Lutheran Medical Center in Wheat Ridge, Colo.] is to create an environment in which our staff and doctors can be their best every day. I think that’s the same role Ripon plays in the life of its students. [Ripon taught me] the value of hard work, the blessing of good friends and memories for life.”

Malte started working in a hospital in his hometown of Chicago during summer vacations from Ripon, and it did not take him long to discover his love for not only the hospital environment, but also the impact that these establishments and the people who work and practice in them, have on others.

Working in an organization with more than 2,000 physicians, nurses, support staff and volunteers, Malte now has the opportunity to enjoy the hospital environment on an entirely different level.

Sheridan became aware of the healthcare market at a young age, thanks to his father’s role as a labor relations consultant helping organiza-

Bob Malte ’76

Kevin Sheridan ’82

tions remain non-union. This exposure, combined with an entrepreneurial spirit, his time at Ripon and graduate studies at Harvard Business School, directed Sheridan to become founder and CEO of the Chicago-based HR Solutions International Inc., a human capital management consulting firm that specializes in employee engagement and exit survey design, implementation and results.

Although HR Solutions does not confine itself to one industry, it does largely specialize in healthcare, which, according to Sheridan, did not occur by accident.

“Given the fact that there are huge generational changes going on with an aging workforce and an aging population, healthcare has been and continues to be a growth industry and the one that HR Solutions targeted deliberately because it’s a good industry to be in,” he says.

He says being president of Ripon’s judiciary board gave him the skills required for his role as CEO, “especially in the aspect of having to make certain tough calls and difficult decisions,” he says. “Quite humorously, half of the people that were brought up in front of the judiciary board were fraternity brothers of mine, so I had to establish a delicate balance of

Robert Brandfass ’83

maintaining those relationships, but also upholding the judicial law.

“Serving as president of Ripon’s judiciary board gave me the additional benefit of providing me a very keen opportunity to develop a relationship with the dean of men, as well as the president of the College. Each of these leaders ended up giving me great references, which ultimately helped me to be accepted by Harvard Business School for my graduate studies.”

Additionally, Sheridan says, Ripon was small enough that he was not lost in a sea of students, unlike larger schools.

“Thankfully, I went to Ripon,” he says. “The school’s size created an environment where one is apt to get involved and grow personally.”

Brandfass says that his Ripon College liberal arts education provided him with a broad-based education in which he studied a variety of subjects.

“This gives you a better working knowledge of the world around you,” he says. “It taught me how to think, how to learn and how to problem-solve while being flexible and nimble — just what you need to be a vice president and general counsel.”

After Ripon, Brandfass attended law school at Case Western Reserve University. He went to work as a trial attorney in 1986 for a law firm that defended

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physicians in medical malpractice actions. He says the key to defending such cases included immersing himself in, and truly understanding, the medicine involved.

In another law firm, Brandfass represented hospitals and became involved in law firm management, serving on the firm’s management committee. When one of his hospital clients was seeking a general counsel, they asked Brandfass.

He jumped at the opportunity and landed in his current position, as vice president and general counsel of West Virginia University Hospitals.

Malte says his education at Ripon prepared him for his career in many ways. It offered him the educational rigor that prepared him for further graduate studies at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. It helped him to be more well-rounded and David Harris, the dean of men, “was a wonderful guide and mentor for me while at Ripon,” he says.

“Being at a smaller school exposed me to more opportunities that, unbeknownst to me at the time, prepared me for my professional and personal life — for example, being a floor counselor and head resident.”

Brandfass says his broad-based liberal arts education at Ripon has enabled him to grasp and assimilate any necessary case and workplace knowledge wherever he worked.

“Being in-house counsel allows me the unique chance to combine my Ripon-acquired analytical and leadership skills to help those most in need — the sick and injured,” he says. “My wellrounded Ripon education further allowed me to then communicate this knowledge to jurors in a way they could use to reach their (hopefully defense) verdict.”

N

ot too long ago, Malte, Sheridan and Brandfass were Ripon graduates in three different states and unknown to one another. But their professional paths crossed, and each found an instantaneous bond with his Ripon brothers.

“About three years ago, I was doing an executive presentation for Exempla Lutheran Medical Center’s Employee

8 RIPON MAGAZINE

Engagement Survey results,” Sheridan says. “And it just so happened that my biography was distributed to their team prior to the presentation. Actually, Bob interjected that he was very impressed with the results. He jokingly stated that he realized my educational background at Ripon College had obviously trained me well to do such presentations.

“I have since had the opportunity to repeatedly present to Bob and his management team,” Sheridan says.

Later, when Sheridan traveled to Morgantown, W.Va., to present to West Virginia University Hospitals, he was surprised by a question the organization’s leader asked.

“I approached Kevin when he was speaking to our management team and asked if he was a ‘Spot’ or ‘Benders’ kind of guy,” Brandfass says. “He about fell over before a big grin spread across his face.”

Brandfass also has run into additional Ripon graduates over the course of his career. In 2000, another significant employer in the region where Brandfass works and lives was GE Specialty Chemicals.

“I was good friends with the plant manager,” Brandfass says. “When I mentioned that I went to Ripon College, he said I had to be kidding. When I asked why, he noted that his supervisor went to Ripon College and, like myself, would tell anybody who would listen what a great experience it was.”

When Brandfass met up with this 1980 Ripon graduate — Bob Fines, the president of GE Specialty Chemicals — they learned they had spent a year together at Ripon and shared many common friends.

“Our ‘reunion’ dinner was filled with many tales of our days at Ripon,” Brandfass says.

Malte has come across a few other Ripon graduates, as well, one of whom is also highly regarded in the healthcare industry. Perhaps the most surprising run-in for Malte, though, was when he learned that a fellow Ripon alumnus lived only two blocks away from him in Colorado.

Alumni run-in stories like these illustrate the instant camaraderie formed among alumni around the world who

come from a school that typically graduates fewer than 300 students a year.

“When you come across a fellow Ripon graduate, you feel an instant bond and a shared sense of camaraderie with them,” Brandfass says.

Malte agrees, saying it comes from having had a shared and favorable experience at the same school, but it is set apart in this regard from most other institutions.

“I think it also feels unique due to the relative small size of Ripon’s [alumni body] compared to those who graduate from larger schools,” Malte says.

And Sheridan, adds, “It obviously does generate a pride that such a small, liberal arts college – which had about 700 students at the time that I was there — could produce leaders in the industry.

I also think it provides a testament to the liberal arts education, which gives a deep breadth of education across different faculties. Ultimately, this diverse exposure produces individuals who are flexible in their approach and have a great ability to adapt to different industries, environments and/or business settings.

“What Ripon gave me — basically, it created an entrepreneur. Within my economics major, I had a professor named John Livingston, who created an environment where there were several believers in capitalism (aside from what is going on in our economy today).

Professor Livingston was an enormous proponent of Adam Smith, author of ‘The Wealth of Nations,’ which had a great influence on me, as well. Anyway, that individual, that professor, no doubt touched me and created an entrepreneurial spirit in me to create value and jobs in the economy.”

Brandfass concludes, “I came to Ripon from a high school whose graduating class was larger than the entire Ripon College student body. Ripon provided me with the individualized attention which I needed to expand my skill set and build up my self-confidence.

People who knew me both pre- and postRipon always commented that it has transformed me — in a good way!” r Kristy Erdodi and Jaye Alderson Erdodi is associate marketing project manager for HR Solutions Inc. in Chicago.

Students Gain Valuable Experience Through Summer Research

F

unded through a variety of sources, nearly three dozen students took part in summer research projects. Their studies already are contributing to the community as well as enhancing their future prospects in their fields of study.

Elizabeth E. McHone, a junior from Ripon, looked at the ethics of buying and consuming non-local food at home and on campus and its effects on the environment, local economies and our health.

As a local foods intern with the Office of Community Engagement, she also spent time educating the Ripon College community about local food issues and inciting renewed interest in Elizabeth local food and susMcHone ’11 tainability by working with Sodexo, local producers, social media and members of the community.

“I had been interested in things like environmental ethics, agriculture and cooking, but had never heard of the local food movement before the internship,” McHone says. “I learned about some seriously depressing facts about the implications of our nation’s food systems on our health, local economies and the environment, but also about the things people were doing to combat those effects.”

She says talking to one person led her to three others, who each introduced her to three more, until she had more than 50 contacts in the Ripon area who are connected to the local foods movement. She helped form a network in Ripon centered on a local foods movement, made short videos of interviews with Ripon students/staff and community members and posted them on YouTube and Facebook, and set up an e-mail list, Twitter account, a page on Ripon College’s Web site, and a

homepage on Ning.

“The idea was to utilize as many social networking sites as possible to reach different groups of people and provide opportunities for differing levels of involvement,” McHone says. “I’ve planned some events for the upcoming semesters, including a visit to a farm in Ripon, viewings of relevant films, cookouts, gardening days, trips to local food events in Wisconsin and a webinar. We’re also working with food service to find ways to incorporate more local food into campus dining, start a composting system and encourage recycling. It’s an ongoing project, which I hope will continue to progress after I leave Ripon.”

A big part of the summer efforts was starting a community garden on the Ripon campus.

“It took a while to get approval to use space on campus, but we were able to get a spot right by the Commons and start work in late July, so there’s groundwork for a bigger push next year … with plenty of room for expansion next year into individual and group plots for the campus and greater community,” McHone says.

McHone says her work has helped guide the focus of her education and, in some ways, consolidated her interests in biology, botany and humanities like philosophy and anthropology.

“This project has shown me how I could incorporate all of these things, plus community service, into studying humans’ interactions with the environment through agriculture,” she says. “I know that the people I’ve met and the things I’ve learned (or will learn) through this project will be invaluable to me in the future. I feel pretty lucky to have ended up at a school that provides for students to pursue their interests to this degree and make an impact on the community.”

Having such an impact also is important to Meagan Kochel, a senior from Racine, Wis., who studied chemical/pharmaceutical pollution in Silver Creek in Ripon.

She says many recent studies have found levels of various pharmaceuticals and common healthcare products in lakes and

rivers near where wastewater is dumped. Anything humans ingest has to come out eventually in our waste, she says, and most wastewater plants don’t have the technology or infrastructure to filter out these chemicals.

Meagan Kochel ’10 She looked at several common products, including caffeine, which is in many foods and beverages we consume; sucralose, a thrichlorinated sugar substitute with yet unknown impacts on the environment; triclosan, an antibacterial agent found in many soaps and hand sanitizers; acetaminophen; and ibuprofen.

“The major problems with these products is that many of them alter behavioral patterns of organisms, change their physiology or are toxic to both them and/or the organisms they feed on,” Kochel says. “I felt this was important to study because, although many studies have shown increasing effects in water sources near larger urban areas, I thought it would be interesting to have a profile for a more remote place such as Ripon.”

She says most of her results to date are inconclusive because of the short amount of time available.

“I do plan to continue the research throughout the semester in order to get more concrete results,” she says. “This has been such a wonderful opportunity to pursue my study because I had the opportunity to go through the entire process of designing and carrying out my own research. The knowledge and experience I gained was invaluable and will be as well when I am applying to graduate schools. This is an area I would really like to make a difference in someday, whether it be as an activist, speaking about the importance of alternative methods of prescription when possible, or as a researcher actually taking and analyzing samples. My greatest concern FALL 2009 9

is the environment and the planet I love, and I want to bring more knowledge out of the scientific sphere into the public mind.”

Talya Petersik, a senior from Ripon, studied neuroplasticity, primarily on an educational program called Fast ForWord. This program is designed to help young students who have cognitive delays in areas such as language and reading skills by utilizing the concept of neuroplasticity — the idea that connection in the brain can be modified by training.

The Fast ForWord program has demonstrated that neuroTalya Petersik ’10 plastic exercises, which strengthen existing connections and create new routes of communication within the brain, ensure that students’ skills will improve to reach average, and in many cases even above average, levels for patients with brain damage, cognitive delays and underdevelopment of the brain, says Petersik.

“The majority of research articles on the Fast ForWord program are published by companies who are the primary distributors of the program,” Petersik says.

“Thus, although they provide literally hundreds of research articles, their Web sites offer only research results that report improvement in children who use the program. While these articles are very useful in demonstrating that the Fast ForWord program is beneficial, it is important to also study research conducted independently from the major corporate companies. Many of these research articles compare Fast ForWord to similar programs and report that the Fast ForWord program does not have significantly greater immediate results in students than the other programs that exist.

However, research articles that focused on long-term improvement in the cognitive delays of students demonstrate that the Fast ForWord program is one of the best sources for such results. One consistency found amongst all these research articles is that addressing cognitive delays, through the implementation of almost any legitimate program, is beneficial to children and thus should be used 10 RIPON MAGAZINE

more regularly in school districts.”

Petersik plans to attend graduate school with a focus in neuroplasticity or a similar field within psychology. “The opportunity to explore the field helped me understand its positive effects on individuals as well as providing me a further grasp of some of the principles of the field,” she says.

The summer research also will have a great impact on the future studies of Tomissa Porath, a senior from Shawano, Wis. She researched an ethical dilemma encountered in libraries — whether it is better to protect patron privacy or give out information to the government and the courts that could protect the safety and well-being of the country.

“What I have found is still a mixed feeling throughout the field,” Porath says. “Practically all libraries receive govTomissa Porath ’10 ernment funding of some sort, so some believe there is a obligation to assist the government in their needs. Most libraries, however, believe that hosting a safe place for patrons to research and feel comfortable checking out materials is better than providing limited information, like previous items checked out by a specific person.”

Porath plans to pursue a master’s degree in library and information science.

“This is greatly important to my career in librarianship, and will greatly benefit my resumé as I am applying to some of the best schools in the field,” she says.

Sarah Ellefson, a senior from West Bend, Wis., also is appreciative of the impact her research will have as she applies to graduate schools for continuing study in schizophrenia.

“When I apply to grad school, I can write that I do have experience in the field,” she says. “You can read dozens of books about the symptoms of schizophrenia and different treatments available, but until you actually see first-hand how a person is suffering from this mental illness or see how small improvements are actually huge milestones, you will never really understand the field. This experience has opened up my mind and ideas

about the mentally ill and the treatment of the mentally ill. I feel that there still is a stigma about the mentally ill today and that people need to view the mentally ill as people, as well, who need someone to Sarah Ellefson ’10 help improve their quality of life with different treatments and quality care.”

Ellefson’s studies focused on schizophrenia and different treatments available. She says schizophrenia symptoms can be either negative or positive.

Positive symptoms are above the “normal” level of functioning, including delusions, hallucinations or tics (repeated movements). Negative symptoms are below the “normal” level of functioning, including loss of speech, motor retardation and loss of energy.

“I was interested in what types of treatments are being done in the field compared to what the literature states,” Ellefson says. She secured an internship at the Wisconsin Resource Center, part of the Department of Corrections, where she worked on the psychiatric unit. In order to evaluate treatment effectiveness, several different scales have been designed in the field of clinical psychology. With consent of certain inmates, Ellefson reviewed their scale scores, time in segregation (isolation), clinical diagnosis and attendance to different treatments offered on the unit. She also attended different types of on-unit and offunit group treatment sessions, interviewed staff and analyzed her results.

“I really did not find any results which were statistically significant when the inmates were looked at as a group,” Ellefson says. “However, when a few of the inmates’ results were looked at on an individual analysis, there were some slight differences. This supports the notion that therapy and treatment of the mentally ill must be individualized because not everyone will respond to the same treatment in the same ways. The individualism is what sometimes makes it very difficult to measure the effectiveness of a treatment because every person is different and what works for one person may not work for another.” r

Other Summer Research Numerous students and faculty members benefited from support for summer research projects. Among them were studies through the Ethical Leadership Program and in the sciences, philosophy, library, history and other areas.

The Ethical Leadership Program awarded grants to faculty and students. Faculty Summer Grant recipients studied ethics and ethical leadership issues with the goal of incorporating ethical issues and leadership issues into the curriculum: ■ Paul Jeffries: Revise PHL 241 to explore philosophy through film by using readings and discussion supported by philosophical issues played out in film to examine ethical issues.

■ Doug Northrup, Paul Jeffries, Mary Williams Norton, Joe Hatcher: Develop a course exploring the connections of science and virtue, focusing primarily on four critical periods following significant scientific innovations: Newtonian physics, Lavoisier chemistry, Darwinian evolution and Einsteinian relativity.

■ Karl Beres, Diane Beres, Kris Peters, David Scott, Tim Hess: Revise ethical components of the MaCS Senior Seminar to emphasize the professional code of ethics and conduct for the appropriate professional societies representing the majors. Sample topics include: cultural, legal and ethical issues; whistle-blowing; privacy and confidentiality; risk management and intellectual property.

■ Barb McGowan: Development of a new course, “Contemporary American History,” examining presidential decision-making and leadership from different perspectives, and exploring leadership and ethics and the relationship between personal morality and public morality and how this connects with effective, or ineffective, leadership.

Student Summer Intern recipients: ■ Kirsten Collins ’10: Conducting a project that will raise questions concerning the adequacy of ELL services at the middle and secondary levels in Ripon and proposing changes to further develop appropriate and effective services.

■ Luke Lockhart ’10: Researching the ethical use of social networking Web sites and the use of bigotry, exclusion and bullying as it relates to the Ripon College student population.

■ Phillip Mack ’10: Researching the ethical concept of tolerance and how it is applicable to humans and society and examining the ways, both theoretically and practically, in which humans and communities can function in a presumably harmonious fashion despite sometimes having significant differences.

■ Stephanie Potts ’10: Exploring the ways in which children with disabilities are stigmatized and the ethics of how to enact public awareness of disability.

