Ripon Magazine Winter 2012

M A G A Z I N E

W I N T E R

ALUMNI IN LAW:

Balancing the Scales of Justice MARK KAINZ THINKS LIKE A SCIENTIST n

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WINTER MEMORIES

JEREMY JOHNSON ’12: READY TO BE HEARD n

JACOB GAHART ’13 PUTS BEST FOOT FORWARD n

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VOLUME 45, ISSUE NO. 1

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.

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Ripon Magazine (ISSN 1058-1855) is published twice annually by Ripon College, 300 Seward St., Ripon, WI 54971-0248. Postage paid at Ripon, WI. Copyright © 2012 Ripon College POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Ripon Magazine, PO Box 248, Ripon, WI 54971-0248

Editor: Jaye Alderson e-mail: AldersonJ@ripon.edu

Editorial

Assistants: Ric Damm, Cody Pinkston Student

Assistants: Lori Schroeder ’13 Sam Poullette ’13

Design: Ric Damm

On the Cover: Rick Kammen ’68 is one of the premier death-penalty defense lawyers in the nation.

INSIDE 4

A Delicate Balancing Act

Numerous Ripon alumni, like Rick Kammen ’68, have made the law their career. They share how their liberal arts education helps them weigh the balances of justice, equality and liberty and how these principles apply to various aspects of our lives.

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Creating Knowledge from Science

Associate Professor of Biology Mark Kainz enjoys watching his students develop from trying to learn facts to being able to use the information they have to solve problems. “My goal is for my students to transition from thinking like students to thinking like scientists,” he says.

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Winter Memories

Strap on your snowshoes or cross-country skis and take a jaunt through campus in all its winter glory and harshness as alumni recall their fondest and coldest memories of winter in Ripon.

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Gift of Gab In Ripon forensics, Jeremy Johnson ’12 has qualified for multiple events at nationals; but it’s not just the gift of gab that has led to Johnson’s remarkable success. He credits hard work and a dedicated Ripon coaching staff.

Photo: Nick Sabel, son of Administrative Assistant to the Vice President for Finance Chris Sabel, enjoys the College’s new singletrack mountain bike trail. The trail was built within the Ceresco Prairie Conservancy last spring by volunteers under the direction of Stephen Mullins, a trail specialist with the International Mountain Bicycling Association. Funding for the design and construction came from a $25,000 grant from the Pepsi Refresh Project.

For more information, visit ripon.edu/ riponmtb. Photo by Jim Koepnick

Ripon Online: www.ripon.edu

DEPARTMENTS

Ripon Online Community:

16 Sports 18 Class Notes 28 In Memoriam

facebook.com/ripon.college twitter.com/riponcollege

flickr.com/photos/ripon_college youtube.com/moretogether

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A Sudden Understanding n

“The most accomplished form of injustice is to seem just when you are not.” ~ Plato n “Will you not take the Ring?” ~ Frodo to Gandalf

When I teach on Tolkien, I ask students to confront a moral question from the Ring of Gyges episode in Plato’s Republic. Gyges’ ring corrupts and compels the just man to commit crimes in secret and without detection, and thus provides him with a cover for his injustice so that he can benefit from evil while continuing to appear good; hence, the quotation above.

In The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf knows that the Ring corrupts and enslaves. Wishing to do good, he could only and ineluctably do evil.

Gandalf knows not to take the Ring.

Plato warns us that we all could – and would – take the Ring.

Frodo takes the Ring and, despite incredible resistance, becomes its victim, unable to destroy it when he has the opportunity. This is the hardest part of the book to face. It breaks my heart every time I read it, because I always believe in Frodo.

Sadly, Frodo fails because he must.

As Glaucon says to Socrates, “there is no one … who would have such iron strength of will as to stick to what is right” if he possessed the Ring. That is the point.

Another crucial point for Tolkien: greater than the power of the Ring is the power we have never to give in to despair. In the Ring, there is a corruptive motive to use one’s talents and inventions to dominate others.

To do this with impunity and great reward is what makes Tolkien’s and 2

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Gerald Seaman, Interim President

Gyges’ rings irresistible. Failing to resist is a sign of the greatest despair.

Because every prior moment for Frodo is a triumph over despair itself, he is heroic; his resistance gives us hope.

Along with the Ring, Tolkien used darkness to elucidate things about his characters and about character generally. When you read The Hobbit, for example, ask yourself why, lost and alone in the dark goblin caves, full of fear and desperation, with every possible motive, a perfect opportunity and no threat of detection, did Bilbo, at the last instant, restrain himself and let Gollum live?

Tolkien credits Bilbo’s restraint to a “sudden understanding.” From his other writings, we know that this is something the author calls “Recovery”

– not simply recuperation to health but “regaining of a clear view.” In the long tragic moments leading up to Frodo’s failure, Tolkien emphasizes repeatedly and literally the hobbit’s blindness. Everywhere around us, we sense that there is and will be no clear view, no recovery at all. From this, we should already know that the Ring will prevail. And, still we delude ourselves that it won’t; and we are stricken when it does.

The Ring, of course, is not real. It is a device that lets us observe real things and contemplate real problems.

When asked about Bilbo’s restraint, my students have said one thing consistently: show me what you do when no one’s watching, and I’ll tell you who you are. When asked about taking the Ring, they generally hope that they would not. They also acknowledge that there’s a part of them that might.

I think these are good things to think about. I think it’s good for us to realize that we do not always have a clear view, and that there is always hope for us to regain it.

There is always a chance for sudden understanding and for triumph over despair.

I hope you enjoy thinking about these things, too. And, I trust you will enjoy Ripon Magazine and its stories of graduates who think about justice every day. n

From the A R C H I V E S LETTERS to the E D I T O R GEORGE MILLER EXTENDED HIS LOVE OF HISTORY I was saddened to hear of the death of Dr. George Miller in the Ripon Alumni Newsletter. I was fortunate enough to take several classes with Dr. Miller during my years at Ripon. He was an outstanding instructor. I will always remember him as the consummate gentleman who always encouraged his students to enjoy the classes they were taking, and the experience they were having at Ripon College.

Several times, the classroom discourse couldn’t be finished in the 50 minutes of class time, so he would invite the class over to his apartment later in the evening to finish our discussions. He would instruct Jack Bennett and I to “bring potato chips and pretzels,” and he would provide the coffee or soft drinks. Those were special evenings and moments for everyone.

Dr. Miller opened his home to us and opened our minds to the study of history. I believe everyone knew that we were privileged that he would share his knowledge with us, as well.

TERRY CAPES ’71 WAUWATOSA, WIS.

WRONG NANCARROW I was pleased to receive my copy of the Ripon Magazine for the summer, and I am impressed with the new all-color format.

I must, however, point out an error in the Class Notes section. On page 20, next to an item in which Phil Nancarrow speaks of his leukemia diagnosis, you’ve printed my picture. Phil is my cousin, and he graduated from Ripon 13 years before I did. It’s an understandable mistake — you have three Nancarrows among the alumni, two Pauls and a Phil. But I’m sure that Phil’s friends who are concerned about his illness are also now wondering what happened to his face!

PAUL S. NANCARROW ’78 STAUNTON, VA. (Editor’s note: We apologize for the error. Philip Nancarrow ’65 has since died. His obituary and proper photograph can be found on Page 31.)

SUBMIT YOUR LETTER TO: Letters to the Editor, Ripon Magazine, PO Box 248, Ripon WI 549710248 or email aldersonj@ripon.edu

Diploma gift prompts search into Davies’ story A shining example of an accomplished life was recalled when the College recently received a donation of an original diploma from 1877. The diploma is printed in Latin on sheepskin and is signed

by Ripon College’s second president, Edward H. Merrell (1876-1891).

It is the first of three diplomas presented by Ripon College to the Rev. David Davies (1845-1902). At the time of his death, he was a trustee of Ripon College and had been pastor of the Welsh Calvanistic Methodist Church in Oshkosh for nearly 25 years.

Davies entered Ripon in 1868 and graduated from its “classical course” of study in 1877 after delays due to finances. After completing the theological course at Lane Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio, he subsequently Photo courtesy of the Oshkosh Public Museum, Oshkosh, Wisconsin. All rights reserved. received from Ripon a master’s degree in 1887 and an honorary doctorate of divinity in 1898.

For several years, he was president of the Ripon College Alumni Association, and he served as a trustee from 1891 until his death.

Davies was born at Prion, near Denbigh, Wales, May 2, 1845. He came to America in 1865 and lived with his parents, Ioan “John” and Elizabeth Davies, on a farm about 10 miles south of Oshkosh. He worked as a carpenter before joining the ministry. He was married twice and had five children.

He wrote several books, including a Sunday school lesson book on 1 Samuel for the Welsh Sunday schools of America and Wales; and a Welsh and English catechism. For five years, he was the first editor of The Lamp, the Welsh Christian Endeavor Magazine.

Available at Lane Library is his book “Welsh Settlement Centennial 1847-1947.” It is a translation of “Hayes y Cymry” (History of the Welsh) the jubilee book of 1897, giving the history of the Welsh in the Wisconsin counties of Winnebago and Fond du Lac. The original portion was edited by Davies, and it was translated into English in 1947 and supplemented with additional chapters by his son, the Rev. Howell D. Davies.

Davies died of consumption in 1902. At his funeral, 28 ministers attended from around the country, and the many speakers included President Merrell.

At its next meeting in June 1903, the Ripon Board of Trustees resolved: “…

We record our deep sense of loss and bereavement. His high pure vision, his faithfulness to the College trusts, his fine clear sense of right, his firm faith in the Christian mission and future of the College, his painstaking attention to its calls and loyalty to its noblest traditions, made him an invaluable trustee and a man to be honored.”

The diploma is in an aged condition and in need of restoration work at this time. n WINTER 2012

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Liberal arts:

Balancing the scales of justice L

awyers and the law are at the very foundation of American society. Of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence, 35 were lawyers. Of the 55 framers of the Constitution, 32 were lawyers.

Numerous Ripon alumni have made the law their career. Every day, they weigh the balances of justice, equality and liberty and how these principles apply to various aspects of our lives. Here, some of those attorneys discuss their lives in the halls of justice.

United States law presumes that accused people are innocent until proven guilty, and every person – no matter how heinous the accusations against them may be – is a human being, says criminal defense lawyer Rick Kammen ’68 of Indianapolis, Ind. “So the first thing I do when I become involved in a case is to try to evaluate what the quality of the evidence is against this person. People who are vilified in the newspapers sometimes turn out to be innocent,” or sometimes the evidence is not satisfactory, Kammen says. “The goal is to find a way – ethically and legally within the bounds of what’s appropriate – to win the case if it can possibly be done. That’s the way the system is supposed to work.”

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Kammen has defended many people accused of serious crimes and has acquired an expertise in defending death-penalty cases. He has been the lead attorney in 35 such cases and is set to defend Abd al-Rahim Hussein Mohammed al-Nashiri of Saudi Arabia, accused in the USS Cole attack. The bombing in October 2000 killed 17 sailors and wounded dozens of others.

Kammen says the first piece in a defense is evaluating the evidence, and the second piece is assembling evidence for a jury that if a person is found guilty he should not be put to death.

“We read in the newspapers about some horrific crime, and there is this tendency to think that if the person were arrested they must be guilty,” Kammen says. “Having been charged with murder, rape or child molesting, we see him as a murderer, rapist or child molester. You don’t see the person as a son or daughter, a brother or sister, a father or mother. People are invariably more complicated than how we want to simplify them.

“If we can understand a person, then we can put the accusations against them in a context that is more understandable to a jury, and it becomes more understandable, in many cases, why they’re really not guilty.”

Kammen says there can

be a healing aspect within the court process. “People have their day in court and feel like they were listened to, heard and treated fairly,” he says. “I think that is very important. In many respects, lawyers provide the lubrication that makes society work.”

Kammen credits Ripon’s liberal arts education with setting the foundation for his life’s work.

“Ripon was very helpful to me,” he says. “It was small, I had the opportunity to do things I would never have had the opportunity to do at a bigger school – freshmen football, sports broadcaster. Giving me a degree of selfconfidence was pretty significant.

“I came away from Ripon with a desire to continue to learn and not become stagnant. One of the things I enjoy about law and what I do is there’s always stuff to learn and other people to learn from. We deal with a lot of different issues – scientific issues, issues of mental health, psychiatry, areas of communication. A liberal arts education was helpful in understanding that there is a lot of overlap in a lot of different disciplines.”

Kammen also teaches a class at a law school, and he emphasizes that the law must be treated very seriously.

At the same time, he says, lawyers need to keep things in perspective.

“What I do and lots of lawyers do is hugely important, but I try not to take myself too seriously,” he says. “One of the advantages of a small college is that I knew a lot of different people from a lot of different areas. If anybody got too pretentious, there were acceptable ways of puncturing the balloon, and I think that’s good.”

For Autumn Hayes O’Leary ’99, who serves as a military lawyer in the Army, a liberal arts education was an education in society.

“Ripon also taught me about people,” she says. “It’s the people who hold an organization together and make it great. Ripon, through its staff, faculty and students, always focused on its people. The Army is the same.

Investing time in others as well as taking time to learn from the diversity around you, helps develop and define you as an individual. It does not matter whether you are meeting people from another nation or just working with your internal staff. Recognizing the importance of diversity of thought is an essential part of success.”

O’Leary says she went into the practice of law for two primary reasons: the Army and Professor of Communication Jody Roy. She found Ripon’s ROTC program challenging and rewarding, and Roy helped her develop specific goals, including the idea of a career as an Army lawyer.

She was commissioned into the Engineer Corps but after law school, reassessed into the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Her first assignment was at Fort Bliss, Texas. As a legal assistance attorney, she provided wills, powers of attorney, and general advice on family law matters. She then moved to prosecuting cases as a trial counsel.

From 2006 to 2010, she was first the Chief of Administrative at the Southern European Task Force (Airborne) in Vicenza, Italy; and later the Chief of Military Justice. From November 2009 to July 2010, she deployed with 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team as its operational law attorney to Forward Operating Base Shank in Eastern Afghanistan.

After returning in July 2010, she received her master’s degree in military law from The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School. She focused on international law, criminal law, fiscal law and contracts.

She currently is stationed in Heidelberg, Germany, for the United States Army Europe, serving as the Deputy Chief of International Law and Operations for Europe.

“In the JAG Corps, we move assignments, changing

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From Ripon to Wisconsin’s Supreme Court Ripon has had two alumni advance to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in recent years — Jon P. Wilcox ’58 and Michael J. Gableman ’88.

Wilcox, of Wautoma, Wis., served 15 years as a Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice (1992 to 2007). He graduated from Ripon with a major in politics and government and a minor in history. He also was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

Wilcox served his country in the military police force and retired from the Army as a first lieutenant.

Wilcox then studied law at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, graduating in 1965.

He began practicing law in La Crosse, Wis., soon after. Not too long after he settled in La Crosse, he signed on with a law firm in Wautoma. Born in Berlin, Wis., and raised in Wild Rose, it was an easy decision to move back to his roots.

Once in Wautoma, Wilcox began practicing in both civil and criminal law. The most memorable case of his early career was being a part of a defense council for a quadruple homicide case.

After practicing law for only a few years, Wilcox was approached to run for the state legislature. He saw politics as a great way to further his law career and won an election in 1969. He represented the 72nd Assembly District of Green Lake and Waushara counties. He spent three terms as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, while still practicing law in Wautoma.

In March 1979, a Waushara County circuit court judge unexpectedly died. Wilcox won the subsequent election as a write-in and served for 13 years in that position. During this time, he also served as the chief judge of the Sixth Judicial Administrative District and chairman of the Wisconsin Committee of Chief Judges.

When a State Supreme Court seat opened in 1992, Gov. Tommy Thompson selected Wilcox, who spent 15 years on the bench before deciding not to run for re-election. He still works as a consultant for appellate work in Madison.

He also keeps busy tending to his farm in Wautoma and gives credit to Ripon College for influencing his career.

“The nature of the liberal arts educated me in a very broad background of knowledge and made me become an even more avid reader and writer — the two basic prerequisites for practicing law in my mind,” Wilcox says.

By Sam Poullette ’13 of Plymouth, Wis.

Read about Mike Gabelman at: ripon.edu/court

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jobs with each assignment,” O’Leary says. “Each time, it is a little like starting over. The strong and diversified education that Ripon provided helps me to stay focused.