Student Summer Research in other areas included: ■ Kylie Ainslie ’11, Knop Scholar, broad application of statistics in the biomedical sciences.

■ Sarah Anderson ’10, McNair, phosphate loading in White Lake.

■ Vanessa Arboleda ’10, McNair, testosterone and aggressive behavior in the male eastern bluebird.

■ Tiffany Born ’10, trustee grant, effects of modifying infant’s looking behavior.

■ Morgan Douvris ’10, local donor funding, local history.

■ Jacqueline Fingerson ’10, local donor funding, local history.

■ Amanda Flannery ’10, McNair, identify archaeological sites near Ripon.

■ Brooke Lamb ’10, McNair, change detection and eye movements in apparent motion.

■ Benjamin Logan ’11, Knop funds, generating random landscapes.

■ Matthew Madsen ’11, trustee grant, testing the origins of wind-blown particles.

■ Elizabeth Martinez ’10, McNair, study sample of tomato spotted wilt virus-infected plants.

■ Melissa Meierhofer ’11, McNair, prolactin and parental behavior of eastern bluebirds.

■ Alex Momich ’10, McNair, prepare a logistic model for origin of wind-blown particles.

■ Jon Palecek ’10, Nessan Technologies, data inventory.

■ Amber Rico ’11, McNair, study sample of tomato spotted wilt virus-infected plants.

■ Daniel Schick ’10, Knop Scholar, designing and building a wind tunnel.

■ Celena Simpson ’10, McNair, identity and race.

■ Carlos Soto ’11, McNair, analyzing empirical data from neuroimaging.

■ Alex Tessman ’10, Knop funds, ecological study of plant succession in the Ceresco Prairie Conservancy.

■ Rachel Vanden Berg ’10, Knop funds, quantum mechanical characterization of aminatin of C-H Bonds by Disilver Catalysts.

■ Brittney Wiggins ’10, McNair, nutrient dynamics in the carnivorous plant Utricularia.

All recipients have been presenting their findings in presentations on campus.

FALL 2009 11

These Days at Ripon these days at ripon Briefs BRIEFS

SPEAKERS BUREAU STUDENTS IN DEMAND Students involved in the Communication Department’s Speakers Bureau have been very in-demand recently. Last spring, Ryan Greene, a senior from South Milwaukee, Wis., who uses speaking to raise awareness of domestic violence, was invited to speak to a local sorority and also to a group of about 60 inmates at the Taycheedah State Penitentiary.

During the last academic year and this summer, Sarah Hopkins, a junior from Racine, Wis., has been speaking throughout the state to high school students from under-represented populations, providing them with both the inspiration and strategies to tackle the college admission process.

Matt Farley, a junior from Algoma, Wis., has shared “how to make the most out of your high school career” advice with students in two districts. This October, Greene and Hopkins will speak about youth violence prevention measures at the national conference of Students Against Violence Everywhere. Speakers Bureau alumnus Shawn Karsten ’09 is a featured speaker for that event.

THREE-DAY DRIVE NETS 100 BOOKS About 100 books were collected in three days recently during a Books for Africa drive on campus. Assistant Professor of Philosophy Paul Jeffries, and his wife, Ruth, are involved with the organization that provides English (and some French) language books to educational institutions throughout Africa.

“It gets valuable books on a wide variety of research topics to libraries throughout Africa that are typically lacking in resources to get new books,” Jeffries says. “This helps the student scholars and faculty to have more adequate resources for doing their research and teaching.”

12 RIPON MAGAZINE

RIPON PLACED HIGH IN NATIONAL RANKINGS

Ripon continues to receive accolades from various publications which review and rank colleges across the country. This year, Forbes, The Princeton Review, Washington Monthly, The Chronicle of Higher Education and the League of American Bicyclists all recognized Ripon for various forms of excellence.

■ Forbes ranks Ripon among the top two colleges and universities in Wisconsin and in the top 100 — 88th for value, 89th among private colleges and 100th among all U.S. colleges and universities, according to the magazine’s second annual “America’s Best Colleges” issue. The rankings’ unique methodology places Ripon well ahead of larger and better-known institutions such as Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Texas-Austin and the University of Florida, just to name a few.

“We talk a lot about academics and the student experience here, and the Forbes list measures those things, but we’re particularly gratified to see ourselves on the ‘Best College Buys’ list,” says Steve Schuetz, vice president and director of admissions. “Ripon College works very hard to help make college affordable for deserving students, so we’re thrilled to see that come through in the rankings.”

■ The Princeton Review once again has ranked Ripon as one of “America’s Best 371 Colleges” for undergraduate education in its 2010 edition.

“Not all college rankings are created equal, but The Princeton Review does a fine job of blending subjective evaluations by real students with relevant data,” says President David C. Joyce.

“It’s a useful resource for families when choosing a college and we’re proud to make the list year after year.”

Only about 15 percent of America’s 2,500 four-year colleges and two Canadian colleges are profiled in the book, which is The Princeton Review’s flagship annual college guide. It includes detailed profiles of the colleges with school rating scores in eight categories, plus ranking lists of top 20 schools in 62 categories based on The Princeton Review’s surveys of students attending the colleges.

In its profile on Ripon, The Princeton Review praises the school for its friendly, welcoming atmosphere and intensive preparation for grad school, and quotes extensively from students The Princeton Review surveyed for the book.

■ Washington Monthly ranked Ripon College 27th overall among liberal arts colleges in the United States in its third annual college rankings list. The ranking is based on three categories: Social Mobility (recruiting and graduating low-income students), Research (contribution of new discoveries and Ph.D.s) and Service (encouraging students to give back to their country and communities).

The magazine places an emphasis on measuring what colleges do for society in addition to what they do for students. Within these categories, Ripon was ranked 26th in Social Mobility, with 26 percent of students eligible for Pell grants; and 83rd in Service, with an ROTC rank of seventh among liberal arts colleges (based on the percentage of students who participate in the ROTC program).

■ The Chronicle of Higher Education included Ripon in its 2009 Great Colleges to Work For. Ripon is the only private college in Wisconsin to be so honored.

“We spend a lot of time focusing on the student experience here, and rightly so, but it starts with the employee experience,” says Joyce. “The culture here is based on collaboration and mutual respect, as evidenced by the results of this survey. Our people are what set us apart — not just how we treat our students, but how we treat each other.”

Ripon was listed in four categories: healthy faculty-administration relations; collaborative governance; work/life balance; and connection to institution and pride ■ Finally, Ripon was recognized by the League of American Bicyclists with an honorable mention on its annual Bicycle-Friendly Business list.

The organization recognizes the businesses that promote bicycling for transportation, recreation, exercise and sport. These businesses also must practice social

Briefs BRIEFS FACULTY NOTES

Velorution Keeps Rolling

Jesse Lain of Oshkosh Cyclery gives a group of students some tips about how to use and care for their new bicycles. Nearly 170 incoming first-year students signed the 2009-10 Ripon Velorution Project pledge to keep their cars at home throughout the academic year. In return, the College gave each of them a brand new 2009 Cannondale F9 mountain bike with a custom Ripon College paint scheme. Planet Bike of Madison, Wis., donated locks and lights to each of the students, as well.

Jim Koepnick photo

responsibility by including bicycling in the business culture, promoting the health of each person and the environment. When awarding these businesses specifically, they evaluate them in the four categories of encouragement, education, engineering and evaluation.

“Ripon’s Velorution Project for students and the recent extension of that program to faculty and staff is part of a broad effort to rejuvenate use of the bicycle as a fundamental form of transportation and recreation,” says Joyce. “We’re excited and proud to learn that our dedication to this effort has captured the attention of the American cycling community.”

ANNUAL FUND GOAL EXCEEDED DESPITE RECESSION Despite the struggling economy, Ripon exceeded its annual fund goal of $2,200,000 with a final total of unrestricted revenue raised of $2,253,803. Participation of faculty and staff was about 85 percent — more than doubling last year’s participation.

Participation of solicitable alumni was 36.1 percent, down 2.2 percent from last year.

“It’s understandable, given the economic environment,” says Larry Malchow ’77, director of development. “A lot of alumni we talked to experienced some problems due to the economy, but others stepped up to fill in.

“We consider it a major accomplishment on the part of our staff and our donors.

They love the College, are connected to the College, appreciate what the College did for them and what it’s doing for our current students who will be the future professionals and leaders in our world. They believe in our mission and also have personal gratitude.

“I think they know the College is well-run and well-managed by the trustees, the president and the other leaders, and there are all kinds of indicators that demonstrate that.”

■ For the second year in a row, Assistant Professor of Communication Steve Martin ’96 joined Professor of Psychology Bob Otis on the Maymester trip to San Juan Island. Martin’s experience on the whalewatching adventures has inspired a new phase of his research: exploration of the role communication plays in national and even international conservation movements.

■ Paul Jeffries has become the chair of the philosophy department as Vance CopeKasten will be taking a sabbatical during the spring semester. Jeffries also is serving as an at-large member of the executive board of the Wisconsin Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies. Joe Hatcher, psychology, and Martin Farrell, politics and government, also are on the board.

This summer, Jeffries received a scholarship to attend the American Association of University Professors’ Summer Institute at Macalester College. He also received an Ethical Leadership Program Faculty Course Creation grant to develop a new version of the philosophy department’s ethics course with a film emphasis.

■ Professor Sarah Desotell won a grant from the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium to develop a new first-year studies course about Mars as well as secondsemester and Maymester courses about flight.

■ Kelly Stage, assistant professor of English, published The Roaring Girl’s London Spaces in Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900. Stage is also the author of the forthcoming Plague Space and Played Space in Urban Drama, 1604 in Representing the Plague in Early Modern England. In October, Stage participated in the symposium, “Theatre and the Reformation of Space” at the Folger Institute in Washington, D.C.

MAYMESTER CLASS VISITS JAMAICA Sixteen representatives of Ripon College, including Mary E. Avery, associate professor and director of the Business Management Program, and Geoff Guevara-Geer, FALL 2009 13

Briefs BRIEFS BUSINESS MANAGEMENT MOVES TO CARNEGIE The business administration department once again is known as the business management department, reflecting a change in common terminology. The department also has moved to the lower level of the Carnegie building. The new space lends itself to the efficient operation of the Creative Enterprise Center, a student ledconsulting organization, says Mary Avery, chair of the department. There is a waiting area, two student workstations and a conference room. There also is room for the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) student organization.

The Creative Enterprise Center and SIFE both are active in the greater Ripon community, and the move to downtown makes a lot of sense for both organizations, says Avery.

The Office of Community Engagement, formerly housed in Carnegie, now is on the top floor of Harwood Memorial Union, sharing space with the Ethical Leadership Program and the Ripon Forensics Team. The Bonner Program has grown to nearly 40 students, each of whom commits to 300 hours of service every year to serve their communities.

FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER ALLEN SPEAKS AT RIPON Richard V. Allen, former national security adviser to Ronald Reagan, presented “National Security and National Interest: Steering a Realistic Course” Sept. 23.

In addition to serving as national security adviser under the Reagan administration from 1981-82, Allen was also a senior staff member of President Nixon’s National Security Council in 1968 and served various Republican administrations in the intervening years.

“9/11 awakened the entire electorate to the importance of national security. It is a topic that is a concern to all Americans, regardless of their political leanings or party,” says Lamont Colucci, assistant professor of politics and government, and national security studies coordinator.

14 RIPON MAGAZINE

assistant professor of Spanish, participated in a Jamaican Maymester service trip.

The group had two missions: education and economic development, according to Avery.

“The education team worked directly with students in the Minto School,” she says. “They Ed Students Help Alumna Jaunita also had three teacher inBaatz services that helped the ’05, left, a fifth-grade teacher at St. Adalbert Elementeachers to develop stratetary School in Milwaukee, accepts a check for $247.15 gies for classroom from Kristen Swoboda ’10 on behalf of Ripon’s management.

Student Education Association (SEA). Swoboda performed clinical work in Baatz’s classroom and asked “The economic develthe SEA to raise funds for her classroom, since the opment team did three largely Hispanic school has very little discretionary small business seminars money for classroom materials. SEA raised money and consulted individualthroughout the year in a variety of ways, but mostly by ly with four existing and selling candy bars on campus. According to a statement one start-up enterprise. on Baatz’s Adopt-a-Classroom Web site, the money will We also worked with a be used “to provide appropriate reading materials to women’s group that is assist students in meeting their academic goals and to making handbags out of promote the love of reading and writing.” trash bags.”

Avery says that experiencing a different culture is of great benefit to the students.

“Even those [of our students who] struggle with the lack of American-grade sanitation, transportation and living arrangements [in Jamaica] say, ‘I now know how much I have and how much others don’t,’ ” she says. “ ‘I know that if there is to be change in the world, it is up to me.’ ” The group also transported nearly $5,000 worth of donated articles to the area.

Most of these donations were black shoes for school children, who must have uniforms to attend school. Shoes are often the biggest barrier.

MERRIMAN HOUSE TO BE VACATED Merriman House, the longtime home of Phi Kappa Pi fraternity, will be vacated effective at the end of the current academic year in May 2010. The Board of Trustees approved the measure at the recommendation of the College administration.

The building was constructed in 1939 and opened as a residence hall for members of the fraternity in 1940. While the College has always owned the building, the Merriman Club financed its construction and was responsible for its maintenance.

In 1988, the Merriman Club and the College agreed that the maintenance responsibility for the building would reside with the College.

While maintenance projects have been completed to the building during the past 69 years, no major renovations were undertaken.

“Eventually, the need for major repairs and maintenance developed to the point where Merriman no longer Merriman House

meets the standards of a Ripon College residence hall,” says Ripon College President David C. Joyce. “In deference to the standards of a Ripon education — of which residence life is an inextricable part — we have made the decision to move the Phi Kappa Pi fraternity out of Merriman and into another residence hall.”

Joyce says the decision to vacate the building was not reached lightly.

“Merriman’s longtime status as a social nexus is acknowledged by all, as is its place in Ripon College history,” says Joyce. “Some say that Merriman IS Phi Kappa Pi and vice-versa, implying that to take the building off-line is tantamount to taking the fraternity off-line. That is not the case.”

No decision has been made regarding the ultimate fate of the building. For now, it will simply be left unoccupied, says Joyce.

“I respect the importance of Merriman and its place in some people’s memories of Ripon College. We will be looking for long-term solutions and weighing our options, and hope that we can sustain a positive dialogue during that process,” Joyce says.

PROFESSOR REFLECTS ON WOODSTOCK 40TH As the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock music festival passed by this summer, it brought back “good memories” for Michelle Fuerch, professor of Spanish and Portuguese. She was one of the estimated half-a-million visitors to the festival in the summer of 1969.

She was 18, just graduated from high school, when she and a friend attended a music festival in Atlantic City. There they heard about the upcoming Woodstock.

Back home in Grand Rapids, Mich., she described to friends how cool the Atlantic City festival was and how much she wanted to go to Woodstock, but she had no money.

“A friend named Karen said, ‘I’ve got 20 bucks — let’s go,’ ” Fuerch says. “So off we went. I hopped in my little red VW Bug. I had 27 cents to my name, and she had $20. You could fill up a VW tank for $2, Michelle Fuerch in her 1967 Volkswagen Beetle. and it would take you hundreds of miles. We took bread, peanut butter and jelly from our kitchens and had no tickets. We were thinking we would park outside the gates and hear.”

When they arrived, roads were jammed for miles around, but they heard that the fences had been torn down.

“We parked a couple of miles away and walked in,” she says. “We slept in the car. I was always fully clothed, and I didn’t do any drugs. We walked down into the bowl where the stage was set up, and it was wall-to-wall people. You would tip-toe between the blankets until a space opened up and you could put your blanket down.”

She remembers everyone lighting candles that filled the basin with “awesome” light at night. She also remembers the rain that turned everything to mud and prevented anyone from lighting candles. She also recalls hearing Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix perform.

“It was a remarkable experience,” Fuerch says. “I met many interesting people, and I still remember it to this day.”

Briefs BRIEFS FACULTY NOTES ■ Mark Kainz, associate professor of biology, presented the poster “Identification of candidate Arabidopsis thaliana proteins involved in the replication cycle of Tomato spotted wilt virus” at the annual meeting of the American Society of Microbiology in Philadelphia in May 2009.

■ Lamont Colucci, assistant professor of politics and government, continues to be active on the worldwide stage.

He has been interviewed on Wisconsin Public Radio several times in the past eight months concerning terrorism, the future of foreign policy under President Obama and Obama’s United Nations speech.

He was a delegate and designated panel responder to the World Summit on Counter-Terrorism, in Herzliya, Israel, in September.

He delivered a paper to the annual American Political Science AssociationInternational Security Studies Section-International Security and Arms Control Section Conference on “The Bush Doctrine: Changes in American Foreign Policy, International Relations and International Security,” in Monterey, Calif., in October.

He was interviewed on Chicago TV and POTUS XM Satellite radio about current foreign policy in August.

He will be a speaker for the American Committee on Foreign Relations about issues relating to American foreign policy and national security. His first requested speech will be on the East Coast concerning the implications of the Japanese elections on U.S.-Japanese policy and foreign relations.

FORENSICS QUALIFIES THREE FOR NATIONALS By the end of October, the Ripon forensics team had earned two team championships and qualified three students for the American Forensic Association national tournament. Senior Luke Lockhart, junior Garrison McMurtrey and

FALL 2009 15

Briefs BRIEFS MORE VISITORS ARRIVE FOR WISCONSIN PRIVATE COLLEGE WEEK Ripon College hosted 144 prospective students and their families for a total of 310 visitors during Wisconsin Private College Week, July 13 through 17.