Where resolution to a task does not seem possible with one solution, I often look at the problem set a different way, and see if it can be accomplished with a better or faster method.”

Nicholas “Chip” Retson ’69 of Centreville, Va., also gained early law experience in the Army.

He has held wideranging legal leadership positions related to the contracting system. He spent 28 years as an Army Judge Advocate officer, retiring as a Colonel. He taught contract law at the Army JAG School, and was trial team chief and later Army chief trial attorney, handling all Army contract litigation before the Board of Contract Appeals, and chief counsel for the Army’s Test and Evaluation Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.

After retiring from the Army, he was Deputy General Counsel, then General Counsel for the Defense Contract Management Command whose 11,000 employees are deployed worldwide and are the defense department’s interface with the industries supplying materials to the defense department.

Retson now serves as legal adviser to the Defense Acquisition Regulations System, the organization within the

Department of Defense that helps write all contracting regulations and standard clauses.

“The Rule of Law is the common denominator that allows America’s people from an amazingly wide range of cultures, races, economic levels and religions, to be able to live and work in a country that respects, or even encourages differences,” Retson says.

“I have always approached my work with the idea that it is my job to help somebody else succeed. When I see an organization, a project, etc., succeed in its goal and mission because of individuals to whom I have provided counsel — that’s when I feel good.”

Circuit Court Judge Guy Dutcher ’87 of Wautoma, Wis., agrees, saying, “Most professionals maintain an inherent desire to have a positive influence upon others. A legal career provides an abundance of opportunities to advance this noble objective. Judges must follow the law, but while administering its components with sensitivity to the practical impact it will have upon the recipient. However, this requires awareness that the law represents societal expectations that citizens reasonably rely upon when interacting with one another.

“Judges, therefore, should refrain from the temptation to amend these standards to achieve what they deem is an appropriate outcome. Our three-branch system of government

deteriorates when courts change the rules to fit a particular purpose.

Rather, there must be a balance reached between respect for what the law says, having a deep appreciation for the consequences that its application will have upon the recipient, and crafting an outcome that pays allegiance to each.”

Dutcher says he reflects daily on the liberal arts education he received at Ripon College – “often in quantities that exceed even my legal training and experience. Far above the intricacies of detailed legal analysis, many decisions that judges make demand an understanding of the human condition and a sensitivity for the predicaments confronting litigants.

“Conversely, the judiciary is also frequently confronted with complex legal issues requiring a precise and controlled evaluative approach.

These challenges are well-served by the analytical discipline and communication skills that are the backbone of the liberal arts experience.”

Another circuit court judge using his Ripon influences on the bench is Andy Voigt ’97 of Portage, Wis. Voigt was elected to Columbia County’s Branch 2 in the spring of 2011.

“My Ripon education has contributed in ways too numerous to count,” Voigt says. “An often overlooked component of being a good attorney is that most of the time good ‘people skills’ are

required. This is especially true in practice in smaller communities where you run into the same people over and over.

I am learning that the same is true of being a judge.

The whole concept of a liberal arts education is about learning how to look at a problem from a number of interrelated angles. That is what most of the practice of law can be boiled down to, applying the facts of a particular case to the appropriate law and reaching a conclusion.”

Voigt feels that the law is the foundation of civilization.

“But it is also the guide by which we all expect each other to act on a day-to-day basis,” he says. “For most of us, this guide becomes so ingrained in our lives that we rarely think about it. My occupation forces me to re-examine and make judgments about the borders of that guide on a daily basis.

“All of the cases that I hear are important, and everyone is entitled to expect that I will give my best effort on every case. There is a real balancing act between strictly applying the law and the reality of that application. It would be easy to say ‘lock the bums up’ or ‘everyone deserves another chance,’ but life isn’t that simple. It will continue to take some time for me to develop my judicial personality, but I would like to think that I approach each case with care and impartiality.”

This also is important for Daniel J. Dykstra Jr. ’69 of Rohnert Park, Calif., who serves as Deputy District Counsel, San Francisco District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

He says the law establishes a basic set of governing principles upon which a civilized society operates.

“In a perfect world, law provides LAWYERS, continued on page 32

Ripon’s pre-law program expanding student opportunities Helping students find the right law school for them and then getting them admitted is the goal Steven Sorenson set for himself when he took over the pre-law adviser responsibilities at Ripon College.

“Every student is unique, and, therefore, the challenge is unique,” Sorenson says. “It takes individual effort and an extensive knowledge of every student and every law school that may fit their needs.”

Sorenson is a practicing attorney and an adjunct professor in the politics and government department. He has worked with students for several years to increase the number of Ripon graduates who are attending law school. He has instigated several new programs to attract student interest in a legal career, including off-campus visits to law schools, scheduled visits with law school admission counselors, and extensive pre-law curriculum training.

Sorenson says one of the strengths he brings to Read more about the table is his connection with law school deans. As Ripon pre-law at: a past president of the State Bar of Wisconsin and the ripon.edu/pre-law National Conference of Bar Presidents, Sorenson can access law schools all over the country.

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Creating knowledge with science

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hen Associate Professor of Biology Mark Kainz was growing up in Oregon, he spent a lot of time with his grandmother while his parents worked. She introduced him to a love of the natural world.

“I liked being outdoors,” he says. “I was always one of the kids looking for pond scum. I was very interested in plants, and I always had a garden. My grandmother taught me a lot just by my hanging out with her and helping her in her garden. She had the greenest thumb I have ever seen on a person and taught me a lot about plants and how to treat them; and basically just to slow down and observe.”

He was fascinated that by putting seeds in the ground, a plant emerged. “You could watch it develop, grow and from a tomato seed came a plant that produced a whole bunch of tomatoes. That was just cool,” Kainz says. “The plant needed water, cultivation, weeding. There are lots of things people could do to make their crops grow better.”

While an undergraduate studying biology, Kainz worked in a plant nursery, and viral diseases was an issue. “The symptoms of the infected plants were really interesting to me,” he says.

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Associate Professor of Biology Mark Kainz and Katharine Shadle ’12 discuss bacteria cultures in a recent microbiology class.

His special interests were botany and microbiology, and one of his professors taught both.

“I said to him, ‘I wish there were a way you could do both at the same time,’ and he said, ‘There is. It’s called plant pathology.’ ” Kainz went on to receive a master’s degree in plant pathology from Washington State University; and a doctorate in biochemistry, molecular and cell biology from Cornell University.

During those years, he also worked as a research technician, and did post-doctoral research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in molecular biology and plant virology.

He says the study of plant diseases is significant.

“A limiting factor in some food crops can be a particular disease,” he says. “If someone can figure out ways to combat the disease, it would increase food production without increasing the cost of food production. Also, some plant viruses are similar to viruses that cause human disease.

What we understand about these plant viruses might be applied to understanding human-infecting viruses, as well.”

Kainz was attracted to Ripon because he likes the atmosphere of a small liberal arts college and the close interaction with students.

“I like that we get to know the students as individuals,” Kainz says. “At a place like Ripon, you have the possibility of making a difference in a student’s life. The fact that we function as mentors in addition to teachers is important.

We’re not just covering material. We’re helping students learn how to think critically. The most important things a student takes away from Ripon are thinking skills and knowing how to identify resources you can use to answer questions. Most of what students will need to know in their professional lives is not yet known. They have to have the skill of acquiring and evaluating information and using that information to address problems and answer questions.

That’s true regardless of the field you’re in.”

He says it’s important to continue his own experiments as well as to teach students how to conduct their own.

“I still think about research and my research projects every day,” he says. “Research here is important. We’re trying to understand the natural world like a researcher anywhere would. But now I use the research experience as a way to teach students.”

Kainz’ students learn what research is as well as whether or not they like it.

“A big part of research is having your experiment not work,” Kainz says. “Then you have to determine whether it didn’t work because you made a mistake or because it was the wrong experiment to do. Something a research scientist has to be able to deal with is lots of failures. If you need a high reward-to-effort ratio, research is probably not for you.”

Kainz enjoys watching his students develop from just trying to learn facts to being able to use the information they have to answer questions and solve problems.

“I like to see students mature intellectually,” he says. “My goal is for my students to transition from thinking like students to thinking like scientists.”

Kainz’ students all have their own projects. While several contribute to the research Kainz is doing himself, many do not.

“We design experiments together, and they carry them out with my help,” Kainz says. “Once we settle on a research

project, it is their project and I’m their adviser. They’re not my ‘little helper.’ I tell my students, ‘The good part of working with me is you get to run your own project.

The bad part of working with me is you get to run your own project.’ They’re expected to contribute and have the responsibility to run their project.”

Kainz says all research, including that of students, contributes to our understanding of the world.

“A lot of students are learning that scientific research is something they can do,” Kainz says. “There is thought involved in it, careful work involved in it, hard work involved in it. But if you’re willing to do that, the reward is that you can understand something no one has understood before. It may be a small thing, but you’ve actually created knowledge.” n

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Winter in Ripon While it may have arrived a bit late this year, winter always finds its way to Ripon and always finds a way to make things interesting for our students and faculty, alike. Several alumni share their fondest memories of winter in Ripon.

Doc Webster’s snowshoes

Amazing first snow The first big snow of the year was always amazing to me. Late fall was always dreary. The snow covered up the dreariness and quieted Ripon down. Winter was amazing in Wisconsin. Coming from coastal Connecticut, I was not used to belowzero temperatures, strong winds and a foot or more of snow from time to time. My friends and I would build a ramp on the hill leading down from Scott Hall to the Quads and take an early version of a snowboard and go down the hill for hours.

Peter Tuz ’76 Charlottesville, Va.

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I remember Doc (Edwin) Webster’s snowshoes by the south pillar at the front door of Lane Library.

Rain, shine or blizzard — ­ class is in session. The snowshoes were about his loyalty to his job and his students. They were his transportation when snow was heavy (two 15-to-20-inch blizzards in February 1959.) His classes were convened in the second floor of Lane Library. The words were unspoken, but if you saw the snowshoes you knew that he was there and waiting for you.

The unspoken phrase was, “I’m here and you had better be here, too.”

That winter we jumped from third-story windows into the snow drifts along the south side of the ASE house, which was at the east end of North Hall. No one was hurt, but the jumper needed to be dug out of the drift. Also, walking from North Hall over the hill past Scott Hall, the snow was so high that handrails along the path were only ankle high.

David Jennings ’60 Wales, Wis.

Serenity in the snow I had a test on the very last day of finals before Christmas in the fall of 1968. By then, it seemed as though almost all of the students had finished finals and left the campus for the holidays. I typically studied at Lane Library, which probably emphasized the fact that it felt like there were only 10 students left on campus — or at least were studying in the library.

I was studying the night before my final until the library closed. In those days, the library closed at 10 p.m. As I left the library, it was clear, cold and dark except for the street lights and the moon shining on the snow. During the past week, it had snowed about a foot and the snow still covered the grounds and the trees. What I recall is how peaceful and quiet it was as I walked back to my fraternity dorm.

Earlier in the day, I had something of a forlorn feeling because “everybody” had already left for the semester. This feeling disappeared in the beauty and serenity of the moment as I walked back by myself to the dorm.

Daniel J. Dykstra Jr. ’69 Rohnert Park, Calif.

Late snack at Greekers One night after studying at the Tri Dorms, I picked up a copy of the Esquire magazine and Truman Capote had published “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”

I finished it all and thought, “That was a wonderful story. Now I’m hungry.” I went for a walk. It was late, the snow was falling very hard, but not blowing, and it was just beautiful. I went to the Greekers, had a hot dog and a beer and thought, “Life is worthwhile.”

I also remember the year the snowdrifts got so high they came up to the third-floor windows and we were jumping out of them into the snowdrifts.

I had withdrawn from the college where I went before and was going to night school in downtown Chicago at Northwestern. My parents had been on me to go back to school. I opened a catalog, and there was a picture of Ripon with a description saying something about the snowbelt. I thought that sounded good. I liked winter. The president at the time was (Frederick) Pinkham. He had a black poodle and used to release him outside, and the dog would run up the hill to upper campus, and he would start his descent down the hill, lose his footing and slide all the way down the hill on the snow.

Gary Cockrell ’61 Glendale, Calif.

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Bone-chilling walks Ah yes, those bracing walks back to the men’s dorms on frosty winter evenings after the library closed at 10 p.m., with eager anticipation of being buffeted by an arctic blast of howling wind, blowing snow and bone-chilling cold (sometimes just a mere windchilled 40° to 50° F below zero). As I reached the top of the hill behind Scott Hall, my mind was screaming, “Whatever possessed you to go to college in Wisconsin?!”

The rule of thumb during winter: If you left the dorm in the morning, breathed in and the moisture crystallized in your nostrils, you could be sure that it was colder than the reference point of -10° F and that you would be numb by the time you reached Pickard Commons. Of course, the sumptuous repasts (not!) that we had at the Commons quickly brought our sluggish limbs back to life.

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12 R I P O N C o l l e g e

On the other hand, if you breathed in and the moisture did not crystallize in your nostrils, you could be pretty sure that it was warmer than -10° F, promising to be a relatively balmy day, with the prospect, if the sun was shining brightly, of using your shades to catch a few afternoon rays on the south-facing “veranda” of the Harwood Memorial Union.

But then, those were the tough old days when we had to walk five miles to school uphill in waist-deep drifts, which I am sure is not the case today. It is amazing how the mind often helps one conjure up such images and illusions.

Edgar Case III ’69 Stafford, Texas For historic winter photos and more, see the College’s searchable photo archive at: ripon.edu/photoarchives

Wintertime hijinks When I think of Ripon in winter, three memories come to mind: • First is navigating the icy walkways to an 8 a.m. class when the thermometer read 4° F, and my just-washed hair solidified by the time I reached Western Civ. — that is, if I was lucky enough to get there.

In those days — the early ’70s — icicles the size of hindquarters hung from Old Memorial Hall and occasionally hurtled down just as you had (mercifully) passed.

• Second is the joy in the air occasioned by the first snowfall. During my freshman year, a massive snowball fight erupted near Pickard Commons. Across the street was a phalanx of students — enough to strain Farr Hall — furiously forming and hurling snowballs. If you were unlucky enough to be exiting from dinner, you were pummeled. All you could do was duck, run … and then, of course, join the pummelers.

• Lastly, I remember sledding in the dark of night down the slopes behind Bovay. With trays pilfered from the Commons, my friends and I would launch ourselves down the hill, banishing any thoughts of the “Hamlet” paper due tomorrow. Perhaps it was a gentler time, as we dutifully returned the trays (“We found these,” we’d say with unconvincing innocence.) and set our thoughts again upon the Prince of Denmark.

Ripon in the winter — Ripon anytime, really — yielded a lifetime of memories for me.

Jerry Cianciolo ’75 Medfield, Mass.

Snow angels bring joy Snow angels on the lawn under the street lights, late at night, during the first snow! Actually, it was a regular occasion whenever there was enough snow on the ground. It reminds you of being a young kid again. Here we are in school and working hard, and you just lay down in the snow and do snow angels.

And when it’s late at night and you look up and see the way the snow is glistening in the streetlights, it’s much more wonderland-ish. It’s a little stress relief. I really could go for a good snow angel right now!

Deb Jensen Lahteine ’93 Plymouth, Mass.

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Ready to be heard SENIOR F I NDS H I S C ALL I NG A S M E M B E R O F F O R E NS I C S TEA M

I

was pretty argumentative throughout my life,” says Jeremy Johnson ’12. “I like to speak. I like my voice to be heard. I like new challenges. I’m a very competitive guy.”

He found his niche in forensics in his Colorado Springs, Colo., high school. “I was second in the state of Colorado in extemporaneous speaking and was one of the most successful of our team ever from that high school,” he says.

A Ripon alumna and teacher at his school, Kolleen Hennigan Johnson ’98, suggested that forensics students there consider Ripon. For Johnson, Ripon offered a small-school setting, “the opportunity for internships, engagement and forensics.”

In Ripon forensics, Johnson has been a state champion in four events and earned second place in two more.

He’s qualified for multiple events at nationals and in his sophomore year was a finalist at the interstate oratorical contest.

But it’s not just the gift of gab that has led to Johnson’s remarkable success.

“It’s hard work,” he says. “It’s dedication, that’s what I really believe. I’ve seen people who came in with fewer natural talents than others, and they succeeded by being hard workers and being dedicated.