Visitors had opportunities to tour the campus, enjoy faculty and staff presentations, meet with admission counselors and develop an overall “taste” of Ripon College.

“All the private colleges in the state of Wisconsin hold different events throughout the week,” says Stacy Chapin, admission program coordinator. “It’s always an exciting time for us because the kids are so excited. It’s their first impression of the College. Our campus is so welcoming.

Our student volunteers were great, and our faculty were great. It’s a lot of fun, and it’s good excitement in the air for us.”

Chapin says the number of visiting students is up from previous years’ totals of 96 in 2007 and 124 in 2008.

ART PROFESSOR DISPLAYS PORTRAITS Assistant Professor of Art Rafael Salas had a one-man exhibition, “Rafael Francisco Salas: New Work” on view at the Portrait Society in downtown Milwaukee through Oct. 30.

Included were a wall-sized triptych, with each of the three panels measuring 36 x 60 inches. The painting is an allegorical portrayal of the Southern writer Flannery O’Connor and the Irish punk star Shane Macgowan. Macgowan was the leader of the band The Pogues.

“I have juxtaposed these disparate subjects in order to create a psychological stage which I use to describe states of mind; moods and atmospheres instead of a story,” says Salas.

Also included in this exhibition were smaller drawings and studies that the artist executed in preparation for the triptych as well as a selection of older, portrait-related works. One of these depicts Professor of Art Evelyn Kain.

16 RIPON MAGAZINE

Class of 1959 50th Reunion

Twenty-two members of the Class of 1959 returned to Ripon in June for their 50th class reunion and Alumni Weekend. Pictured in front, from left, are Ronell “Ronnie” Bradbeer Anderson, Ann Di John Anderson, Marion Murner Harten, Janet Albrecht Schaiger and Donna Haubrich Reichle. In the second row, from left, are Robert Spangler ’60, Tom Troestler, June Eggert Schuett, Carolyn “Joy” Malueg Consie, Ellen Luebke Humke and Roger Venden. In the third row, from left, are Victor “Jerry” Woeste, Donald Zutter, Pete Kasson, Neal Cason and Dan Rajewski. In the back row, from left, are Dan Anderson, Al Peters and Burton Jay. Not pictured are Nathan Brand, John “Jack” Cooley and Cliff Eimon.

Ric Damm photo

sophomore Breena Brockmann will compete at the national event April 2-5 at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

The Ripon team earned its championships during competitions at the Bethany Lutheran College Invitational Oct. 30-31 and the Twin Cities Forensic League tournament at Normandale College Oct. 20. Ripon was first of 14 schools at Bethany Lutheran and first of 13 at Normandale.

At Bethany, Lockhart was tournament champion in after-dinner speaking. Sophomores Vicky Weber and Jeremy Johnson also were tournament champions in impromptu speaking and extemporaneous speaking, respectively. Ripon had even more individual tournament champions at the Twin Cities event with seven in total. Lockhart was champion in both impromptu and extemporaneous events at Normandale, while senior T.J. Rhodes was tops in persuasion; McMurtrey and Brockmann in duo interpretation; Brockmann in communication analysis; sophomore Matt Muza in informative speaking; and first-year Matt Koch in program oral interpretation.

Lockhart also had a tournament championship in impromptu speaking at a two-day event at Minnesota Garrison McMurtrey ’11 and Breena Brockmann State University-Mankato and Gus’12 practice a scene from their duo interpretation of tavus Adolphus College, Oct. 17-18. “American Beauty.”

Alyssa Paulsen ’10 photo This year’s team consists of 22 students under the guidance of Director of Forensics Deano Pape and Assistant Director of Forensics Adam Jacobi.

STUDENT POPULATION ONE OF LARGEST, MOST DIVERSE Although the incoming class of 2013 was smaller than previous years, Ripon still has much to celebrate as this year marks one of the highest overall enrollments in the college’s history. Despite the slight decrease of first years from 284 students last year to 249 this year, Ripon still broke many enrollment records, with a current total of 1,065 students enrolled.

“If you look at the overall enrollment, this year has been the largest in at least the past 20 years,” says Leigh Mlodzik ’02, director of admission.

Mlodzik cited increased retention rates as a major factor in the increased campus size.

However, Mlodzik says the drop in first-year enrollment in 2009 to a low not seen in three years could be a trend.

Student Senate President Christopher Schaefer The size of overall enrollment is expect’10, at the podium, welcomes the Ripon Class ed to decline within the next few years of 2013 during the annual Matriculation Conas well. According to Mlodzik, the drop vocation while President David Joyce listens. in enrollment can be attributed partly to Ric Damm photo the current state of the economy.

“We also expect fewer high school graduates from Wisconsin in the coming years. That potentially will affect our enrollment numbers as we have historically attracted a large number of students from within the state,” says Mlodzik.

While lower in the student count, the first-year class brings much diversity to a campus that had seemed to be lacking in past years. By the numbers, Ripon has students from 17 different states and seven foreign countries, including China, Jamaica, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Japan and Panama.

There is a more diverse and well-represented group of students from all ethnic backgrounds, which “is an attractive feature for prospective students,” according to Admission Program Coordinator Stacy Chapin. “More diversity means that students with different backgrounds feel more at home at Ripon.”

BLOMFELT SELECTED FOR GERMAN STUDIES PROGRAM Bill Blomfelt, a senior from Superior, Wis., participated in the Graduate School Experience at Ohio State University this summer. Blomfelt, a German major, was one of 15 students selected to participate in the program that provides undergraduates with a week-long seminar organized by Ohio State’s department of German languages and literatures.

Since 2005, the Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst/German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Max Kade Foundation have partnered with a leading university department to offer this special event for North American students who are considering graduate work in German studies. The Graduate School Experience is aimed at outstanding German majors who have just completed their junior year.

The seminar — “The Wall in the Social Imagination” — included interdisciplinary sessions led by Ohio State faculty. Blomfelt had the opportunity to explore this topic in literature, film and other social, political and artistic discourses. A crucial component of the program is practical and realistic information about graduate study in German.

Calendar Calendar December 6 Alumni Event: Milwaukee Bucks December 11 Last Day of Classes Yule Ball December 14 Final Exams Begin December 15 Late Night Breakfast Alumni Event: Chicago Rendezvous December 16 Reading Day December 18 Last Day of Final Exams January 17 Residence Halls Open January 18 Registration January 19 Spring Semester Classes Begin January 27 Alumni Event: Milwaukee Fifth Wednesday January 28 Alumni Event: Madison and Cincinnati Fifth Thursdays January 29 Chamber Music & Jazz at Ripon Series presents Rene Izquierdo February 4 Alumni Event: Fox Valley, Wis., Happy Hour February 9 Alumni Event: Chicago Rendezvous

FALL 2009 17

Briefs BRIEFS FACULTY NOTES ■ New in the religion department this fall is Mark McClish, a post-doctoral fellow in Asian religions. He recently completed his doctorate in religious studies at the University of Texas. He comes to Ripon for two years funded by a grant through the Associated College’s of the Midwest (ACM) from the Mellon Foundation. He is teaching courses in Hinduism, Buddhism and Chinese religions. He is a specialist on India and has lived in that country on several occasions for extended periods of time.

■ Lorna Sopcak, associate professor of German, was among eight U.S. German instructors selected to receive American Association of Teachers of German (AATG) grants to subsidize the program fee for the professional development seminar, “Metropolen an der Donau,” sponsored by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Art and Culture in cooperation with the AATG. The seminar, focusing on Vienna’s history, art, culture, economy and politics, took place July 1-12, 2009, in Vienna and concluded with a three-day excursion to Budapest.

Sopcak also received a Goethe-Institut grant for the seminar, “Zwei Universitätsstädte,” in Göttingen and Weimar from July 12-Aug. 1. The seminar compared the two university cities and focused on the lingering East-West differences and tensions in Germany 20 years after unification.

■ David Graham, professor of English, published the poem “Huge Underpants of Gloom” in The Huge Underpants of Gloom 3, edited by Jessy Randall.

Graham also had five poems included in Poet’s Corner: Summer; and his poem, “Air Supremacy,” was published in Big Bridge 14. Graham also joined former student Brent Goodman ’93 for a poetry reading at the Windhover Center for the Arts in Fond du Lac, Wis., in May. ■ An essay by Geoff Guevara-Geer, assistant professor of Spanish, titled “The Rumba of the Flying Buttresses,” was included in the playbill for “Cambio,” a musical resetting of Notre Dame de Paris in today’s Cuba.

18 RIPON MAGAZINE

Speakin’ Easy for the Arts

These young ladies — from left: Annie Oliver ’10, Missy Meierhofer ’11, Erin Bavery ’11 and Misty Brum ’10 — get into the spirit of the Prohibition Era “Speakin’ Easy” theme of this year’s Arts and All That Jazz benefit auction. This year’s event — the fourth annual — was held the Friday evening of homecoming weekend and raised money to support the fine arts scholarship program at Ripon. For more photos of the event, visit www.flickr.com/photos/ripon_college.

Jim Koepnick photo

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION HONORS EIGHT The Ripon alumni association awarded eight alumni during Alumni Weekend 2009.

Four alumni received the College’s Distinguished Alumni Citation: ■ Thomas J. Horvath ’84, Hampton, Va., aerospace engineer, NASA Langley Research Center ■ Samuel D. Johnson ’69, Brooklyn, N.Y., professor of psychology, Baruch College ■ Col. James F. Laufenburg (ret.) ’79, Alexandria, Va., U. S. Army and Director Army Programs, Computer Science Corp.

■ John A. Sturm ’58, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., retired vice chairman of Sturm Foods Inc. Sara Wichlacz Haney ’04, a science teacher in grades 6-12 at Oak Hill School in Eugene, Ore., received the Outstanding Young Alumna award.

Three alumni were inducted into Ripon’s Athletic Hall of Fame: ■ Matthew D. Becker ’99, Milwaukee, Wis., basketball, soccer ■ Crystal L. Helm ’97, Menasha, Wis., basketball, track and field ■ Donald E. Roca-Dawson ’94, Orland Hills, Ill., football, track and field These awards were presented at the Alumni Weekend Awards Banquet, June 26.

For more information about the awards, visit my.ripon.edu/ics/Alumni_and_Friends/Alumni_Awards.

The 24th annual Alumni Weekend brought 509 attendees from 32 states and Washington, D.C., back to campus. They represented 66 years of alumni, from 1946 to 2012, and 11 class reunions were held.

“Alumni celebrated together, enjoying the gorgeous weather on campus with longtime friends, while making new friends of all ages,” says Amy Gerretsen ’04,

assistant director of alumni relations. “All of our alumni were thrilled with the number of current and retired faculty and staff members who attended Friday evening’s All-Alumni Reception.”

Alumni Weekend 2010 will be held June 25-27. For photos of Alumni Weekend 2009, visit www.flickr.com/photos/ripon_college.

RIPON DEDICATES 82ND AIRBORNE ‘MAGGIE’ TRIBUTE CASE Lt. Col. James “Maggie” Megellas ’42, U.S. Army (ret.), returned to campus in August for the dedication of a display case at the College Museum in West Hall. A native of Fond du Lac, Wis., Megellas is the most decorated officer in the history of the U.S. Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division and has been recommended for the Medal of Honor for heroic actions during the World War II Battle of the Bulge.

In Megellas’ honor, the Badger State Chapter, 82nd Airborne Division Association, has donated the Jim “Maggie” Megellas Tribute Case at the museum.

In his talk at the dedication, Megellas praised the environment of Ripon that led to his success and that of many others. He said his ROTC training gave him and other Ripon cadets a sense of togetherness, of something greater than themselves and a lot of camaraderie.

But the environment of Ripon itself was an even greater factor, he said.

“What we did get and take with us from Ripon — you’ve heard the phrase ‘man is a product of his environment.’ We were a product of this environment, of a smalltown school where students were close, worked together and created a bond, respected each other, a faculty that was caring that you could go to at anytime and they would help you. … It was that environment that made us into the soldiers that we were.”

He said his fellow Ripon soldiers “carried the colors of this college forward,” and he wanted to share the dedication of the tribute case with “those Ripon College ROTC graduates who paid the ultimate price, who never made it back.”

He said Ripon was a factor in the success of the men of his generation.

“It produced young men who excelled in what they did, and Bill Neill ’67, left, James Megellas ’42, center, and “Doc” I’m proud to say that I was one Weiske ’50 examine a James Megellas action figure. of them,” he said.

Ric Damm photo

SHORT N’ TWEET: RIPON ENTERS ‘TWITTERVERSE’ This past summer marked Ripon’s official presence on the 500-pound gorillas of social networking, Facebook and Twitter. The former is more well-known as a way to engage and share with friends around the globe. The latter is an interactive social-media platform in which users answer the question, “What are you doing?” in 140 characters or fewer. The short posts are called “tweets.” By “following” a user (including celebrities, bands and businesses) you can receive these short updates basically in real time. Tweets range from poetry to last-minute travel offers.

Thus far, Ripon’s Twitter feed (www.twitter.com/riponcollege) has served as another outlet for news snippets and notices regarding college events. Its stable of

TRUSTEE PROFILE:

S TEPHANIE G REENE ’72 Elected: February 2002 Business: Retired Vice President, Sales and Service Infrastructure JPMorgan Chase & Company What compelled you to become a Ripon College Trustee?

I learned so much at Ripon, and that helped me to have a successful life.

What rewards Stephanie Greene ’72 does it offer?

I get the opportunity to contribute to future generations and make a difference for students now.

What qualities do you bring to the table as a Trustee?

I am a good listener. I am also not hesitant to give my opinion, but I like to hear all sides before I decide on any course of action. I did this in my career, and I continue to strive to see all situations end-to-end.

What are some of your pursuits/ hobbies/interests?

I like to travel, play tennis and do needlepoint.

What do you see as the most significant challenges for higher education in general, and Ripon in particular?

The most significant challenge for higher education is to produce responsible individuals of good moral character. In an age of instant gratification, the challenge is to instill values. The challenge for Ripon College is to attract and educate young people who are willing to work hard to achieve their goals with integrity.

What excites you the most about Ripon College’s future?

I am excited about Ripon’s overall growth. I believe that a sustained student enrollment of 1,000 to 1,100 can be achieved without compromising standards.

FALL 2009 19

AXO Celebrates 50th Anniversary

Current and alumnae members of Ripon’s Alpha Chi Omega sorority gathered on campus Oct. 3 to celebrate the group’s 50th anniversary at the College. More than 60 celebrated their sisterhood that began at Ripon in 1959 when the organization was founded to “encourage the true spirit of sisterhood, develop through personal effort a high moral and mental standard, advance academic achievement, promote financial responsibility, create competent leaders and develop healthy character in each member.”

Jim Koepnick photo

followers is relatively small (about 140), but the ease of posting a short, fun message every few days makes it worthwhile, according to Cody Pinkston, director of media and public relations. “We can be a little more subversive and edgy on Twitter than on the regular Web site, which some of our constituents appreciate,” he says. “If an intriguing tweet drives someone back to your Web site, you’ve changed the equation from push to pull. It’s a unique and easy way to engage your audience.”

Ripon’s Facebook fan page (www.facebook.com/ripon.college) has more than 1,500 fans and the fan page for Red Hawks athletics (www.facebook.com/ redhawks.athletics) has nearly 500.

Ripon also has a presence on Flickr (photo sharing) and the ubiquitous YouTube. Links to Ripon College’s official social-media Web sites are accessible at the lower left corner of www.ripon.edu.

RIPON JOINS HIGHER ED DIVERSITY TASK FORCE In the first collaboration of its kind, the four institutions of higher education in Fond du Lac County jointly sponsored a free Student Leadership Summit in October on the University of Wisconsin-Fond du Lac campus.

Students from Marian University, Moraine Park Technical College, Ripon College and UW-Fond du Lac participated in this conference, featuring regional and state-wide experts on the topics of diversity and leadership. They included Jamie Washington, a nationally known speaker, consultant and trainer with more than 25 years of experience in education presenting.

The event was coordinated by the Higher Education Diversity Initiative Task Force, which was created by the presidents and deans of the four institutions. The task force was charged to lead, inspire, educate and challenge their respective institutions and the greater Fond du Lac County community in promoting diversity and inclusiveness. Taskforce members include faculty, students, staff and administrators in equal numbers from each of the four institutions. r

20 RIPON MAGAZINE

Sports sports

Ripon cycling team highlights fall season with conference championship, national berth

I

n just its second year as a varsity program at Ripon, the Red Hawks cycling team made great strides; securing the Midwest Collegiate Cycling Conference (MWCCC) Division 2 team championship and sending two individuals to nationals.

Tiffany Seering (Jr., West Bend, Wis.) and Eric Smith (Fr., Charlottesville, Va.) led the charge ALL as Ripon claimed its first PORTS MWCCC title with a 217ECAP point advantage over Michigan Technological University.

Seering garnered 228 points with fourth-place finishes in both the Women’s A cross country and short track cross country events at the conference championships hosted by the University of Missouri. Seering’s hard work moved her up in the MWCCC individual season standings to third place overall and tops among Division 2 females.

Smith claimed the Division 2 individual conference championship with his performances at Missouri, where he was ninth in the Men’s A cross country event, ninth in the short track and 11th in the downhill.

At nationals — held at Northstar at Tahoe Resort in Truckee, Calif. — Ripon finished 12th of 25 Division 2 schools. Smith was 10th among the male individual omnium competitors.

Omnium results are a combination of scores from all four events. Smith was 28th in cross country, 22nd in short track cross country, 35th in four cross and 20th in downhill. Seering competed in the cross country and short track events,

F

S R

Tiffany Seering ’11

Eric Smith ’13 hits a berm in his final downhill run at USA Cycling’s collegiate mountain bike nationals in California.

Ric Damm photo

finishing 15th and 17th, respectively.

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY The men’s cross country team had one of the best seasons in program history in 2009, finishing in the top three in four of their six meets. That includes a second-place finish at the MWC championships — the highest finish by a Ripon team at that event. The Red Hawks also finished first out of 12 teams at this year’s Wisconsin Private College Championships (WPCC).

At the WPCC, Ripon saw five players earn all-state honors, including juniors Jason Smith (Stevens Point, Wis.) and Ben Worcester (Chicago), who finished third and fourth, respectively, at the event with career-best times of 26:11 and 26:12. Sophomore A.J. Thew (Niagara, Wis.) and juniors Lucas Felten (Libertyville, Ill.) and Michael Dussault (Antioch, Ill.) made

Jason Smith ’11, left, and Ben Worcester ’11 pace each other during the Wisconsin Private College Championships at Ripon. Al Fredrickson photo

FALL 2009 21

T.J. Pierce ’12

Matthew Miller ’11

Davey and Matter were the only Ripon women to earn all-conference honors, finishing ninth and 10th, respectively, at the MWC championships.

FOOTBALL

Jessica Davey ’10, left, and Michelle Matter ’13 are both first-team, all-state honorees.

Al Fredrickson photo

second team all-state, placing ninth, 10th and 11th, respectively.

Smith, Worcester, Felten and Thew also earned all-conference honors with their performances at the MWC championships.

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY The women’s cross country team finished fourth or higher in three of its six meets this season. The highlight was a first-place finish (of eight teams) at the Ripon Invitational. The season culminated in a sixth-place finish at the MWC championships.

Michelle Matter (Fr., Sussex, Wis.) led the team with top times in both the 5K and 6K races. She ran a team-best 5K time of 19:58 at St. Norbert College’s Tom Barry Invitational, while also leading the team with a 6K time of 23:27 at the WPCC. Her third-place finish at the WPCC earned Matter firstteam, all-state honors.

Joining her as a first-team, all-state honoree was Jessica Davey (Sr., Berlin, Wis.), who ran a season-best time of 24:13 at the WPCC. 22 RIPON MAGAZINE

come Ripon’s all-time leader.

The Red Hawks defense was just as impressive as the offense this season, allowing only 93.6 rushing yards per game, the third fewest they’ve ever allowed.

They held opponents to seven points or fewer in four of their 10 games, including a pair of shutouts.

Leading the defensive effort was senior linebacker Ryan Andersen (Racine, Wis.), who recorded 95 tackles to move into third place on Ripon’s career list with 277. In addition to his tackling, Andersen added 3-1/2 sacks, two interceptions, three forced fumbles and two fumbles recovered. Junior defensive back Mike Krause (Spencer, Wis.) also moved into the school’s top 10 for career tackles this season, recording his 200th in the final game of the season.

Special teams play was also an asset for the Red Hawks. Kicker Jacob Gahart (Fr., Elkhorn, Wis.) broke the school record for field goals in a single season, connecting on 9-of-13, including a long of 47 yards, which is also a school record. Gahart was a perfect 7-for-7 from inside the 40-yard line. Punter Kurt Roeder (Jr., Beaver Dam, Wis.) also had another great season, improving his school-record punting average to 37 yards — nearly a full yard longer than the second-best mark.

The Red Hawks football team finished 7-3 this season, including a 7-2 mark in the Midwest Conference (MWC).

That marks the fourth consecutive year that Ripon has won at least seven games. That was good enough to achieve third place in the MWC, and the fourth consecutive season they’ve finished in third or higher.

Ripon’s rushing attack again dominated the conference. The Hawks ran for 2,978 yards, which ranks second in school history for a single season, just 61 yards shy of the school record. That rushing attack, which led the MWC in rushing yards for the third straight season, was led by fullback T.J. Pierce VOLLEYBALL (So., Green Bay, Wis.) and quarterback The volleyball team qualified for the Matthew Miller (Jr., Chicago), who were the first set of teammates this decade to finish in the top two in rushing yards.

Pierce led the team with 994 yards, which is the 10th highest single season total in school history, while Miller gained 922 yards on the ground. Miller also scored 14 rushing touchdowns, which is tied for fourth in Ripon history. Five of those TDs came in one game (against Grinnell College), which ties a school record. With one season to play, Miller needs 11 rushSara Heim ’10 returns one of her record-setting 2,398 career digs in a match against Illinois College.

Al Fredrickson photo ing touchdowns to be-

Anna Alvin ’11

Amanda Peterson ’12

MWC tournament for the seventh time in the last eight seasons. Under the direction of first-year coach Becca Carstensen, Ripon finished 11-19 (5-4 MWC), which was good enough for fourth place in the conference.

Senior libero Sara Heim (Wabasha, Minn.) capped off a tremendous Ripon career by breaking the school record for digs mid-way through the season. Her 661 digs in 2009 is just five shy of the single season record and led the MWC. That gives Heim 2,398 digs for her career. She was named to the MWC first team, marking the third consecutive year she’s been named to the all-conference squad.

Anna Alvin (Jr., Beaver Dam, Wis.), who was named to the MWC second team, led the Red Hawks with 382 kills, which ranked third in the MWC and is the fifth-most by a Red Hawk in a single season. Alvin now has 834 career kills, sixth on Ripon’s career list. Alvin also led Ripon with 39 service aces and 78 blocks.

Christy Looker (Sr., Rochester, Minn.) completed a successful career by recording 279 kills, 253 digs and 29 blocks — all ranked in the top three on the team. She also added 22 service aces, giving her 116 for her career, fifthmost in Ripon history. Her 986 career digs also rank in Ripon’s top 10.

Also contributing to this year’s team were setter Alison Ernst (Jr., Lemont, Ill.) and Lisa Aguilar (Fr., Wauconda, Ill.). Ernst registered 764 assists, fourth in the MWC and seventh-most in school history for a single season. She now ranks sixth on Ripon’s career list with 1,622, while also ranking 10th in career service aces after recording 21 in 2009. Aguilar was third on the team in kills and service aces with 273 and 33, respectively, in her first season of collegiate volleyball.

Amanda Holdshoe ’11

Brooke Deans ’11

Janel Karsten ’10

WOMEN’S GOLF The Ripon women’s golf team had its best showing in four years in 2009, finishing third out of seven teams at the MWC championships.

At that meet, Amanda Peterson (So., Menasha, Wis.) took 10th place among individuals, earning her a place on the all-conference team. Peterson had an outstanding season, which saw her capture one MWC performer of the week award, the first for a Ripon women’s golfer since 2007. She earned the award by shooting a career-low 82 at the St. Norbert Invitational.

Including the conference meet, Ripon finished in the top three in four of its seven contests. Peterson shot a team-best score in four of those meets, while Amanda Holdshoe (Jr., Delavan, Wis.) was tops in the other three.

Rachel Martzahl ’11

out. In singles play, both Wetzel and Ullsperger reached the consolation finals, before being defeated.

WOMEN’S SOCCER The women’s soccer team finished the season with a 3-15 record, (3-6 MWC).

Ripon was eighth in the conference standings.

One of the highlights of the season came Oct. 3 when Ripon posted a 1-0 win over conference foe St. Norbert College. It marked the first time in 33 meetings that the Red Hawks defeated the Green Knights.

WOMEN’S TENNIS Ripon’s women’s tennis team finished the season with a 3-10 record, (0-4 MWC). Their wins came over Mount Mary and MWC South opponents Illinois and Knox colleges.

The Red Hawks were led by Brooke Deans (Jr., Dane, Wis.) and Josie Ullsperger (So., Fond du Lac, Wis.), who each posted 5-10 season records at the No. 4 and No. 1 singles spots, respectively. In doubles play, Ripon’s team of Olivia Wetzel (Fr., Watertown, Wis.) and Ellie Hedberg (Fr., Minneapolis, Minn.) led the way with a 3-8 record at No. 3 doubles.

The season culminated with an eighth-place finish at the MWC championships for the third consecutive season. At the championships, Wetzel and Hedberg advanced to the consolation finals at the No. 3 flight, before bowing

Josie Ullsperger ’12 had a 5-10 record at No. 1 singles.

Al Fredrickson photo

FALL 2009 23

Alumni Call to Action

Career Development Office is Building Database of Alumni

Kyle Seemeyer ’12 moves the ball against Wisconsin Lutheran College. Seemeyer scored two gamewinning goals in 2009.

Leonard Cederholm photo

Janel Karsten (Sr., Waukesha, Wis.) led the team with five goals, including four of the team’s final seven goals of the season. Karsten added two assists on the year, which was tied for first on the team, giving her a team-best 12 points.

Another bright spot on the team was the play of Rachel Martzahl (Jr., New London, Wis.), who was second on the team with four goals. That gives Martzahl 23 career goals — sixth on Ripon’s career list.

standings, three spots higher than they finished last season.

Ripon, which featured 10 new players on this year’s squad, was led by sophomore transfer Kyle Seemeyer’s Adam Haefner ’13 (Neenah, Wis.) six goals and five assists — both team highs. Two of Seemeyer’s goals were the MEN’S SOCCER eventual game-winners. Joe Drexler (Jr., Appleton, Wis.) and Vince Butitta The men’s soccer team had a great turn(So., Delavan, Wis.) chipped in with around in 2009, under first-year head five and four goals, respectively, while coach Lance Gordon. The team improved Zach Hershoff (Jr., New Berlin, Wis.) by three conference wins from a year ago, and Alvaro Calle (Fr., San Francisco, while also posting two more wins on their Calif.) recorded five and four assists on overall record, finishing the season 5-12-1 the season.

(4-5 MWC). That placed the Red Hawks Between the pipes, Ripon proved to in sixth place in the final conference have some of the best depth at goalkeeper in the conference.

• For more great sports action photos, Three players split time in goal visit www.flickr.com/photos/ripon_college. this season, with Adam Haefner (Fr., Mequon, Wis.) leading the • Complete lists of fall all-conference team in save percentage performers and winter sports schedules (69.8%). Ryan Crane (So., Deerfield, Ill.) and Bob Bradcan be found at www.ripon.edu/athletics. bury (Jr., Oregon, Wis.) also • Become a fan of Red Hawks Athletics were solid at goalkeeper. on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ Bradbury led the team with a redhawks.athletics 1.70 goals against average. r 24 RIPON MAGAZINE

Ripon’s Office of Career Development and the Alumni Association Board of Directors are asking alumni to help provide Ripon students and faculty with a valuable resource. By submitting a brief biographical form either electronically or through the mail, you can help.

The Office of Career Development has gathered more than 100 biographical forms from alumni to form a database where students may contact alumni who have experience in the career fields where they’d like to be employed or further educated.

“The knowledge and expertise of our alumni can provide current students with some useful advantages,” says Julie Lynch Kummer ’85, chair of the Alumni Board’s Ripon Person committee.

Alumni who participate must be willing to be contacted by current students via phone or e-mail.

“Alumni can help current students by providing insight on graduate schools, specific geographical locations, job search or internship advice and much more,” says Kummer.

“Faculty members also may call on our participating alumni (depending on their location) to speak in classes if they express a willingness to participate with instruction on campus. Alumni may indicate on the form the degree of involvement they’d prefer,” she says.

Alumni may find the brief biographical form in the Career Development area of the Ripon College Web site or in the alumni section of the Ripon Portal. Alumni also may contact Director of Career Development Tom Vaubel ’79 directly at vaubelt@ripon.edu or 920-748-8117.

“Promoting the students who follow us at Ripon is a fulfilling way to give back to the College and interact with the students,” says Kummer.

“Should you be fortunate enough to interact with the Ripon College students, they will undoubtedly impress you.”

Class Notes CLASS NOTES 1940s

Dave Hargrave ’47 lives in Santa Rosa, Calif., 50 miles north of San Francisco. During World War II, he farmed a 220-acre spread for his semi-invalid father. While at Ripon, he sometimes spent several nights a week playing trumpet with the 10-piece Bob Malcolm Orchestra. Pay was the magnificent sum of $4 per gig! His adult working years were with Kimberly Clark. Dave’s aunt, Josephine Hargrave, was the College librarian and helped to design Lane Library.

Lucia Lay Maxson ’48 of Bowling Green, Ky., still visits Ripon occasionally with her children and grandchildren. She grew up in a house at 708 Watson St., where her grandparents, Henry and Lela Maxwell, and great-grandparents, Owen and Electa Manzer, were living. “So, four generations living in one house — incredible but true,” Lucia says.

“My grandfather called the house The D.O.W. (for Damned Old Wreck), and so it was called that, down through the years. When I go back to Ripon, it is as much to visit the D.O.W., as anything else.” Lucia’s mother, Margaret Lay, taught French and Spanish at the College, and her sister, Phyllis Lay, was a member of the Class of ’47. “I try to get up as often as I can — it’s home,” Lucia says. “I keep up with Ripon College. It was fun to get back up and see the walk on the old Northwestern railroad tracks. And I’m so excited about the free bicycle program. I just love that. Just like old times — no cars permitted freshman year.”

Lucia majored in French and math at Ripon and spent her career as a graphic artist. Now retired, she still puts out a monthly newsletter for her tennis association and does graphics work for tennis tournaments. She plays tennis two or three times a week.

Elizabeth Carman “Tibby” Lanzer ’49 and Louis Lanzer ’49 of Torrance, Calif., are staying active.

Tibby has collected stamps and U.S. plate blocks for more than 30 years. She also is a printmaker.

She shows and sells miniature prints in shows in Washington, D.C., Florida and internationally.

Louis has a collection of antiquarian books and prints related to the Sierra Nevada which he is in the process of selling.

1950s

June 25-27, 2010 55th Reunion, Class of ’55 Mary Ann Saaf Halmoy ’50 moved “to Los Angeles in 1952, married and raised two daughters. I was widowed in 1972 and returned to the work force as an account manager in an entertainment

indicates a marriage or union. indicates a birth or adoption.

business management firm. I loved my job but retired in 1995 to spend more time with my two grandchildren. I took two trips to Sweden for family reunions — yes I’m a Svensk Flika!”

Andy Kandutsch ’50 and Nancy Thulin Kandutsch ’50 of Surry, Maine, report: “We are still sailing our little 23-foot ‘Stone Horse’ sloop and growing a vegetable garden in the summer, and waiting out the six-month-long winter.”

Andy retired from the Roscoe B. Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, after 37 years.

Ernest F. “Ernie” Talarico Sr. ’50 of Glenwood, Ill., former Ripon class president, turned 85 Sept.

10. He and his wife, Alice, celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary in October. He recalls that at Ripon, he served as head waiter in the dining room. He keeps active now by doing volunteer work at an adult care center, does “fuzzy art” that he shares with others, helps his wife with her dog obedience training work and sometimes takes their lab and Airedale dogs for visits to the care center and in hospice work. “When you’re in your 80s yourself, you count your blessings,” Ernie says. “It’s a gift to remain active.”

Jerry Wadleigh ’50 of Geneva, Ill., retired in 1984 after 30 years with Travelers Insurance Co. He and his wife, June, then helped raise four grandchildren and one great-grandchild. “This has got to be the best time of my life — all the fun and no real responsibility,” Jerry says. “Both of our children live within about a mile of us so we see everybody often. We are both in good shape and active, thanks to some doctoring along the way. I play golf twice a week and when the cooler weather sets in, I go trapshooting with one of my grandsons.”

Lois Horn Holm ’51 of Salinas, Calif., golfs a couple of days a week and helps with a church hot lunch program that feeds 100 to 200 homeless and needy people every weekday and Sunday morning.

Lee Harrer ’52 of Clearwater, Fla., reports that after retiring from the U.S. Army in 1973, he and his wife, Rita, moved to Clearwater where he has become a full-time bibliomaniac, concentrating on books about books. He and others established the Tampa Book Arts Studio on the campus of the University of Tampa. Lee has given to the University some 4,500 books and ephemera and plans to add 1,200 more items to the collections. Lee is a member of Chicago’s Caxton Club, the Delaware Bibliophiles and the American Printing History Association, and he was treasurer of the Florida Antiquarian Booksellers Association.

Gary Alexander ’57 of Wausau, Wis., retired in 1997 as an associate administrator for Wausau Medical Center, where he worked for 12 years.

Previously, he worked for Wausau Insurance Companies for 26 years. He and his wife, Marsha, like to travel. He also is active in his church, delivers meals to shut-ins, and helps put on Sunday meals for the homeless and others who have no other place to eat.

Lucia Lay Maxson ’48

William Chester Jordan ’69

Judy Pallett Kaestner ’57 of Oconomowoc, Wis., is active with her church where her husband is the vicar; reads with the “Blue Jeans Book Club;” and paints Byzantine/Russian Icons, for which she takes commissions.

1960s

June 25-27, 2010 50th Reunion, Class of ’60 45th Reunion, Class of ’65 Tom Magdich ’61 of Dixon, Ill., serves on the Pastoral Relations Committee for First Presbyterian Church.

Henry Holzkamper ’62 of Naples, Fla., writes, “Havin’ fun in Florida! BBQ and the smoker for that slow, good, old-fashioned taste. Golf and tennis is what works up that appetite.”

Jazz and pop singer Al Jarreau ’62 of Los Angeles, Calif., returned to his Milwaukee-area roots in July to sing and encourage young people to become teachers. The seven-time Grammy Award winner performed at the Gathering on the Green music festival in Thiensville.