“We have interpretation performances, and you have to practice those a lot. You have to have the right content, so you have to edit your content, words and arguments. Once you’ve done that, you have to put hours and hours of work into delivering it well.”

Johnson says he looks for his speech and interpretation topics by reading current news in science, technology, politics and society.

“I find things that are surprising, controversial or problematic,” he says. “Usually, it’s something people would be interested to hear. That’s the goal. I get a lot of comments on how interesting my speeches are. What makes me stand out is that my speeches really make you

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think. They invite the mind to wander and get the gears turning. That’s what I’ve been told by my coaches, other teams’ coaches and judges.”

He also credits Ripon’s good coaching staff – including Deano Pape, Vicki Pape, Jeff Davis and Adam Jacobi – with guiding him through his Ripon forensics career.

“They’ll take you as far as you need to go as long as you work as hard as you can,” he says.

As Johnson is gearing up for his senior season, he says there will be hard work involved, but no nerves.

“I haven’t had nerves since high school,” he says. “The only time I did was when I made it to the (interstate oratory) national final round. Deano and I walked around the parking lot for half an hour to get rid of the nerves. But it was more elation than nerves. I had to get that energy out.

“I’m comfortable speaking in front of people. I have so much experience behind me that even if something doesn’t go as planned, I know I can handle it.”

Another significant outlet for him at Ripon has been the Speakers Bureau, with which he has spoken to the Oshkosh Boys and Girls Club, Ripon Middle School and Fox Lake Correctional Institution.

“It’s different from forensics, but generally the feeling is

the same – that you can make your voice heard,” Johnson says. “In all of those experiences, I’ve found that I could change lives and help people just by speaking.”

He plans to attend graduate school and become a communication professor and forensics coach.

“Working with Jeremy has been absolutely terrific,” says Pape, director of forensics and assistant professor of communication. “He has incredible dedication to the activity and an outstanding work ethic. I also have had Jeremy in multiple classes and have seen his intellectual and academic growth as well as his skill growth in forensics. He will become a remarkably talented professor and coach someday, and I’m proud to have helped him along the way.”

Johnson adds, “Forensics has always given me an outlet to express my creativity and to drive me forward, not just in forensics but academically. When I joined forensics in high school, my grades shot up. It’s also built tons of friendships. I think it’s one of the most rewarding things you can do because it empowers you to use your voice and change the world around you.” n

RED HA W K S 4N6 EXP E R I E NC I NG A R E NA I S S A NC E The Ripon College forensics team was started in 1913

by Professor of Speech E.R. Nichols with the founding of the national speech and debate honorary society Pi Kappa Delta. The team performs at the highest levels of collegiate forensics and competes at the district and national tournaments of the American Forensic Association (AFA), in addition to other regional and national invitational tournaments.

The team travels across the country and co-hosts a college tournament, the Red Hawks Invitational, in midFebruary with the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Students compete in a variety of individual events, typically in oral interpretation, limited preparation and public address.

The Red Hawks wrapped up the fall semester with stellar performances across the board. As of January, the team has qualified 10 events to the AFA-NIET National Tournament. Ripon has a total of 47 qualifying

legs, already ensuring great representation at this year’s nationals, held in April at Moraine Valley Community College in Illinois.

As a team, Ripon captured first place in the team sweepstakes at the University of Wisconsin-Stout tournament in December. Senior Jeremy Johnson also secured four firsts and a third — first in communication analysis; first in persuasion; first in extemporaneous; first in individual sweepstakes; and third in after-dinner.

Junior Bill Heinze took first in after-dinner and was a finalist in impromptu. Senior Breena Brockmann scored three second-place finishes, and junior Jessie Lillis scored a third place.

For a complete listing of results from this and other recent tournaments, see the website at: ripon.edu/forensics

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SPORTS

2012

THE KICK IS UP

GAHART MAKES WAY TO TOP OF RECORD BOOK KICKING & DREAMING

S

ome Division III football teams use their kicker as a last resort.

For Ripon, however, junior kicker Jacob Gahart has been an integral and dangerous weapon.

Gahart has left his mark on the Red Hawks football program. With one year still to play, the Elkhorn, Wis., native has made 31 career field goals, topping the previous mark of 25. To add to his worth, in December, Gahart was named one of 10 finalists for the 2011 Fred Mitchell Award.

“I don’t think about the records too much, but it will be a nice accomplishment to look back on,” Gahart says.

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16 R I R P IOPNOCNo lCl oe gl lee g e

Gahart entered this year with the most single-season field goals in school history, kicking nine as a freshman. In the 2011 season, he converted 15 of his 16 attempts, including 11 in a row.

“Last year, I started out well, also, but missed some kicks later in the season,” Gahart says. “This season, I tried to stay consistent for the entire year.”

Gahart has been on the national radar for two years now, being named to the watch list for the Fred Mitchell Award in both seasons.

He was one of 40 placekickers from all NCAA and NAIA divisions nominated for the award, given

to the kicker who best displays excellence on the field and in the community. Gahart was recognized by the award’s committee as one of 36 outstanding kickers in the months of September and October.

“It’s a great honor to be nominated.

All the players who are up for the award are great kickers, and they all do a lot in their communities, so it’s awesome to be in their company,” says Gahart.

Gahart has been recognized by the Beyond Sports College Network (BSN) with a selection to their NCAA Division-III All-American First Team. He also has been recognized by the Midwest Conference as a three-time All-Conference selection, including the last two as a firstteamer, Gahart has earned MWC Special Teams Performer of the Week honors eight times, including five during the 10-week 2011 season.

With a cumulative GPA of 3.41, he’s been named Academic AllConference and has made Ripon’s

Dean’s List multiple times.

“Jacob’s the best kicker in our conference and is one of the hardestworking players I’ve ever been around,” says Head Football Coach Ron Ernst. “He takes his craft very seriously, and he’s a true team player who is cool under pressure.”

For Gahart, no kick is too long. He has made five kicks from 43 yards or longer, all of which rank among the 10 longest in school history. In Ripon’s final game this season, Gahart broke the school record for longest field goal with a 54-yarder. It is the second-longest kick in MWC history and was one of three field goals in that game, which ties another school record for most in a single game.

“Not every coach puts his full confidence in a player like our coaching staff has done for me.

Knowing they have that confidence makes me even more confident that I can make every kick,” Gahart says.

Gahart treats every kick the same.

In his world, a 50-yard field goal is the same length as an extra point.

“Kicking is a little different than other positions,” Gahart says. “Some players get a little more jacked up for big games or moments, but I’m going to have the same focus on every field goal and make the kicks that I’m expected to make.”

2011

Fall Sports Highlights n

consecutive Midwest Collegiate Cycling Conference (MWCCC) Division 2 championship. Junior ERIC SMITH and senior RENEE DEBRUIN claimed conference titles in the individual omnium. They were among five riders who qualified for the National Championships where Smith finished fourth in the individual omnium and freshman BEN SENKERIK finished third in the cross country race. The Red Hawks took eighth place among Division 2 schools, their best showing in three Nationals appearances. n

WOMEN’S GOLF: Ripon finished third at the MWC Championships.

Sophomore KRISTIN CHRAMOWICZ held a team-best average of 93.2 strokes per round with three top-10 finishes to her credit. As a team, Ripon held the fourth lowest scoring average in the MWC with 374.6 in eight rounds.

n

CROSS COUNTRY: Both men and women finished seventh at the MWC Championships held in Ripon’s Ceresco Prairie Conservancy. All-Conference performers were AJ THEW, CORY ZIMMERMAN and MICHELLE MATTER (who broke a school 6K record at 22:09).