Judy Hughes Phillips ’62 of Appleton, Wis., is involved with several volunteer activities, including involvement with the Girl Scouts; tutoring, including the Reading for Success program; Special Events Committee for LEAVEN, a nonprofit organization that helps people in need; American Association of University Women; singing in her church choir; and work with the Appleton Education Foundation. She still plays golf, and “thanks to a high handicap and my partner, we just came in first in the pairs match play competition where I golf,” she says. “The rest of the time I love to read and travel. I retired from teaching 10 years ago, but find it’s not hard to stay quite busy, involved and enjoying life. The opportunities keep coming, and I have been involved as helper or chair of several activities over the years.”

Ruth Carwithen Satterthwaite ’65 of Palo Alto, Calif., is trained as a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) member and is a licensed

FALL 2009 25

M C P H E R S O N ’57 H A P P Y Life has held two distinct career tracks for Bob McPherson ’57 of Appleton, Wis.: repairing boats and singing professionally. Work has been job-tojob and on his terms.

“I’m happy with that,” he says. “You don’t have to worry about getting fired or laid off.

Work always comes up.

People say, ‘Can’t you budget yourself?’, and I say, ‘Nope. I don’t know what I’m going to be earning.’ It’s always been plenty, but it’s never been lined up where four months from now I know what I’m going to be doing.”

McPherson is a native of Oshkosh, Wis., and grew up along Lake Butte des Morts where his grandparents lived.

“That’s how I got into using a boat,” he says. “I found I liked to sail, so my grandfather bought

D AY- T O -D AY E X I S T E N C E

me a sailboat in voice 1949. That’s lessons and how I got into sang in the racing sailboats chorus. with the After Oshkosh Yacht Ripon, Club. I fixed McPherson my boat, rebuilt was one of it, and I started 500 people to win 80 perto audition cent of the for the St. Bob McPherson ’57 races. That’s circa 1980 Louis Muhow I got into nicipal the boat repair business.” Opera. He was hired But McPherson really for the chorus. He sang liked to sing. While still in with major opera comhigh school, he began panies in Florida and singing in a barbershop was a founding singer quartet and performed in in the Palm Beach shows and concerts all Opera. He toured with over the state. musical productions His grandfather was and performed with in the sheet metal businumerous East Coast ness and thought opera companies. He McPherson should get a sang with the Metrobusiness degree. So he politan Opera chorus paid for McPherson to at- in New York for almost tend Ripon. McPherson 10 years. earned a degree in eco“The music lasted nomics, was a member of until about 1988, but Sigma Chi, started taking being in the music busi-

ham radio operator for use in her work as an emergency responder.

Patricia Gass Braidwood ’66 of Virginia Beach, Va., just celebrated her 38th wedding anniversary with her husband, Doug. Because of Doug’s Navy career, she spent clusters of years teaching lower elementary grades. They lived near Washington, D.C., for some years, a year in Newport, R.I. at the Naval War College, two years in Belgium at SHAPE, a couple of tours in Virginia Beach and three years in Frankfurt, Germany. In Germany, Pat taught at Frankfurt International School, a pre-K through high school campus. The International Baccalaureate was taught throughout the program with student and staff from around the world. She retired in 2006. She and Doug have two children and four grandchildren. They have been to all the continents but Antarctica, and they are working through their “bucket list.”

Ken Kaliher ’67 of Bellingham, Wash., retired Aug. 1, after 35 years of federal service (including the Army, Peace Corps, 28 years of civil service, and even 20 months in high school working as a page boy in Congress), and nearly 40 years’ residence in Korea. His last job as a U.S. Army civilian was “international relations specialist,” on the staff of the four-star Army general who is the U.S. commander in Korea. “Like my previous job in

26 RIPON MAGAZINE

WITH

ness you don’t always have a job,” McPherson says. “So between performances, I was back in the boat business.”

McPherson worked as an independent contractor so that he had no difficulty leaving when a singing job came up. “As I got older, I sang less and fixed boats more,” he says. In 1997, he and his wife, Sally, returned to Wisconsin, and McPherson established Robert McPherson Marine Repair in Appleton – still as an independent contractor.

“I work for whom I want to when I want to,” he says. “I work seven days a week in the spring and part of the summer.

Winter is long and bare, generally. Every winter I’m scared to death, but every winter I get through. Something pops up.

Seoul, it involved trying to make sense of what goes on in Korea, and then trying to explain the significance of events, developments and trends to the U.S. commander and his senior staff — not unlike a foreign correspondent, just with a smaller and more exclusive readership,” he said.

He and his wife, Mary, plan to enjoy quasi-retirement in an 80-year-old log cabin in Bellingham, Wash. “It has a fine view of the San Juan Islands and the Pacific, and I’m looking forward to sitting out there and putting a serious dent in my stacks of unread books,” Ken says. “There are also lots of hiking, biking, kayaking and other leisure opportunities in the area.”

Glen R. Bayless Jr. ’68 of Sterling, Va., has been appointed the Sugarland Run representative on the County Planning Commission. Glen retired in 2007 after teaching in the Fairfax County Public Schools for 30 years. He also served as vice president of the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers.

William Chester Jordan ’69 of Princeton, N.J., Dayton-Stockton Professor of History at Princeton University, is among those inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 229th class of new members in Cambridge, Mass., Oct. 10. The program celebrates pioneering research and scholarship, artistic achievement and exem-

“It’s a crazy life. I’ve never had a steady income since about 1963, but we’ve done everything we ever wanted to do in our lives. We’ve been to Europe six times, been all over. Bought a cabin up north on a lake.

You just can’t plan ahead.”

McPherson likes being back in Wisconsin. “I’m having a good time now, visiting a lot of old haunts. I see people now I haven’t seen in 50 or 60 years. I’m 74 years old. I sing pretty well, but I don’t sing as well as when I was 45. You’ve got to take what you’ve got right now, use it the best you can and enjoy it. I enjoy what I’m doing. I like boats. If I won the lottery tomorrow, I don’t think I’d quit doing what I’m doing.”

plary service to society. The 212 new Fellows and 19 Foreign Honorary Members are leaders in research, scholarship, business, the arts and public affairs. They come from 28 states and 11 countries and range in age from 33 to 83. They represent universities, museums, national laboratories, research institutes, businesses and foundations. This year’s group includes Nobel laureates and recipients of the Pulitzer and Pritzker prizes, MacArthur Fellowships, Academy, Grammy and Tony awards, and the National Medal of Arts. Jordan is a member of Ripon College’s Board of Trustees.

Cynthia Lambie Telage ’68 of Ithaca, N.Y., retired June 24, 2009, from the African Studies and research Center at Cornell University. She had worked for 32 years as an administrator in various departments at the university. Her husband of 40 years, Kal, also retired as a professor from Ithaca College, so they are now free to pursue their retirement plan. “Our Ithaca house is for sale, and we will become snowbirds with winters in Sarasota, Fla., and summers in Danbury, Wis., where we have taken over my family’s summer home,” Cynthia says.

1970s

Jolande K. “Jondi” Gumz ’75

Tom Klewin ’76

June 25-27, 2010 40th Reunion, Class of ’70 35th Reunion, Class of ’75 Alan R. Eggert ’71 of Greenville, S.C., retired in 2007 from teaching science at James F. Byrnes High School.

Neil M. Chisholm ’72 of Evanston, Ill., retired as a publisher’s sales representative, selling books, encyclopedias and print/online reference resources to school, college and public libraries in Illinois, in June 2008. The publishers included Grolier (publisher of the first electronic encyclopedia) and then Scholastic (Harry Potter et al). He started this work in 1985. “Majoring in speech communications was a useful prelude to my sales career, which of course is 90 percent speaking,” Neil says.

Neil now volunteers at Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic in Chicago, recording college textbook chapters; and takes college courses.

Jacqueline Farmer Andrews ’73 and Mark L. Andrews ’73 of Sebring, Fla., were looking forward to Mark’s retirement in October after 35 years with Allstate Insurance. He turned the agency over to their youngest son, Jason. They plan to travel and indulge themselves in hobbies. Jacqueline’s biggest passion is photography. She does work for friends and local businesses, and her work can be seen on the Web site jacqueline andrewsphotography.com.

Blake Iserman ’73 of Elk River, Minn., is in his 14th year practicing audiology as a consultant and program director to 12 independent school districts in east central Minnesota. He also coaches the Elk River High School tennis team, and his Varsity girls’ team has been 72-4 the past two years.

Howard Lee Jones ’73 of Highland Village, Texas, is an outreach coordinator with the Department of Homeland Security.

Deborah Evans Clem ’74 and her husband, Steven, of Boulder, Colo., are retired and enjoying home projects as well as volunteer work in the community. Steve is a construction volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. Deb is a Bookfinder at the University of Colorado campus library, as well as continuing to pursue piano, choir and writing projects. One of their favorite jobs is helping with

Jennifer Vogel Powers ’76

Barb DoerrerPeacock ’78

summer maintenance work at the 10th Mountain huts that lie at timberline between Aspen and Vail. They are avid telemark skiers.

Ken Ebert ’75 and his wife, Carole, of New London, Wis., received this year’s George Huntley Award, presented annually by the New London Clippers American Legion team for volunteer work within the program. Ken has served as the stadium’s game announcer, and they both served as troubleshooters in numerous capacities. They also have been active in the Lawrence University football parents group for the past four years. Ken is a field representative for Trega Foods Ltd. in Weyauwega.

Jolande K. “Jondi” Gumz ’75 of Scotts Valley Calif., a reporter with the Santa Cruz Sentinel, won a California Endowment Health Journalism fellowship to report on the problem of overweight children and potential solutions. She was recognized by the Associated Press California/Nevada for stories about glitches that prevented doctors from being reimbursed for treating Medicare patients; after the stories appeared, the doctors received thousands of dollars in payments.

Richard Lewandowski ’75 of Madison, Wis., has been selected by his peers for inclusion in “The Best Lawyers in America 2010.” The selection is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which more than 24,000 leading attorney’s cast more than 2.8 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their specialties. Lewandowski is an attorney in environmental law with the firm White Hirschboeck Dudek.

Dave Stockdale ’75 and his wife, Tina, of Grayslake, Ill., have moved back to the Philippines. They lived there for about four years, worked in Puerto Rico for a year, retired on their sailboat in the Caribbean for almost a year and now have moved to Manila, Philippines. Tina has taken a job in the Philippines. Dave is still retired but is enjoying sailing, scuba diving and golfing.

Col. (retired) Tom Klewin ’76 is moving to Kigali, Rwanda, where his wife, Kathie Fazekas, has accepted a position as a public health adviser for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She will be working with the Global Aids Program (GAP). Tom says he will be going along for the excitement. He just completed a stint with the U.S. Census Bureau on Oahu managing a team on Oahu and deployed to Maui and Molokai to

Helen Holter ’78

Donna Leslie Williams ’81

cover operations there.

Jennifer Vogel Powers ’76 of Hartland, Wis., has been selected by her peers for inclusion in “The Best Lawyers in America 2010.” Jennifer works in public finance law in the Milwaukee office of Quarles & Brady.

Robbie Cordo ’78 of Minnetonka, Minn., is now general manager of EuroCars (www.ieurocars.com) in Eden Prairie, Minn. EuroCars sells pre-owned luxury and high-performance imports nation-wide.

Barb Doerrer-Peacock ’78 of Tempe, Ariz., is in her ninth year serving with her husband, Rich, as co-pastors of South Mountain Community Church, dually affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the United Methodist Church. Last year, Barb completed her doctor of ministry degree from Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley.

Helen Holter ’78 of Seattle, Wash., recently was part of the 35th anniversary delegation to Seattle’s sister city, Tashkent, Uzbekistan. (Seattle and Tashkent were the first sister cities in the United States.) “My Russian — I majored in it at Ripon College — came in handy in our meetings with government ministries, senators and ambassadors, as we worked to strengthen strategic ties between our cities and countries,” Helen says. “It was also a nostalgic homecoming for me during those three weeks: I reconnected with the families I lived with and friends I made throughout Uzbekistan while working there as a TV news senior correspondent with Soviet TV in 1990.” You can view Helen’s Uzbek photos on Facebook.

Louisa Gebelein Jones ’78 of Pomfret, Conn., works at Pomfret School and is moving into a new position in the Development Office in the capacity of the Parents’ Fund. She also coaches varsity field hockey and varsity tennis.

1980s

June 25-27, 2010 30th Reunion, Class of ’80 25th Reunion, Class of ’85 Pam Goodden Keeton ’81 of Silver Spring, Md., just started a new job as director of external communications for The Aerospace Corp., a nonprofit federally funded research and development center.

FALL 2009 27

Its focus is space and national security in space. It serves as an honest broker assessing the viability of government initiatives as well as the solutions private companies want to sell to the government.

Most notably and recently in the news, the Aerospace Corp. conducted much of the analysis used by the U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee led by Norm Augustine.

Donna Leslie Williams ’81 of Portage, Wis., returned to Wisconsin in February 2009 after spending 13 months in Iraq. She has returned to her job as the inspector general for the Wisconsin National Guard. “It was an interesting 13 months,” Donna writes of her overseas service. “I was the inspector general for Multi National Force Iraq working for Gen. Petraeus.”

Mario Friedel ’88 of Ladysmith, Wis., has received a statewide Distinguished Administrator Award from the Wisconsin Music Educators Association (WMEA). Friedel is district administrator/elementary principal for Ladysmith-Hawkins School District.

Oussama El-Hilali ’89 of Maple Grove, Minn., has been promoted to vice president, engineering, in the Information Management Group at Symantec, a company offering enterprise software products for availability and security.

Erik Lindberg ’89 of Minneapolis, Minn., is a director of new product development for the legal profession with Thomson Reutters West. His wife, Nikki Zens Lindberg ’89, is a free-lance graphic designer and crafter.

Mitch Rosin ’89 of Chicago, Ill., is an editorial director at the McGraw-Hill Companies, School Education Group.

1990s

June 25-27, 2010 20th Reunion, Class of ’90 15th Reunion, Class of ’95 Susan E. Frikken ’90 of Madison, Wis., has finished the prerequisites to apply to physical therapy school and is working as a massage therapist in her own practice (www.yaharatherapy.com).

Patrick Joseph Mulvey ’90 of Milwaukee, Wis., teaches writing at Woodland School in Milwaukee.

June M. Stuebs-Prochaska ’90 and her husband, Craig, of Watertown, Wis., have a daughter, Megan Rose Prochaska, born Nov. 12, 2008.

Lt. Col. Brian M. Stout ’90 of Menomonie, Wis., is the professor of military science and department chair at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. The department has 110 cadets distributed between UW-Stout, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Stout previously worked for six years on the National Missile Defense System and global and nuclear

28 RIPON MAGAZINE

F O R M E R NASA L AW Y E R K U R K E ’75 A D A P T I N G T O N E W L I F E In retirement, Kathy aren’t Kurke ’75 of Ormond trained in Beach, Fla., has found the business a new career designworld. We ing, making and selling brought exJudaica jewelry in her pertise to business, Kathy’s help them Kreations. accomplish But she still is flytheir mising high with her prevision effious career as a lawyer. Kathy Kurke ’75 ciently, She was with the Army legally and ethically.”

Corps of Engineers for 17 Kurke always wanted to years before receiving a work with government and major promotion to chief found her civil service roles counsel for NASA Langley gratifying. and a member of the Senior “I always viewed my Executive Service. clients to be the American “It was exciting working people, a shared philosophy with the NASA scientists of all government lawyers,” and engineers and being she says. “I just didn’t know able to play a role in it would be this exciting.”

NASA’s many and varied Kurke’s work included missions,” Kurke says. intellectual property law, “The legal issues were quite patents, technology transfer unique. I tried to find crework, business law team, ative legal ways to accomcontract issues, space act plish NASA’s mission and agreements, appropriation stay consistent with federal law issues and issues surlaws and regulations. Some- rounding the space shuttle times, federal laws and reg- Columbia accident – “tryulations are not conducive ing to find the failures in the to having business done system and trying to make quickly and efficiently.” sure that kind of thing Kurke says her office would never happen again,” found ways to get things she says. done using best business For her efforts, she repractices. ceived a Presidential Rank “Scientists and engineers Award, a medal from

command and control capabilities at U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Omaha, Neb. David Anthony Robert Troy Jr. ’90 of Wethersfield, Conn., is a financial planner with MetLife.

Karl Feld ’91 of Clayton, N.C., continues traveling around the world and is learning Spanish to accommodate his frequent travels to Latin America for work. Keep up with Karl through his travel blog at wandervogeln.blogspot.com Brian Frey ’91 of Madison, Wis., is a scientist in the department of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He enjoys playing tennis twice a week. He and his wife, Becky Hustad ’91, have two children, ages 10 and 5.

NASA, a medal from the Army, the Outstanding Service Award from the Federal Laboratory Consortium and a number of awards for expertise in the field of technology transfer.

“It was a fascinating, exciting job,” Kurke says.

“It was also extremely stressful.”

When she and her husband, Richard Davis, retired to Florida, she found the transition difficult at first.

“I always defined myself by what I did,” she says. “I was a workaholic. Then all of a sudden I had to learn who I am. I was chief counsel of NASA Langley, now I’m Kathy Kurke. That was a pretty big learning experience, and I like it.

“I started a jewelrymaking business. I’m getting to do all the things I never got to do when I worked 80-hour work weeks – exercise, joining groups. I have a very creative side to me, but I rarely got time to translate it into any kind of art form. Now I get to be really creative, and that’s a lot of fun.”

Todd R. Gardner ’91 of Overland Park, Kan., is the general manager at the Liberty Carlton Company, an international corrugated container company.

Scott A. Gosse ’91 of Hartland, Wis., married Jill Nett, Aug. 21, 2009, in Hartland, Wis. Erin Kinney ’91 of Oshkosh, Wis., married Kevin Luedke, Aug. 29, 2008. Erin is a customer service representative for RR Donnelley in Menasha.