All three, plus GRACE WINTER, earned All-State, First-Team honors at the Wisconsin Private College Championships, where the women finished third and the men finished fifth.

n

FOOTBALL: The Red Hawks notched their 17th consecutive winning season (6-4) and featured one of the best rushing attacks in the country, leading the MWC with 3,370 rushing yards (fourth in Division III and the second-highest total in school history). Four players were named All-Conference: senior offensive lineman KYLE SRNKA, junior kicker JACOB GAHART, senior fullback T.J. PIERCE and senior defensive lineman MATT SWITZLER. Senior quarterback MATT MILLER broke the career rushing touchdown mark with 41.

n

MEN’S SOCCER: Junior mid-fielder ALVARO CALLE and senior defender KYLE WOLFF were named All-Conference.

n

WOMEN’S SOCCER: Freshman forward BRANDI PELTIER was named AllConference. Peltier scored 25 goals, second in the MWC and a new school record for most in a season. Peltier also shattered school single-season marks for points (56) and hat tricks (3).

n

VOLLEYBALL: All-Conference selection KARLYE WEHNER led the team in kills with 244 (2.65 kps). Senior ANDREA ZAK led the team with 425 assists, despite playing in just 15 of the team’s 28 matches due to injury. Zak finished ninth in school history with 868 career assists. Junior LISA AGUILAR moved into seventh on the all-time digs list with 1,067 in her career.

n

By Mike Westemeier Sports Information Director n

Ripon Extra: ripon.edu/gahart

CYCLING: Ripon won its third

WOMEN’S TENNIS: Sophomore ELIZABETH AKE led the Red Hawks with a 9-5 record in singles play, competing mainly at the fifth flight. Ake also advanced further than any Ripon player at the MWC Championships, winning her fifth flight quarterfinal match 6-1, 6-2, before losing in the semifinals.

W IWNITNETRE 2R0 21 02 1 2

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Notes

THE 1940s

THE 1950s

THE REV. DONALD A. WILLIAMS ’42 of Concord, Mass., writes: “Family gave me a birthday bash (90 years) in June — more than 100 were present for buffet, music, etc. Still in chapel choir and in good health.”

RONALD G. ALBURY ’51 of Medford, N.J., writes: “Retired from parish ministry, but still work on Sunday mornings doing ‘supply work’ in a variety of churches.”

THE REV. DONALD P. BUTEYN ’46 of Holland, Mich., married Suzanne T. Rich, Nov. 6, 2010.

GRETCHEN WIDELL PODHORA ’48 of Phillips, Wis., is retired after 39 years as the bloodmobile coordinator for Price County; and as a teacher in Boscobel and Phillips, Wis. ROBERT J. BEDNAREK ’49 of Truro, Mass., writes: “Attending worship services at First Congregational Parish in Truro, Mass. Parish was founded in 1709.

Present building erected 1827, still has bell cast by Paul Revere, Boston.”

JOHN J. KOCH ’52 of Plymouth, Mass., writes: “Enjoying living in southern Massachusetts with my daughter and son-in-law. Raquel and I still remember visiting Ripon.”

WALTER S. HOFMAN ’54 of Glenview, Ill., is in his 52nd year of practicing dentistry and still works two days a week. He also is an emeritus member of the Academy of General Dentistry, having been a member for 52 years.

CAROLYN CALLAHAN LANDWEHR ’55 of Glendale, Wis., writes: “Jim ’56, our oldest daughter, Cathy, and I have had the honor of being inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame of our local high school

(Nicolet High School) for our many hours of volunteer hours -- which we continue to do. The majority of hours have been working with the swim team.”

PETER BARKLEY ’56, who died in 1999, was elected to the Waupun (Wis.) High School Hall of FameAthletics in December 2011. He won the American Legion Medal for Outstanding Athlete in the Senior Class of 1952 and was named captain of both the football and basketball teams. In 1950, Peter was the Wisconsin Little Ten’s leading scorer in football. He performed in football, basketball, baseball and track. Peter attended Ripon on a football scholarship, played four years of football and three years of baseball.

SUSAN RICHARDSON HOOKER ’58 of Danville, Ill., writes: “In January 2011, we left in a RV with three bichon frieses the day before everyone was snowed in.

Went to Florida for four weeks to visit son and then to Phoenix to visit our daughter for five weeks.” She will leave in February to return to Florida for the winter.

Matthes relishes life’s experiences near and far Cross another item off the bucket list!

Susan Keller Matthes ’63 of Carson City, Nev., loves traveling. For a yearand-a-half after Ripon, she traveled on her own through the Germanspeaking countries in Europe. She brought back a husband — Juergen — from Germany. And together they have visited sites across the country and across the globe.

“However, as I approached my 70th birthday, one thing still was missing from my list — looking a whale in the eye, up close and personal,” Matthes says. “That dream came true during a Baja cruise in the spring of 2011. Wow! What an experience. In San Ignacio Lagoon, in a small ponga boat with seven others from the expedition, we couldn’t have gotten closer. You could reach out and touch the whale, especially the baby, with mama nearby watching.

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18 R I R P IOPNOCNo lCl oe gl lee g e

“We also saw blue whales and pilot whales in the Sea of Cortez. Truly the experience of a lifetime. I’ll have to look at my list and see what still remains, but this was definitely a 10.”

Matthes knew early on that she wanted to see the world, and she didn’t want to wait. “People plan and dream about it and never get around to it,” she says. “You have to do it

when you can. At some point down the road, there comes a time when you just aren’t able.”

She says one reason for her interest in travel and nature was the similar interests and enthusiasm of thenProfessor of Biology Robert B. Willey.

For the full story, see the website at: ripon.edu/matthes

DAVID MIRISCH ’59 of Missoula, Mont., and his wife, Sandy, recently escorted Oscar, Emmy, Tony and Golden Globes award winner Julie Andrews to the Gig Harbor, Wash., Film Festival. Andrews was there to accept an award in honor of her late husband, director Blake Edwards. David’s family produced a number of films that Edwards directed, including “The Pink Panther” and “Shot in the Dark.” David recently moved to Missoula to be with his daughter and two youngest grandchildren after living in Los Angeles and San Diego for the past 50 years. He still is producing fund-raising events and can be reached at david@dmirisch.com

THE 1960s RAY LAUB ’60 of Travelers Rest, S.C., is retired. After 40 years owning Laub Group Inc., a major insurance broker in Milwaukee, Laub established a real estate development company for luxury homes in Greenville, S.C. The protracted slowdown of market activity for this type of product led to his second retirement in 2011. He now spends time “landscaping, praying and attempting to stay fit with sports activity in the Blue Ridge Mountains.”

DONNA SEVERANCE LESKER ’60 of Park Ridge, Ill., writes: “Moved into condo in downtown Park Ridge.

My husband, Bob, died after a long illness. I was in the hospital and rehab for five months. I’m back into some golf and bridge.”

SUSAN K. HANSEN ’62 of Lake Forest, Calif., is a semiretired consultant to two startup medical firms dealing with artificial kidneys.

CHERYL ROFER ’63 of Santa Fe, N.M., is chief executive officer at Nuclear Diner, www.nucleardiner.com.

She also is a trustee of Ripon College and was on hand to cheer for the Red Hawks cyclists at collegiate mountain bike nationals at Angel Fire in October.

KAREN GOETTER DRULINER ’64 of Newark, Del., has retired after 15 years as managing editor of the University of Delaware Press.

DAVE HARTMAN ’64 and his wife, Kitty, of New Providence, N.J., were honored by the Association of Fundraising Professionals - New Jersey Chapter with the Outstanding Philanthropist Award for organizations that raise more than $1,000,000 per year. Dave is chair of the Overlook Hospital Foundation’s Centennial Campaign which has raised more than $100 million over the past five years, and Kitty serves on the board of directors of SAGE in Summit, a nonprofit organization for seniors.

PAMELA WILSON ’65 of Minneapolis, Minn., writes that her eldest granddaughter, Lauren Ott, is in her junior year at Ripon. Pam is retired.

STEVEN ADOLPHSON ’66 of West Newbury, Mass., writes: “Retired Jan. 1 after a 29-year sales career with radio station WXRV, The River. Having more time for family, friends, golf, and researching and writing the stories of Cold Water Canyon Golf Course and the 104th Illinois of Civil War fame.”

LYNN BENSON SCHENCK ’72 of Saint Louis, Mo., executive vice president and director of leasing and sales for Jones Lang LaSalle of St. Louis, has been named to the Real Estate Industry Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

GARY YERKEY ’66 of Washington, D.C., has published a book, “Still Time to Live: A Biography of Jack Belden.” The book chronicles the life of a great American war correspondent. Gary met Belden in Belden’s later years, after a remarkable journalistic career and life that included reporting from China, Burma, North Africa and Western Europe in the 1930s and 1940s for TIME-LIFE and other news outlets. He also wrote three books: “China Shakes the World,” “Retreat With Stilwell” and “Still Time to Die.” The book was published Sept. 18, 2011, by GK Press. It is available on the Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites.