Dana Logsdon ’91 of Belvidere, Ill., owns and operates Choicetunes and Video, a mobile DJ and video production company. He also works for the Sears Holdings Corp. in its television production studio.

Lt. Col. Brian M. Stout ’90

Britton Kauffman ’97

William M. McCormick Jr. ’91 of Hull, Mass., works for Strategis Marketing & Communication, a full-service advertising agency with headquarters in Stoughton, Mass. He is an account executive for new business development in social communications in the New England area.

Willard Steinberg ’91 of Minneapolis, Minn., is a coach for the Minneapolis South High School Debate Team. The mission of the Minnesota Urban Debate League is to empower students to become engaged learners, critical thinkers and active citizens who are effective advocates for themselves and their communities.

Cinnamon Gifford Theder ’91 of Watertown, Wis., teaches third grade at Webster School in Watertown. She is active in the teachers’ union, serving as president of the local and treasurer of her uniserv, the regional component of the union.

She is on the board of directors for the Wisconsin Education Association Council and this summer went to San Diego for the National Education Association Representative Assembly.

Krystin Burrall Trustman ’91 of Austin, Texas, is working on her second bachelor’s degree, in computer information systems, online through DeVry University.

Kim (Kottke) Weinberger ’91 and her husband, Tony, of Lomira, Wis., are finishing their seventh year of being in business together. Their company, Computer Troubleshooters, is part of a worldwide franchise. It is the master franchise for the state of Wisconsin with 14 offices from the St. Croix Valley in northwest Wisconsin down to the southern part of Milwaukee.

Richard Whipple ’91 and his wife, Nancy, of Woburn, Mass., have a son, Alexander John Whipple, born June 29, 2009. “He is doing fine and growing quickly,” Richard says. Richard works with individuals with special needs through Riverside Community Care.

JuDee Stojsavljevic Fischer ’92 of Racine, Wis., has moved from the lab at Abbott Laboratories to the Clinical Oncology Group as a clinical research associate. She currently is working on a global breast cancer trial with a promising new oncology compound.

Linda Mensch Bisarek ’93 of Hillsboro, Wis., teaches English at Royall High School in Elroy, Wis.

The first book of Derek Rivard ’93 of Nevada, Mo., Blessing the World: Ritual and Lay Piety in Medieval Religion, was published last December by Catholic University of America Press. It has been favorably reviewed. Derek joined the Unitarian Universalists this summer, though he also continues to try to practice the dharma of Buddhism. He is working on a fantasy novel and is now one of only a handful of college professors in the United States who teaches a college film studies course on Japanese animation as a serious genre of film. He is an associate professor of history at Cottey College, a small, liberal arts-based women’s college that is currently a two-year campus but is transitioning to a four-year program.

Kelly Bales ’96 of San Angelo, Texas, was promoted to Master Sergeant (E-7) July 1. He’s currently assigned as the course supervisor for a consolidated Cryptologic Language Analyst course at Goodfellow AFB, San Angelo, Texas. He recently was awarded the Air Education and Training Command’s Master Instructor Certificate and the coveted Community College of the Air Force Occupational Instructor Certificate. He was set to deploy to South America for six months at the end of the summer.

Courtney Nugent ’96 of Boulder, Colo., now is an associate scientist at Array Biopharma, a small biotech.

Chad Hendee ’97 of Baraboo, Wis., is an assistant district attorney in Sauk County.

Brooke Husbands ’97 of Rowley, Mass., married Aaron Emmerich, July 11, 2009.

Brooke works at Candlewick Press as book club and subsidiary rights sales manager. Starting in October, she will be selling UK territory rights to some of the books.

Britton Kauffman ’97 of Davis, Ill., teaches social studies, history and geography at Dakota High School. He also is the head varsity baseball coach and offensive coordinator for the varsity football team which won the Illinois Class A State Championship in both 2005 and 2007.

Ryan Patnode ’97 is a student at the Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenwoth, Kansas. Prior to that assignment, Ryan served in Iraq for 15 months with the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment.

Kristin Patey-Wagner ’97 and her husband, Mike, of Glendale, Wis., have a daughter, Lily Sherrin Wagner, born July 2, 2008.

Rese Johnson Schrieber ’97 and her husband, Adam, of East Troy, Wis., have a son, Adam Martin Schrieber Jr., born April 23, 2008.

Abbey Smoll ’97 of Phoenix, Ariz., married Craig Walejko, June 12, 2009.

Steven John Wiechmann ’98 of Salt Lake City, Utah, married Melissa Reilly, June 21, 2008. He is operations manager for David Hollands Hotels in Park City, Utah.

Abigail Williams ’98 married Brian Budzynski, June 21, 2008. They live in Lombard, Ill., and Abby works at the Bloomingdale Public Library as a reference librarian.

Kelly Johnson Becker ’99 and Matt Becker ’99 of Milwaukee, Wis., have a son, Logan Matthew Becker, born July 14, 2009.

Mike Berens ’99 of Montgomery, Ala., now is senior defense counsel instructor/litigator, serving as a military defense counsel on different bases around the world for four months of the year, and a member of the faculty in the Military Justice Division at The Judge Advocate General’s School for the United States Air Force at Maxwell, AFB. Jennifer Spang Kouba ’99 and Zachary D. Kouba ’99 of Ripon, Wis., both earned master’s degrees in educational leadership from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in May 2008. Jen teaches first grade at Clay Lamberton School in Berlin, and Zach teaches second and third grades at Randolph Elementary School.

2000s

June 25-27, 2009 10th Reunion, Class of ’00 5th Reunion, Class of ’05 George Harrison Johnson III ’00 of Fayetteville, N.C., a member of the 82nd Airborne Division, returned to the United States last year after a tour of duty in Iraq. He still is an active duty officer and has moved from Fort Bragg to Pittsburg, Kansas, where he is an ROTC instructor at Pittsburg State University. His wife, Patricia “Patti” Beck ’98 teaches chemistry labs at Pittsburg State University and does substitute teaching in the local school district. Their daughter, Virginia, just turned 2.

Erin C. Meyer ’00 of Bozeman, Mont., is a case manager for the Work Readiness Component (WORC), welfare-to-work program, aiding Temporary Assistance to Needy Families recipients in reaching self-sufficiency. Erin completed a master’s degree in history in 2006 from Montana State University and currently is pursuing a doctorate in human services, with a specialization in social and community services, through the online Capella University, based in Minneapolis.

Nick Araya ’01 of Los Angeles, is the director of adventure programming and lead guide at Champions, an outdoor adventure and after-school company headquartered in Inglewood. He organizes and leads adventure-based trips for youth groups throughout Los Angeles. With this program, children of all ages partake in hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, rock climbing, technical tree climbing, backpacking and more. Nick also is a certified arborist and teaches people how to care for their own trees. He also has his own business making custom spliced ropes for arborists and tree climbers throughout the world. Check it out at www.splicesbynick.com.

FALL 2009 29

Dana Delach-Garcia ’01 and her husband, Angel, of Williamsport, Pa., both work in physicians in family medicine for Williamsport Hospital. Dana is interviewing for fellowships in palliative/hospice medicine. They also served as the team doctors for the Little League World Series.

Molly Ellenbecker Duerr ’01 and her husband, Bob, of Coon Rapids, Minn., have a son, Alexander Raymond Duerr, born Oct. 25, 2008.

Bettina Gerlach ’01 of Appleton, Wis., married Michael Lenzen, Aug. 29, 2009.

Kati Barber Hagenbuch ’01 and her husband, John, of Utica, Ill., have a son, Nolan Charles Hagenbuch, born May 13, 2009. Kati is the senior speech-language pathologist for St. Margaret’s Health System.

Howie Jablecki ’01 and Katie Donnelly Jablecki ’01 have a son, Charles William Jablecki, born May 20, 2009.

Kristi Sigurslid ’01 of Lodi, Wis., married Christopher Paskey, Aug. 30, 2008. They have a son, Cameron Taylor Paskey, born Sept. 3, 2009. Kristi teaches math and coaches varsity girls’ basketball at Lodi High School.

ly was promoted to account supervisor at Edelman Public Relations. She works in social media/digital communications and is active within the Chicago blogging community.

editor at Lake Superior Magazine. In December, she will graduate from the University of WisconsinMilwaukee with a master’s degree in library and information science.

Andy Attwood ’02 and Kristi Braund ’02 of Madison, Wis., were married Aug. 15, 2009.

Carmen Ann Mullenmaster ’02 of Vero Beach, Fla., is a design assistant with L.K. DeFrances and Associates Inc., an award-winning interior design firm specializing in residential and commercial design.

Douglas Robert Brown ’02 and Cherith Treu ’03 were married June 30, 2007. They live in DeForest, Wis. Doug works in various positions in management with the Humane Society in Madison, and Cherith is a math and theatre teacher at Wisconsin Heights High School in Mazomanie.

John Dalziel ’02 of Alma, Mich., married Amber Howlett, July 31, 2009.

They have a son, Liam Gavin Dalziel, born Jan. 17, 2009. John is in his fourth year as an assistant professor of theatre and dance at Alma College, Alma, Mich.

Captain Joe Davison ’02 and his wife, Nicolle, have a son, Logan Mark Davison, born Feb. 20, 2009. Joe and Nicolle were married May 19, 2007. Joe received a master’s degree in international public affairs in May 2009 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He went back on active duty working for the Wisconsin National Guard out of Madison, Wis., in June.

RuthAnne Young Skinner ’01 and her husband, Grant, of Mesa, Ariz., have a son, Herston David Skinner, born July 14, 2008.

RuthAnne will be graduating in August with her MSN from the University of Phoenix. She will be attending the University of Arizona in Tucson in August to become a nurse practitioner. She also works part time for Banner Health and volunteers planning weekly activities for 10- and 11-year-old girls at her church.

Adam Deets ’02 of Castle Rock, Colo., started a new job last October selling medical supplies for Centurion Medical Products.

Christopher Thomas ’01 and Michelle Mirr Thomas ’01 of Ripon, Wis., have a daughter, Helena Anlyn Thomas, born June 17, 2009. Their daughter, Sophia, turns 3 in December.

Emmylou Hoeft ’02 of Madison, Wis., married Tim Wilson, March 29, 2008. She received her optometry degree in 2006 from the Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago. She now works with Facchiano and Associates Optometry Office in Madison.

Cpt. Royce D. Baker ’02 of Green Lake, Wis., returned from his second tour in Iraq in April 2008.

He then was assigned to the 5th Battlefield Coordination Detachment at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, where he served as the Assistant Plans Officer. On June 30, 2009, he assumed Command of Bravo Battery, 2-11 Field Artillery (M777), 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division at Scholfield Barracks, Hawaii. He will lead his Battery into Iraq in the summer of 2010 for his third combat tour. In his spare time, he plays softball and is a part-time semiprofessional poker player.

Josh Barkin ’02 of Los Angeles, Calif., married Sara Mason, May 25, 2008. He now is known as Josh Mason-Barkin, and the couple live in Los Angeles. Josh is director of school services at Torah Aura Productions, a Jewish educational publisher. He travels around the country training teachers in Jewish schools. In 2007, he received two master’s degrees: one in Jewish education and another in Jewish communal service.

Michael Hetherington ’02 and Ashley Rouse Hetherington ’03 of Springfield, Va., have a son, Jonathan Michael Hetherington, born April 8, 2009. Michael and Ashley both work in the real estate industry for Century 21 New Millennium, in Alexandria, Va.

Diamond Jenkins ’02 of Detroit, Mich., will complete a master’s degree in community development at the University of Detroit-Mercy in May 2010.

Diamond worked for several years at Sprint Nextel Communications as a wireless account specialist.

She also is president/co-founder of Equity in Partnership Educational Services, a Michigan 501-c3 nonprofit dedicated to youth development. Diamond soon will be a licensed Realtor and is currently a landlord of several investment properties. Diamond also works at Community Legal Resources as an outreach associate on the Detroit Vacant Property Campaign, an program led by the Detroit Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC).

Adam Malsack ’02 of Montello, Wis., graduated with a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in May 2008.

He is working full time in his family business, managing two RV parks in the Montello area. He also taught after-school science classes at St. John’s Lutheran School in Montello last year.

Jessica Braun ’02 is living in Chicago and recentLeslie Meyer ’02 of Duluth, Minn., is an assistant

30 RIPON MAGAZINE

Tiffany Sneden ’02 of Riverview, Fla., landed the lead in a play called “Happy Family” at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. The show was presented Sept. 28 by Jobsite Theater, a semiprofessional group. Tiffany also recently took a job with the Patel Conservatory, part of the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, as the administrator on duty.

Nadia Stoyanova-Hall ’02 of Dayton, Ohio, does intelligence work and forecasting for the government. She earned her master’s of business administration from Oklahoma City University in 2005 and in January 2010, she will start a technical master’s degree in engineering management from the University of Dayton.

Liz Webb ’02 of Ellensburg, Wash., completed her third degree (a second bachelor’s), in media communication with an emphasis in graphic design from Central Washington University in June 2009. Although she is beginning her fifth year as the health manager at the Head Start program, she is hoping to move on to a design job. Also in June, she ran her first half-marathon in the inaugural Seattle Rock ’n Roll Marathon.

Kimberly Scolastico Wilson ’02 and her husband, Charles, of Bloomingdale, Ill., have a son, Nathan Charles Wilson, born May 8, 2009.

Kim is a senior project manager for National Data Services.

LeRoy Robert Berndt ’03 of Johnson Creek, Wis., married Kelsey Skare, March 14, 2009. They have a daughter, Aubrie Evelyn Berndt, born Aug. 12, 2009. LeRoy works as a landscaper in Watertown.

Scott John Bicknell ’03 and Stephanie Smith Bicknell ’03 of West Bend, Wis., have a son, Luke John Bicknell, born Dec. 3, 2008.

Heather Braund ’03 of Madison, Wis., married Eric Kotleski, July 18, 2009.

April Dunlavy ’03 of Clintonville, Wis., received her juris doctorate degree from Florida Coastal School of Law, Jacksonville, Fla., in May 2009. Now, she is living back in Wisconsin. She took the Wisconsin bar in July and has passed.

Rachael Levin Heger ’03 of Indianapolis, Ind., recently was promoted to Indiana Division Supervisor at the Indiana State library. The State Library is responsible for collecting and preserving all types of information and data about the state of Indiana. Rachael also was elected as the vice chair for the 2009 Indiana Library Federation’s District 4 conference.

Ryan Jorn ’03 and Jessica Stockton Jorn ’03 of Evanston, Ill., have a daughter, Madelyn Diana Jorn, born Aug. 5, 2009.

Ryan successfully defended his thesis, “Inelastic Rate Processes in Molecular Junctions: CurrentInduced Nuclear Excitation and Bath-Induced Vibrational Decoherence,” Sept. 8 and is scheduled to received his doctorate in chemistry from Northwestern University in December. He is currently looking for a new position while continuing to work for his thesis adviser. Jessica now is the compliance supervisor for Morton Grove Pharmaceuticals. She oversees all investigations, corrective actions and preventive actions for the entire company.

Christine Luke ’03 of Burlington, Wis., is in her fourth and final year teaching English in South Korea. She plans to return to the United States to pursue something new. She recently returned from a trip to Thailand/Laos, where she became a certified scuba diver.

Ethan T. O’Connell ’03 of Casper, Wyo., received his medical doctor degree in February 2008 from American University of the Caribbean in St. Maarten. He had been working as a surgeon and now is in family practice and emergency medicine with the University of Wyoming Medical Center.

Amiee Pierstorff ’03 of Eldorado, Wis., married Brad Hansen, Aug. 1, 2009. She teaches world history and psychology at Omro High School in Omro.

Alberto D. Recalde ’03 and Olivia Siebel ’07 were married Sept.16, 2006. They live in Riverside, Calif., where Alberto is a prosecutor and Olivia is an accounting assistant, both with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.

Susie Peerenboom Reinke ’03 and Todd Reinke ’03 live in Howards Grove, Wis. Todd became the assistant principal at Horace Mann School in Sheboygan this fall, and Susie is a chiropractor at Howards Grove Chiropractic.

Melissa York ’03 of Lake Geneva, Wis., married Rick Snelling, Nov. 4, 2006. She received a master’s of science in special education from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in May 2009.

She is teaching elementary special education at Robinson Elementary School in Beloit, Wis. Nicholas Adam George ’04 of Columbia, S.C., married Emma Joye, Dec. 7, 2006. They have a daughter, Charlotte Evelyn “Charlee” George, born Oct. 23, 2007, and a son, Colton Lyle George, born Jan. 22, 2009. Nick is company commander at Fort Jackson, S.C. John Warren Jacobson ’04 of Rockton, Ill., along with a few partners, has started an operating company focused in the industrial and ecofriendly cleaning products space. They collectively own controlling interest in four companies including their latest venture, 4Evergreen LLC. In only three months, they have secured a product launch with QVC and started negotiations with a major national retailer in both private labeling and regular sales channels. John and his wife, Maria, have a son, John Kenneth Jacobson II, born Nov. 18, 2008.

S A R N OW S K I ’01 C O A C H E S H E A LT H Y L I V I N G After graduating from health the Institute for Intecounselor, grative Nutrition in Sarnowski July, Lisa Smith worked as a Sarnowski ’01 became hall director a board-certified holisat Carleton tic health counselor in College in Kewaskum, Wis., reNorthfield, locating to Milwaukee Minn., for in November. two years Lisa Smith SarnowsHealth counseling and at the ki ’01 is a special approach to University health and nutrition, incorof Wisconsin-Milwaukee porating the ideas that no for 2-1/2 years as the unione diet is best for everyversity’s first, full-time one, and discussion about Neighborhood Housing Cofood, relationships, exerordinator. cise, spirituality and career Being a health counselor fulfillment is important, provides many opportunities says Sarnowski. and responsibilities, In her position, Sarnowski says.