ANN GIESECKE BARBOUR ’68 of Erie, Colo., writes of herself and her husband, JAMES J. BARBOUR II ’68: “We have retired, for the most part.

Jim is concentrating on his art photography — very creative. We are traveling; went to China in March and will go to New Zealand in October.”

PATRICIA D. NEVERS ’68 of Hamburg, Germany, retired Oct.1, 2010, from her position in biology education at the University of Hamburg.

THE 1970s HENRY KNUEPPEL ’70 and SUE THOMSON KNUEPPEL ’70 of Beloit, Wis., have celebrated Henry’s retirement after 32 years at Regal-Beloit Corp. He had worked there for 32 years, the last six as CEO. DORETTA MILLER ’70 of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., is completing her 30th year as a professor at Skidmore College, Department of Studio Art. BOB THOMPSON ’71 of Hoover, Ala., is the executive director of the nonprofit Institute for Preventative Foot Health. He makes presentations about preventive foot health at national meetings of medical and allied health professional organizations all over the country about 10 times a year.

He and PEGGY WITTENBERG THOMPSON ’70 have been married for 40 years. When they moved to Hoover 16 years ago, he says, “Would you believe that three other Ripon alumni were already here in this very same subdivision ahead of us? One of them was even Peggy’s first-semester college roommate at Ripon, PAM PEPPLER NICKOLI ’71 (who also married her Ripon College sweetheart, GREGG NICKOLI ’71)!

The other was DR. PETER EMANUEL ’81, who moved away to Little Rock, Ark., several years ago.”

PHILLIP BOLDA ’75 of Tempe, Ariz., is the director of development at California State University-San Bernardino.

BARBARA COLEOPY PORTER ’75 of Queretaro, Mexico, married John Porter, March 19, 2011. She retired from teaching special education in June.

LISA MANTHEY EHR ’76 of Eau Claire, Wis., is an options counselor in the Aging and Disability Resource Center of Eau Claire County.

JENNIFER VOGEL POWERS ’76 of Hartland, Wis., has been selected by her peers for inclusion in “The Best Lawyers in America 2012.” Jennifer works in public finance law in the Milwaukee office of Quarles & Brady.

PETER W. TUZ ’76 of Charlottesville, Va., is president of Chase Investment Counsel Corp. The investment firm has the top “mid-cap” mutual fund in America. Chase Mid Cap Growth (CHAMX) grew 14.4 percent last year, making it the best performer of about 400 such funds.

JOHN C. COLWELL ’77 of San Diego, Calif., a lawyer, has been certified as a specialist in bankruptcy by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization.

LAIRD S. DE CRAMER ’77 of Princeton, Wis., writes: “While I left Ripon after my sophomore year to pursue a degree at Michigan State University, I returned to the area and have enjoyed all that Ripon College brings to the community. I also married a Ripon College alumna (LINDA GLAUBITZ DECRAMER ’89), and we have two wonderful children, as well. Ripon was, is and will be an integral part of our lives.”

JULIE LASEE GRIDLEY ’77 of Pulaski, Wis., retired Sept. 30, 2011, as an accountant with Integrys. “I haven’t done any major traveling yet, but hope to in the near future,” Julie says. “I have continued working in a firstgrade classroom as a volunteer with Junior Achievement.

I am the treasurer for my church. I also perform with a couple of community bands. Just making the most of every day.”

KELAN “KELLY” McCANN ’77 of Elroy, Wis., retired in the spring of 2011 after teaching high school English for 33 years in the New Lisbon schools. In retirement, he says, he is doing “anything I want.”

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Notes

MICHAEL POULOS ’77 of Evanston, Ill., conducted the Chicago Bar Association Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in a holiday concert at Chicago’s Harold Washington Library Dec. 5, 2011. The concert began with his own symphonic piece, “Fanfare for a Winter Day.” Michael’s wife, SUZANNE MONROE POULOS ’75, appeared as soloist on the celeste playing “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” from Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite.”

JANE STURTEVANT ’77 of Salt Lake City, Utah, writes: “Love the freedom of retirement.”

country (our three-woman team won the gold medal for USA). I also ran the 10k on the track at Worlds and took fifth. I continue to race locally in cross country in a very competitive field of world-class athletes. I still tutor chemistry and biology and am loving it.”

THE 1980s MARK SCHILLEMAN ’80 of Grass Valley, Calif., manages an Oriental rug shop and “otherwise enjoys the beautiful California north woods. We get winter here, but not as severe as Wisconsin.”

BARBARA DOERRER-PEACOCK ’78 of Tempe, Ariz., is a pastor at Velda Rose United Methodist Church in Mesa, Ariz.

ELIZABETH LIVINGSTON JAEGER ’79 of San Rafael, Calif., is a graduate student at the University of California-Berkeley. She plans to receive her doctorate in language, literacy, society and culture in May 2012.

JOANNIE SIEGLER ’79 of Davis, Calif., writes: “I reentered the world of competitive running. I competed in the World Master’s Athletic Championship in July 2011 and took second place for 50- to 54-year-olds in cross

SIOBHAN CHAMP-BLACKWELL ’82 of Rockville, Md., is a senior consultant with Aquilent Inc. of Laurel, Md., located onsite at the National Library of Medicine’s Disaster Information Management Research Center in Bethesda, Md. LINDA JENSEN HALL ’82 of Cedar Falls, Iowa, along with her Shetland sheepdog, Mac, won second place in the novice category for the dog agility trial in Des Moines, Sept. 24, 2011.

LARRY HUEBNER ’83 of Owens Cross Roads, Ala., says that because of the formal cancellation of NASA’s Constellation Program, he now is working in the space technology development at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. MARTIN BIESEL of Germany, a teacher and student at Ripon in 1985-86, has been appointed as the new director for International Traffic Rights and the Board’s Political Representative at airberlin. He previously was the Secretary of State at the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

JANET DETATO IERARDI ’86 of Topsfield, Mass., teaches maternal-child health nursing at Lawrence Memorial/Regis College and also is pursuing a doctorate in nursing.

ELIZABETH “BETSY” MEYERS KNIGHT ’87 of San Diego, Calif., is the mental health program manager for San Diego County.

GEORGE J. ZORNADA ’87 of Acton, Mass., is a partner with K&L Gates LLP, representing investment companies, investment advisers and hedge funds.

A private barn raising

W

hile a barn raising traditionally has been a community event in American history, a modern one has been a personal labor of love for Dan Sherman ’76 and Joanne “Jody” Long Sherman ’76 of Wakefield, Mass.

The old barn has been newly reconstructed in central Maine as a vacation home and weekend retreat for the Shermans. It is located on the Kennebec River, perfect for “lazy floats down the river” as well as fishing and golfing during the summer and skiing and snowmobiling during the winter, Dan Sherman says.

The idea for constructing a home on the property from an old barn started with Jody, Dan says.

“I like to say it’s all her fault,” he says. “When we bought the property, I asked what she wanted to put on it, and she said a barn.”

In 2006, Sherman found an old post-and-beam barn for sale on eBay. Sherman is a woodworker, and this project took his hobby to a whole new level by converting the 200-year-old barn into a year-round home.

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The barn was a challenge on many levels, he says.

While the majority of the work was contracted out, Sherman saved the interior for himself.

By Lori Schroeder ’13, Mounds View, Minn.

For the full story, see the website at: ripon.edu/sherman

DEVON CAMPBELL ’88 and DIONNE GREENE CAMPBELL ’91 of Arlington, Mass., have a second son, Dakarae Neville Dacosta Campbell, born Aug. 8, 2010.

STEPHEN L. GOFFAR ’89 graduated from the U.S. Army War College in July 2011. He is a lieutenant colonel and works as chief of physical therapy for U.S. Army Europe.

THE 1990s REDOUAN EL-YOUNSI ’90 of Tetouan, Mexico, has been appointed secretary general for the Chamber of Commerce. He recently met with the American ambassador to Morocco.

JESSICA THOMAS HANNES ’90 of Kenosha, Wis., is director of customer retention at Assurant Health of Milwaukee.

DANIEL TRAMPF ’90 of Sun Prairie, Wis., is the owner/president of Trampf Consulting Industrial Sports Medicine and Ergonomics.