Sarnowski’s work centers “I like the people,” she around educating individusays. “I like getting to know als on how to live healthier people and helping them get and happier lives. She does the results they want, and this through individual teaching them how to find coaching, group coaching food that truly nourishes and workshops. She also them. I help people connect writes related articles for with food in a positive way newsletters and the Web. and determine what works Previous to working as a

Kira Corsten Klimek ’04 and Chris Klimek ’06 of Ripon, Wis., have a son, Grant Michael Klimek, born July 19, 2009.

Marie “Mimi” Krueger Pontarelli ’04 and her husband, Mike, of Aurora, Colo., have a daughter, Isabella Judita Ponatrelli, born Nov. 24, 2008.

Heidi Stubbe ’04 of Glenbeulah, Wis., married Ryan Detlaff, Aug. 16, 2008. The have a son, Samuel Michael Detlaff, born June 1, 2009.

Michael Timm ’04 of Cudahy, Wis., completed a three-week creative writing course at Exeter College, University of Oxford, this summer. A free-lance writer and assistant editor of the Bay View Compass newspaper in Milwaukee, he is completing his novel, The Philosopher of Milwaukee. Michael also publishes Milwaukee Anthropologist at mkeanthro.blogspot.com, an online magazine of the liberal arts for general audiences, which invites essays addressing broad themes touching on what it means to be human.

Elizabeth “Libbey” Vopal ’04 of Gillette, Wyo., married Hiram D. Cates, Nov. 10,

best for their individual body type.”

She says she also loves working with food.

“I love to cook, eat, experiment and learn about food,” she says. “Creatively eating on a budget is something I’m extremely passionate about and enjoy helping others work through it as well.”

The idea of building a community is another rewarding aspect of her work, Sarnowski says.

“Health coaches are a unique innovation in health and nutrition. I am grateful to help foster healthy communities for people. Being healthy and surrounding myself with healthy individuals has allowed me to find a loving community of educators, practitioners and people eager to learn more.”

Alyssa Paulsen Paulsen is a senior communication major from Winneconne, Wis.

2007. She received her master of arts in sociology from the University of Colorado in August 2009, and she now is an academic adviser and adjunct professor of sociology at Gillette College in Gillette, Wyo. Sarah L. Ziemba ’04 of Green Lake, Wis., and Dean Diercks have a son, Sawyer David Diercks, born Sept. 26, 2008. Sarah is a project/marketing coordinator at ACS Engineering in Madison, Wis. Jessica Reed Boccia ’05 and her husband, Mark, have moved to Mokena, Ill. Her husband was transferred to the Station Calumet Harbor Coast Guard base this summer. Jessica teaches kindergarten at Fulton Elementary School in Tinley Park, Ill. Jacob Graf ’05 and Lisa Henke Graf ’04 of Appleton Wis., have a son, Connor James Graf, born May 26, 2009. Jacob started a new IT Technical position at Appleton Alliance Church at the end of August.

Mary Grant Haste ’05 of Indianapolis, Ind., has returned to the Indianapolis Public Schools this fall after taking a child-rearing leave last year. She

FALL 2009 31

now teaches third-grade English as a Second Language.

Philicia King ’05 is in her third year of teaching French at a high school in Las Vegas, Nev. Eric Nee ’05 of Pardeeville, Wis., married Nicole Nelson, July 25, 2009. Jennifer Nee Hagel ’03, Luke Hagel ’03, Curt Maurer ’03, Rob Perkins ’06, Dan Hoffman ’05 and Christopher Lisowe ’05 were all in the wedding. Eric is completing his master’s degree in administrative leadership through the University of WisconsinMilwaukee.

Terri Kahler ’05 now is living in Springfield, Tenn., where her fiancé, Matthew Werner, is finishing his degree in elementary education at Austin Peay University.

Peter Kane ’05 of Champaign, Ill., moved to Belize Aug. 19 for two years to work as a special education teacher-trainer with the Peace Corps.

Jenny Reese Schroth ’05 of Shiocton, Wis., is the assistant director of Career Services at St. Norbert College in De Pere. She also is teaching one class, an internship for the division of humanities and fine arts, as an adjunct faculty member.

Andy Tratar ’05 and his wife, Holly, of Fall River, Wis., have a son, Drew Thomas Tratar, born May 9, 2009. Andy is an orthopaedic physician assistant at the Family and Sports Orthopaedic Center in Beaver Dam, Wis. Austin Wenker ’05 of Eldorado, Wis., is head organist and pianist at First United Methodist Church in Oshkosh, and also plays organ and piano in rotation for Martin Luther Church and Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Oshkosh. Austin also is a free-lance piano accompanist for students in the music department of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, teaches piano lessons and plays violin and five-string electric bass. In visual arts, he specializes in fine portraits, flowers and figurative works in colored artist pencils, acrylic paint and multiple inks. He has had two solo art shows including a month-long gallery art show, “The Inspiration of Diversity,” in February 2007 at the Langdon Divers Gallery in Fond du Lac, Wis. He has completed 12 paid art commissions to private clients, has contributed artwork to “Arts and All that Jazz” for Ripon College and participates in many local art shows. As a serious bodybuilder, he is working toward becoming a certified personal trainer. He also works a part-time retail job at the Fond du Lac Shopko, and he sings in the Ripon College Choral Union.

Zachary Chitwood ’06 of Lawrenceville, N.J., married Iga Zelazny, May 30, 2009. Zack received a master’s degree in history from Princeton University in September 2008 and now is pursuing his doctorate in history there. An article in the Princeton Alumni Weekly, “History, piece by piece,” discusses the archaeological survey work in rural Turkey being done by Zach’s adviser, and Zach’s involvement in the study for two summers.

The article can be read online at paw.princeton.edu/issues/2008/09/24/.

32 RIPON MAGAZINE

Elizabeth Reible ’06 and Michael James Nielsen ’07 of Milwaukee, Wis., were married Sept 12, 2009, at Ripon College by the Rev. Dr. David Joyce, president. They both are certified physician assistants at Villard Primary and Specialty Care Clinic, a clinic for the under-served in Milwaukee.

Jesse James Runde ’06 of Sun Prairie, Wis., is a trap dispatcher with Sanimax in DeForest, a company that takes grease/frying oil and recycles it into new grease and biodiesel. One hundred percent of the product brought in is recycled and used to in animal feed or biodiesel. A trap dispatcher is responsible for all of the grease trap drivers. Jesse makes out their routes, handles customer inquiries and is responsible for making sure service is done in a timely fashion.

Arlene Vanessa Vazquez ’06 of Santa Cruz, Calif., is attending medical school at the University of California-San Francisco. She plans to earn her medical doctorate in 2011.

with the Museum of Wisconsin Art. She previously had been an unpaid intern.

Josh Peterson ’07 of Oshkosh, Wis., married Jennifer Weber, June 27, 2009.

Megan Piotrowski ’07 and Ryan Manis ’08 were married Oct. 24, 2009, in Ripon. A reception was held in Great Hall on campus. They live in Ixonia, Wis. Ryan is a management trainee at Landmark Credit Union, and Megan is an account executive at Tailor Made Products.

Weston Radford ’07 of Milwaukee, Wis., is attending the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Ben Ruetten ’07 of Berlin, Wis., is director of instrumental music at Berlin High School.

Alexis Rose Yadron ’06 of Chatham, Ill., received her master’s degree in public administration in May 2009 at the University of Illinois at Springfield.

Dorrie Siqueiros ’07 of Chestnut Hill, Mass., completed a master’s degree in higher education administration from Boston College in May 2009.

In June, she presented a case study at the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity (NCORE) in San Diego. In July, she began a full-time resident director position at Boston College.

Amanda Bleck ’07 of Lincoln, Neb., earned her master’s degree in educational psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in December 2008.

She is pursuing her doctorate in school psychology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Jason Robert Wickstrom ’07 of Ripon, Wis., is an assistant football coach at Ripon College and also is employed at Diverse Options Inc. as a grant project coordinator and supportive employment specialist.

Katy Griffiths ’07 of Madison, Wis., completed a master’s degree in biology from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in June and now is in veterinary school at the University of WisconsinMadison.

Stefanie Bostedt ’08 of Franklin, Wis., is now After School Program Leader (K-5) at Deerfield Elementary School in Oak Creek.

Pat Kerstein ’07 of Madison, Wis., married Allison Schaser, July 24, 2009. He is in graduate school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to obtain his doctorate in neuroscience.

Stacy Krusa ’07 of Waupun, Wis., graduated from the ACCELerated Online Nursing Program at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in May 2009 with a bachelor of science degree in nursing. She is a registered nurse at Beaver Dam Community Hospital in Beaver Dam, Wis. Amanda Liethen ’07 of Kimberly, Wis., has joined the Advancement staff of Ripon College as the process support professional intern for the Office of the Annual Fund, Alumni Relations and Parent Programs. Prior to her return to Ripon, she worked for the French Consulate in Chicago.

Rebecca Malinowski ’07 of Orland Park, Ill., graduated from the University of Illinois in May 2009 with a master’s degree in library and information science. She is a reference librarian at the Crete Public Library in Crete, Ill. Emily Ninmann ’07 of Poynette, Wis., married Mike Post Jr., Aug. 22, 2009. She will be attending the Accelerated Post Baccalaureate Teaching Certification Program at Concordia University in Madison, Wis. Christina Joy “CJ” O’Reilly ’07 of West Bend, Wis., is a marketing and development associate

Leah Theresa Hover ’08 of White Lake, Wis., teaches math at White Lake High School.

Andrew Joseph McKee ’08 of Olympia, Wash., is a 2nd lieutenant in the U.S. Army Signal Corps.

Jeanna Sperber ’08 of Green Bay, Wis., has been promoted to human resources coordinator at Beyond Abilities LLC in Abrams, Wis. Christine M. Anhalt ’09 of West Bend, Wis., has been accepted into the University of WisconsinMadison. She will study for a master’s degree in conservation biology.

Eli Justice Annis ’09 of Osceola, Wis., will study for a doctorate in mathematics at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Cameron R. Arndt ’09 is entering the U.S. Army as a 2nd lieutenant infantry officer.

Peter Alexander Azmani ’09 of Hales Corners, Wis., is working at Walt Disney World.

Claire Spydell Baide-Castillo ’09 of St. Paul, Minn., is studying law at Hamline University in St. Paul.

Matthew James Barrile ’09 of Sheboygan, Wis., is studying for a master’s degree in Spanish language and literature at Bowling Green State University in Ohio.

Lindsay Elissa Breviu ’09 of Eagan, Minn., is working at the Anthony Louis Center in Min-

nesota, an adolescent Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (AODA) treatment facility.

at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Jared J. Brown ’09 of Delavan, Wis., is working in sales and marketing at Browns Service, Wisconsin Golf Inc., in Walworth, Wis.

Jennifer Leah Hesemann ’09 of Westby, Wis., is studying for a master’s degree in medical genetics/genetic counseling at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Melissa Ann Burgos ’09 of Milwaukee, Wis., is a phlebotomist at Aurora Advanced Healthcare.

Justin D. Hoke ’09 of Madison, Wis., is a study technician with Covance Inc.

Megan Margaret Captaine ’09 of Oshkosh, Wis., worked this summer at Peninsula Players in Fish Creek, Wis.

Krystle Lynn Hyke ’09 of Rhinelander, Wis., is a home healthcare provider for Helping Hands Heathcare.

Eliza Cherry ’09 and Bruce James Stephenson ’09 were married July 10, 2009.

They live in Ripon. Liza is the campus liaison professional intern for the Annual Fund at Ripon College, and Bruce is an insurance agent for Bankers Life and Casualty Insurance in De Pere.

Brittany A. Kaufman ’09 of Eland, Wis., is attending the Forest Institute of Professional Psychology for a degree with an emphasis in child and adolescent psychology.

Genevieve Anne Covert ’09 of Bloomington, Ill., is attending Illinois State University seeking a master’s degree in clinical-counseling psychology.

Arielle Julia Denis ’09 of Skokie, Ill., is working for CARENET, Americorps, in Denver, Colo.

Emily Christina DeVillers ’09 of Forestville, Wis., is working with Americorps in Knoxville, Tenn.

Kate Lynn Dricken ’09 of West Bend, Wis., worked at Lake Lenwood Beach and Campground in West Bend, Wis., this summer.

Alexander Earle Duros ’09 of Mosinee, Wis., is studying law at Michigan State University.

Heather Michele Duzynski ’09 of Milwaukee, Wis., is attending Marquette University to earn a MSN in midwifery.

Hannah Rose Emanuel ’09 of West Bend, Wis., is studying law at Marquette University in Milwaukee.

Ashley Lorean Ewig ’09 of Wind Lake, Wis., is a management trainee in the rotational program at Schneider National Trucking Company.

Bradley David Fehly ’09 of Pewaukee, Wis., is an analyst at Constellation New Energy.

Amanda Kate Fehring ’09 of West Bend, Wis., is a management trainee at the Buckle in Mayfair Mall, Wauwatosa, Wis. Gregory A. George ’09 of Carpentersville, Ill., is a second lieutenant with the U.S. Army.

Julie Ann George ’09 of Waupaca, Wis., is a sales manager for Anthony George and will be studying for a master’s degree in experimental psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

Will Franklin Gillis ’09 of Shawano, Wis., is studying pharmacy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Mariah Dorothy Griffin ’09 of Brown Deer, Wis., is working at M&I Bank.

Amy Hansen ’09 of Algoma, Wis., is studying law

Jenan Jamal Kharbush ’09 of Madison, Wis., recently was awarded the 2009 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. She will be attending UCSD-Scripps Oceanography Institute to earn a doctorate in oceanography. The prestigious NSF fellowship will fund three years of her graduate school work.

Heather Lynn Koeller ’09 of Clintonville, Wis., is a day camp counselor at the YMCA of Metro Milwaukee.

Paula A. Kordek ’09 of Elgin, Ill., is a bilingual fraud analyst with Chase Card Services.

Wesley Robert Kraemer ’09 of Neshkoro, Wis., works for CJ’s Landscaping.

Emily A. Meyer ’09 of Ripon, Wis., is working for a charter school in Minneapolis, Minn.

Andrew Bjarne Mork ’09 of Waukesha, Wis., is a waiter at Christiano’s Pizza in Green Lake, Wis. Bryan Paul Nell ’09 of St. Germain, Wis., is studying for a doctorate in chemistry at the University of Oregon.

Tyler John Nordman ’09 of Green Bay, Wis., is a recruiter with Aerotek in Madison, Wis. Angela Olivas ’09 of Malone, Wis., is a management trainee at Marine Credit Union in Fond du Lac, Wis. Jonathan Daniel Paretsky ’09 of Eagle River, Wis., is studying for a doctorate in chemistry at the University of California-Irvine.

Megan Michelle Petri ’09 of West Bend, Wis., is working with AmeriCorps, serving the Big Brothers/Big Sisters and Interfaith Caregivers nonprofit groups in West Bend.

Christopher R. Rhode ’09 of Oconto, Wis., works for the Green Bay Bull Frogs.

Tyler J. Rosenecker ’09 of Fountain Hills, Ariz., is a 2nd lieutenant with the U.S. Army Signal Corps.

Claire Elizabeth Schultz ’09 of Tigerton, Wis., is entering the Army National Guard.

Kelly Kristina Schweiss ’09 of Fond du Lac, Wis., is a mobile sales consultant with Best Buy.

Nicholas Ryan Krueger ’09 of Menomonie, Wis., is studying at Georgetown University for a master’s degree in security studies.

Venessa Sue Siebers ’09 of Neenah, Wis., is working with the Blue Mountain Project.

Jordan Elizabeth Lander ’09 of Round Lake, Wis., is a marketing coordinator with Medix Staffing Solutions in Lombard, Ill.

Ashley Ann Skoczynski ’09 of De Pere, Wis., works at the YWCA and plans to enter the Peace Corps.

Jennifer Elizabeth Lanser ’09 of Brookfield, Wis., works at Fotosearch/Publishing Perfection Company.

Rebecca Ann Smith ’09 of Waunakee, Wis., is working for the Santa Fe Opera.

Christopher Jon Larsen ’09 of Milaca, Minn., is studying finance at Simon School of Business.

Elizabeth Louise Stoudt ’09 of Sussex, Wis., is coowner and pet sitter at Premier Animal Care in Sussex, Wis.

Jon Dominick Larsen ’09 of West Bend, Wis., is a medical recruiter with TotalMed Staffing in Appleton, Wis.

Daniel Allen Sturgill ’09 of Brookfield, Wis., is attending the Medical College of Wisconsin to earn a doctor of medicine degree.

Mark C. Leupold ’09 of Maribel, Wis., is a financial representative with Northwestern Mutual Finance Network in Appleton, Wis.

Daniel Steven Syens ’09 of Friesland, Wis., works for Advanced Energy Control.

Tanya Sue Lisko ’09 of Slinger, Wis., is studying for a doctor of osteopathic medicine degree at Midwestern University in Glendale, Ariz.

Meagan Joy Sykes ’09 of Milwaukee, Wis., is studying comparative politics-conflict studies at the London School of Economics.

Reesha Marie Lopez ’09 of Madison, Wis., is studying for a master’s of public health degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Rachael L. Thiel ’09 of Ripon, Wis., is a line therapist with the Fox Valley Autism Research Center.

Zakary Stephen Mackin ’09 of Appleton, Wis., works for Vande Hey Landscaping.

Genivee Marguerite Tucker ’09 of Rosendale, Wis., is a sales representative with American Marketing and Publishing.

Haley Moerer Madson ’09 of Ripon, Wis., is working as an Americorps Vista employee at Ripon College.

Korine Marie Vierthaler ’09 of Greenfield, Wis., is studying international relations at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

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Tygh James Walters ’09 of West Bend, Wis., is studying for a master’s degree in kinesiology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Brett Michael Wegner ’09 of Watertown, Wis., is studying for a master’s degree in accountancy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Alyssa Anne Wright ’09 of Appleton, Wis., is studying library science at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Obituaries obituaries

If you are aware of a Ripon College alumnus who has passed away, please send that information along with a printed obituary from the paper to the Office of Alumni Relations, Annual Fund and Parent Programs, Ripon College, PO Box 248, Ripon, WI 54971.

Gordon E. “Gordy” Jenks ’40 of Ripon, Wis., died Oct. 8, 2009. He was born May 1, 1913, in Outlook, Wash. He graduated with a degree in biology from Ripon College in 1940 and was a member of Lambda Delta Alpha. Gordy enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force in 1943. He served in the Medical Evacuation Unit in Europe and received the European Theater Ribbon. He was the manager of the Ripon College Book Store for 10 years and then was a seventh-grade science teacher at Ripon Middle School for 20 years. Survivors include two sons.

Fern Rollin “Gus” Lentzner ’41 of North Grafton, Mass., died July 3, 2009. He was born May 6, 1918, in Almond, Wis. At Ripon, he participated in athletics and received his ROTC Officer Commissioning. He was a World War II veteran, enlisting in the Army in 1941 and serving in the European African Middle Eastern Theatre. He was honorably discharged in 1946 as a 1st lieutenant. He worked many years for Mercury Marine as New England district manager and operating their facility in Auburn, Mass. He was a lifetime member of The Elks and a longtime member of The Order of Free Masonry. Survivors include one daughter.

Joseph R. Welke ’41 of Red Wing, Minn., died Sept. 27, 2009. He was born Feb. 11, 1918, in Milwaukee, Wis. At Ripon, he was a member of Phi Delta Theta. He graduated in 1941 with a ROTC commission as a second lieutenant in the Army.

Sixteen days later, he left for Fort Benning, Ga. From 1941-45, he served overseas in the 158th Regimental Combat Unit (“Bushmasters”). He was promoted to captain in 1944 and had lifelong pride in the service to his country. He worked for the Upjohn Co. before returning to college at North Dakota State University in Fargo, where he earned a degree in pharmacy. He worked at Wold Drug in Moorhead, Minn., and Holmes Drug, Erickson’s Drug and St. John’s Hospital in Red Wing, as well as doing relief work for drugstores throughout southeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin. He was active at Christ Episcopal Church, was a longtime member and past president of the Hiawatha Valley Toastmasters and a member of Golden K Kiwanis. He was instrumental in starting Red Wing’s first Alzheimer’s disease support group, where he was the facilitator and educator for many years. He went on to become the

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president of the Minnesota State Alzheimer’s Association and also served on its board of directors. His first wife was Jane Lee VanBergen Welke ’44, who died in 1989. Survivors include his wife, Pat, 1844 Bohmbach Drive, Red Wing, MN 55066; two sons; two daughters; and eight stepchildren.

Warren Park Berry ’51 of Cedarburg, Wis., formerly of Whitefish Bay, Wis., died Sept. 29, 2009. At Ripon, he earned a degree in economics and participated in football, ROTC and Delta Sigma Psi/Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He retired from IBM after 29 years of service. His wife was Mary Landwehr Berry ’54, who died in 2001. Survivors include one son and three daughters; a brother-in-law, Jim Landwehr ’56; and a sister-in-law, Carolyn Callahan Landwehr ’55.

Elijah Wayne Black ’52 of Evanston, Ill., a former longtime resident of Chicago, died Oct. 3, 2009. At Ripon, he studied business management and was a member of Theta Sigma Tau. He also belonged to Partners in the Legacy. Survivors include his wife, Evelyn Bernahl Black ’52, 305 Trinity Court, Evanston, IL 60201; two sons and one daughter.

Werner Hans Menck ’54 of Cedarburg, Wis., died May 26, 2009, after a long battle with multiple sclerosis. At Ripon, he majored in economics, was a member of Theta Chi and was commissioned in the ROTC program. He earned an M.B.A. from Indiana University. From 1955 to 1957, he was an Army officer stationed at Fort Riley, Kan. His executive business career with Louis Allis, Polaroid and Gould Electronics spanned 30 years, including a time as corporate controller. He was a steady and methodical man who loved his life and demanded to live each day to the fullest. After losing the use of his arms and legs, he used his heart and head to become a prolific creative thinker, author, artist and poet.

With his computer and voice activation technology, he took control of his world and wrote several books and hundreds of poems about his family, childhood memories, religious faith, the natural world and his beloved Cedarburg. Survivors include his wife, Willa Widerborg Menck, W68, N476 Evergreen Blvd., Cedarburg, WI 53012; one son and two daughters, including Linda E. Menck ’86.

Charles H. “Chris” Tenney III ’71 of Sherborn, Mass., died Oct. 15, 2009. At Ripon, Chris studied speech communication and drama, was a member of Lambda Delta Alpha and participated in athletics and student government. He had an acting career in Hollywood, New York City and the local Sherborn Players. He was a member of the board of directors of the Unitil Corp. in Hampton, N.H. Nancy Frink Sherer ’72 of Evanston, Ill., died Aug. 31, 2009. She majored in art at Ripon and received her MFA from Washington University in 1974. She continued making art until her death. She lived in Winnetka for 20 years until recently moving to Evanston. During that time, she was active in the community and taught yoga, founding Yoga For Every Body in Glencoe before her illness with cancer. Survivors include her husband, David H. Sherer ’72, 807 Davis St., No. 601, Evanston, IL 6 0201; and two sons.

Mark S. Podlisecki ’81 of Kenosha, Wis., died July 17, 2008. At Ripon, he was a member of Beta Sigma Pi. He was a technical specialist for Abbott Laboratories in Abbott Park, Ill. Survivors include his wife, Margaret, 9712 64th St., Kenosha, WI 53142; and one son.

Gilbert Michael “Gib” Malm ’85 of Atlanta, Ga., was killed in a tragic accident Aug. 15, 2009. He was born in St. Paul, Minn., in 1963. He graduated from Ripon College as a National Merit Scholar with a B.A. in economics, business and philosophy. He was a member of the Beta Sigma Pi fraternity and participated in athletics, Student Senate and Judiciary Board. He went on to attend Emory School of Law, receiving his J.D. in 1989. He was the founding partner of the Malm Law Group, which focuses on complex insurance coverage matters. He also served as president of the Parent Teacher Association for Seigakuin Atlanta International School and volunteered his services to the Atlanta Truancy Project. Survivors include his wife, Kiyoko, 2084 Imperial Drive, Atlanta, GA 30345; one son and one daughter.

Nancy W. Livingston of Ripon, Wis., a former Ripon College employee and the widow of Economics Professor John “Jack” Livingston ’49, died July 15, 2009. She was born Oct. 9, 1922, in Plainfield, N.Y. She received her doctorate in education from Cornell University. She was involved with Ripon College for many years. She was the Advance College Experience (ACE) coordinator from 1987 until her retirement in 1994. She was awarded the Founders Day Award in 1997, was a charter member of Partners in the Legacy and Friends of Lane Library, and was a founding member of the Leadership Alliance at Ripon College.

She was a member of Ripon Congregational Church, P.E.O., the South Woods Park Association, Library Ladies and the Science Club. Survivors include one daughter, Elizabeth Livingston Jaeger ’79. Memorial gifts may be directed to Ripon College’s John and Nancy Livingston Endowed Scholarship.

F. Joseph Sensenbrenner of Neenah, Wis., a trustee of Ripon College from 1974 to 1979, died July 25, 2009. He was born Oct. 8, 1921, in Appleton. He was an attorney with Remley, Sensenbrenner, Stein, Snyder and Hanes, S.C. Survivors include two sons, including Peter Sensenbrenner, an adjunct instructor of business administration; and two daughters.

Honorary Life Trustee Thomas W. Kimen Jr. of Key Biscayne, Fla., a member of the Board of Trustees, died Sept. 14, 2009. Tom was born in Highland Park, Mich., and graduated from Lyons Township High School, LaGrange, Ill.; Michigan State University; and completed his MBA at the University of Michigan in 1959. He worked for Northern Trust Co. in Chicago. In 1972, Northern Trust acquired Security Trust Co. of Miami, Fla. Tom was president of the Miami operation and chairman of Northern Trust Banks of Florida until 1982 when he returned to Chicago to work in the Corporate Trust Division. Tom was instrumental in bringing corporate trust services to high net worth families, creating a division now known as Wealth Management. Tom retired in 1995. He spent summers in Green Lake, Wis., and winters in Florida. He was involved in a variety of civic and community organizations in various locations.

He served on the Board of Trustees at Ripon College from February 1995 to February 2008, after which he was honored as an Honorary Life Trustee. Survivors include his wife, Gail Kimen, N5329 Shore Drive, Green Lake, WI 54941; one son, Thomas Kimen III ’87 of Miami; and one daughter.

The Lastlast Word the word Sneesby ’47 Letter Draws Response

How odd that Jack Sneesby ’47 feels the Ripon Magazine doesn’t support the ideals of the alumni. But then self-described conservatives often seem to think their values are the only valid values, even in a pluralistic society. Ripon College exposed me to a wide range of ideals, and while my own views were libertarian then and are still now, surely we can recognize the importance of exploring all views. The public square offers us the opportunity to evaluate and think for ourselves and not to isolate ourselves intellectually, socially or culturally.

Also odd is that Mr. Sneesby feels Europe is an example of “decline.” To many of us who visit or have lived there, we can see first-hand the many successes of contemporary Western civilization in providing quality health care, entrepreneurial opportunity, fine public transportation and, most especially, cooperation amongst allied nations to advance the cause of individual rights and freedom, and the rule of law not of man.

The Euro is not as strong as it is against the value of the dollar because the European Community economies are not functioning well. Not perfect, but pretty well. And life is more than economics.

That Ripon students journeyed to the inauguration of our President is an important story, irrespective of the President’s political affiliation. Let us celebrate the students’ interest in our political process and recognize that diversity in all respects helps make us a more perfect union.

Leon Pascucci ’75 Los Angeles, Calif.

I read Jack Sneesby’s rather nasty letter about Ripon College not supporting his right-wing political views. Mr. Sneesby seems to have forgotten that the purpose of an institution of higher education is supposed to be “fair and balanced” (to quote what must be his favorite TV channel). Back in the 1950s, when I was

the editor of the Ripon College Days, then-President Frederick Oliver Pinkham attempted to foist a “conservative institute” on the school, headed by right-wing philosopher Russel Kirk.

In the paper, I opposed this attempt to politicize the college; the faculty and most of the students took my stance on the issue, as did a number of alumni.

The project was — thank goodness — dropped as it should have been.

One other point about Mr. Sneesby’s letter is that he claims that Republicans donate more money to causes than Democrats. He’s correct — because most wealthy people are Republicans who are conservative because they don’t want things to change — after all, they have theirs! They have money to donate to such conservative causes as the NRA, anti-abortion groups and right-wing political candidates. Most of their causes are minority causes in this country, but they usually win because their money buys votes. Democrats are equally generous to their causes, but most of them are not at the same economic level as Republicans.

Ripon, in spite of being the birthplace of the Republican Party, should remain politically neutral.

John A. Stoler ’56 San Antonio, Texas

I was saddened and appalled by the letter … from Jack Sneesby ’47 that ran in the spring edition of the magazine.

Mr. Sneesby was objecting to the article in the winter edition about the trip of some Ripon students and faculty to the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

I was saddened because the letter indicates that Ripon apparently failed miserably in the late 1940s in educating Mr. Sneesby. Even if some professor got him to briefly think for himself, it is clear that his mind subsequently slammed shut. Mr. Sneesby apparently missed the class in which a professor must have repeated the oft-used state-

ment of the French philosopher Voltaire who said, “I disagree with your statement, but defend to the death your right to say it.” In Mr. Sneesby’s world, there is no room for diversity or disagreement. But that is not the world Ripon prepared me, or thousands of other students, to enter. It taught me to seek freedom and reason, not narrowmindedness and repression.

I am appalled because Mr. Sneesby seeks to lump together Republicans, conservatives, free enterprise, capitalism and religion and equate them as forces for good while labeling and packaging together liberals, Democrats, socialists, progressives and big government as forces of evil that are designed to destroy the United States. Mr. Sneesby’s reasoning is a slur on the concept of the liberal arts and smacks of the era of the Witch Hunts in the 1950s.

I am also disgusted by Mr. Sneesby’s position that the trip by some students and faculty to attend President Obama’s inauguration is a “direct slap in the face of those who give financially.” A quality institution such as Ripon must encourage diversity and free thought, and any suggestion that it prevent students and faculty from attending a historic event is a direct slap in the face of the College’s very purpose.

I defend Mr. Sneesby’s right to shift his financial support to a college that has a reputation for being conservative and very narrow-minded. But I, for one, will continue as I have in the almost 45 years since I graduated from Ripon contributing as much as I can financially to the College to help it remain as freethinking and diverse as it can be.

Sincerely, Craig T. Ferris ’65 Chevy Chase, Md.

Upon reading the diatribe of Mr. Sneesby … , I could not believe that he had

FALL 2009 35

actually attended and, no less, graduated from Ripon College. That he would attend Ripon College, one of the highest rated liberal arts colleges in the country, with his narrow-minded, ultra-conservative views is quite surprising. If you look at Ripon’s mission statement — “Ripon College prepares students of diverse interests for lives of productive, socially responsible citizenship. Our liberal arts curriculum and residential campus creates an intimate learning community … ” — it is quite contrary to Mr. Sneesby’s way of thinking. Ripon’s classes encouraged open discussions of various viewpoints and respect for those opinions of

our classmates which differed from our own. Jack might find it interesting that a large majority of those leaning more to the left than he (from moderate to liberal) also believe in free enterprise, capitalism, and are religious. They are also quite patriotic and have fought for their country as well. The skewed statistics which [Mr. Sneesby] incorporated in [his] argument just indicate that some people are able to afford contributions to educational institutions more than others.

[Mr. Sneesby’s] reasoning in [his] less than convincing discourse is quite fallacious. Just because an individual may have liberal opinions doesn’t necessarily mean he/she also believes in socialism. Just because an individual has liberal points of view on some issues doesn’t mean he/she cannot have moderate or more conservative views on other issues. Labeling people seems to be a ploy of those … who do not respect the point of view of others. Diversity of thought and background, and respect for the points of view of others, is what has made this country great.

As far as the so-called “slap in the face” of the article on the journey of Ripon students and faculty to see the President’s inauguration is concerned, this should be a source of pride that those at the College experienced a part of history. This was not a politically motivated journey favoring neither the right nor left, but another example of

learning experienced by faculty and students together.

Mr. Sneesby, believe it or not, Ripon College will survive without your money and go on teaching those values which you so strongly criticize.

Richard L. Moschel ’64 Sun City West, Ariz./Ely, Minn.

Gone to the Dogs Thanks for the nifty article on alumni and their dogs — very enjoyable! Attached is some filler for your upcoming article on alumni and their cats. The grey one is Christopher Robin and the black/white one is Winnie-the-Mooh.

What else would a youth services librarian name her feline friends?

DJ Lilly ’90 Bellefonte, Pa.

What Do You Think?

Opinions expressed in the Ripon Magazine are those of the author or person interviewed. We’d like to hear what you think about college news and views.

Letters must be signed and include an address and telephone number.

They may be edited for length and clarity.

Send your letters to the Editor, Ripon Magazine, Office of Marketing and Communications, Ripon College, PO Box 248, Ripon, WI 54971.

You also can contact us via e-mail at dammr@ripon.edu

36 RIPON MAGAZINE

My Ripon College education taught me never to take myself too seriously. At the same time, I learned never to question my potential.

Ripon is a special place where students are held accountable, both for their talents and their shortcomings. Ripon challenges everyone regardless of ability or background.

I know I have built my professional strengths — to think critically, to question constructively, to solve problems creatively — on the foundation of a Ripon education. I do more and care more and think more because of this place.

We are More.

We are Together.

We are Ripon.

It is more critical than ever that we — as alumni, parents and friends of the College — give our students the tools they need to be critical thinkers, productive citizens, responsible leaders and good neighbors.

Kristen McCullough ’04 Chicago, Ill.

The Annual Fund Three Ways to Give: Write to us at PO Box 248, Ripon, WI 54971 Call us toll-free at 1-877-231-0455 Visit us online at www.ripon.edu/gift

Kristen McMullough ’04, left, celebrated her five-year Ripon College reunion this summer (and had a great time!). Since graduation, Kristen has enjoyed a successful career at Lipman Hearne, a marketing firm in Chicago.

She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in social work at Loyola University. She is an active volunteer in her community, seen here working on behalf of the Chicago Public Schools, and serves as a member of the Ripon College Alumni Board of Directors.

Homecoming Action!

Ripon fans who attended this year’s homecoming football game Oct. 3 were treated to a 31-14 Red Hawks victory over Carroll College. Clockwise from top left, running back T.J. Pierce ’12 eludes a trio of Pioneers defenders; quarterback Matthew Miller ’11 and Christine Pariso ’13 pose for a photo after the game; Ripon’s version of Klement’s Racing Sausages — mascots from the Ripon Restaurant Group — race at halftime; defensive back Joe Faulds ’10 and Head Coach Ron Ernst share a laugh on the sideline.

Brian Ernst photos