ERIKA DAVISON-AVILES EVENSEN ’91 of Neenah, Wis., is the vice president of Healthcare Product Portfolio at WageWorks (www. wageworks.com)

WILLARD J. STEINBERG ’91 of Minneapolis, Minn., is taking hip hop dance classes at Zenon Dance School in Minneapolis.

DIRK TISCHER ’91 of Mooresville, N.C., works for Ingersoll Rand Co., a global manufacturer of commercial products, as assistant general counsel, Business and Commercial Processes.

JEFFREY WINGE ’91 married Kristin Gray, Oct. 20, 2006. They live in Golden, Colo., and have a daughter, Lilah Gray Winge, born Oct. 13, 2010. Jeffrey is the financial operations manager at Development Alternatives Inc. AMIE A. DOUGHTY ’92 of Oneonta, N.Y., has been awarded tenure and promoted to associate professor at SUNY Oneonta.

STACEY SPAULDING JONES ’92 and her husband, Christopher, of Green Bay, Wis., have a daughter, Alexa Noelle Jones, born Dec. 11, 2010.

KENNETH LARSEN ’92 and JODI PIOTROWSKI LARSEN ’94 of Waunakee, Wis., have a son, Braxton Pike McKenzie Larsen, born April 21, 2011.

DALE KONSTANZ ’90 of Bangkok, Thailand, has released a book “Thai Taxi Talismans: Bangkok from the Passenger Seat,” published

by River Books in Bangkok. The book focuses on the sacred decorations inside Bangkok taxis and includes 261 photographs taken in the cabs over a four-year period and text gleaned from research about Thai religion and culture, as well as conversations with Bangkok cabbies. It is available at www.amazon.com. Dale teaches in the Fine and Applied Arts Division at Mahidol University International College.

JULIE TILLEMA HERNANDEZ ’93 of Roscoe, Ill., was named the 2011 Faculty of the Year at Rock Valley College in Rockford, Ill. She is an associate professor of psychology at the college.

JEFF W. KRALOVEC ’94 of Milwaukee, Wis., is a senior wealth adviser at Next Generation Wealth Management Inc. SHELLY SCHAEFER ’95 of Brownsville, Wis., is a retirement plan consultant for SageView Advisory Group in Milwaukee.

DARELL HAMMOND ’96 of Washington, D.C., founder and CEO of KaBOOM!, has been recognized by Forbes Magazine as one of the top 30 social entrepreneurs in the world. The people on the list use business to solve the world’s most pressing social problems. Hammond has built a movement to save play for children and provide safe places for them to play.

JENNIFER POSTERICK ’96 of Anoka, Minn., owns Intent Bodywork, offering Thai yoga bodywork services, private and group yoga instruction, and body work instruction.

EDWARD STEWART ’96 and his wife, Lisa, of Traverse City, Mich., have a daughter, Willa Maryann Stewart, born June 18, 2011.

CHAD HENDEE ’97 of Baraboo, Wis., was appointed

by Gov. Scott Walker as Marquette County’s district attorney. He previously had served as Sauk County assistant district attorney.

DAVE HENRY ’98 of Tampa, Fla., is director of admissions at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

SHANNON MC KINNEY-FREEMAN ’98 of Germantown, Tenn., participated in a National Public Radio talk show in September 2011. She was a contestant on NPR’s show “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me” and played the “Bluff the Listener Game.”

BILLIE SANDBERG ’98 of Denver, Colo., teaches public service theory, organizational management, and leadership and ethics at the School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado-Denver.

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Notes

TRACY L. CAPES ’99 of Milwaukee, Wis., finished an OB/Gyn residency at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, then a female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery fellowship at Mount Sinai Medical Center, both in New York City. She now is a urogynecologist at Aurora Women’s Pavilion in Milwaukee.

AUTUMN HAYES ’99, who serves in the U.S. Army overseas, married Kendal O’Leary, Oct. 21, 2008, in Vicenza, Italy. See a story featuring Autumn and other Ripon alumni lawyers starting on page 4.

NICOLE PACKARD LANGENFELD ’99 and her husband, Timothy, of Eldorado, Wis., have a daughter, Emmersyn Lynn Langenfeld, born Jan. 20, 2011.

AMY LETCHER ’99 of Palatine, Ill., teaches German at Barrington High School in Barrington, Ill. SARAH JOHNSTON YATCHAK ’99 of Stillwater, Minn., is now a senior attorney with Buffalo Wild Wings in Minneapolis. She previously had been a lawyer with Faegre and Beuson for several years. She and her husband, Patrick, have a 3-year-old daughter, Gillian.

THE 2000s DMITRI SMIRENSKI ’00 and MARINA ANTIPOVA SMIRENSKI ’00 of Burlington, Ky., have a daughter, Julie Irina Smirenski, born Feb. 3, 2011. Marina now is a full-time wife and mother, and Dmitri continues flying as a captain at Compass Airlines.

ELLEN SORENSEN ’00 of Marinette, Wis., is now the county administrator for Marinette County.

DEREK BLACKMORE ’01 and NICOLE BAUMANN-BLACKMORE ’01 of Verona, Wis., have a daughter, Alice Dianne Blackmore, born Nov. 4, 2011.

SARAH NEUMEYER ’01 of Seattle, Wash., is a marine biologist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

JEFF BOUZEK ’02 of La Crosse, Wis., married Heidi Dohlman, April 30, 2011. Jeff graduated with a master’s of business administration degree from Viterbo University in May 2010.

ZACH MORRIS ’02 of Honolulu, Hawaii, graduated from Harvard University in May 2011 with his medical doctor degree. He now is doing a one-year internship in internal medicine at the University of Hawaii. He then plans to move to Madison, Wis., in July to complete a residency in radiation oncology.

JULIE KACMARCIK RINKA ’02 and her husband, Joseph, of Whitefish Bay, Wis., have a son, Andrew Robert Rinka, born Dec. 26, 2010. Julie is a pharmacist for Walgreens.

LEO TREYSMAN ’02 of Oak Park, Ill., married Anne Brusius, Sept. 5, 2010. He is an emergency room physician with Infinity Healthcare in Kenosha, Wis.

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Glenn stitches love into her creations For Deborah Clark Glenn ’80, of Aiken, S.C., sewing is a continuum of threads that binds the generations of her family together “There’s a joy in it,” she says. “I’ve been sewing all my life. My mother sewed, my grandmother sewed, my great-grandmother sewed.”

The family discovered only many years later that her great-grandmother, Scholastica Joechem, was the creative force behind “The Industrious Needle Woman” column for the Milwaukee Sentinel newspaper from 1818 to 1846. Joechem had left behind a box with more than 300 pages of these articles, along with pattern pieces and notes to the editor.

Glenn now writes her own column for Sew Beautiful magazine. She teaches two four-day workshops called “Making Machine Magic” each year in Aiken, and students this year came from as far away as the United Kingdom, Denmark and New Zealand. Her business, Love and Stitches, specializes in finer children’s clothing.

“I’m creating heirloom pieces – Christmas clothes, Easter clothes, birthday clothes, christening gowns – not play clothes,” Glenn says.

“You’re making a memory. You’re making something that’s longer-lasting than ready-made clothes and special to the person. I always sent my children off to school wrapped in love and stitches.”

She also has created several innovative sewing techniques, such as using fusible thread to attach lace, saving the time that hand-basting or pinning the lace in place normally takes.

“I take my science mind-set fostered by Ripon and think, ‘Is there a faster, easier, different way we could do something that could save people time?’ ” she says.

She also teaches at the Debbie Glenn School at the School of Art Fashion in Huntsville, Ala.; and at the Smocking Arts Guild’s national convention. Her book, Victorian Treasures: Nostalgic Needlework by Machine, uses many of her great-grandmother’s designs.

A special experience was teaching girls in a Mozambique orphanage to sew during a three-week trip with her daughter, a missionary nurse.

“It all keeps me in and out of trouble, as I tell my husband,” Glenn says. “It’s nice to be able to do what you love.” n

BRYAN GERRETSEN ’03 and AMY GABRIEL GERRETSEN ’04 of Fond du Lac, Wis., have a daughter, Piper Lee Gerretsen, born Nov. 22, 2011.

APRIL MARLEWSKI-HUDZINSKI ’03 of Windsor, Wis., owns Ski’s Saloon in Sun Prairie and The Big Blue Boogie Machine based in Oxford.

AMANDA LUTTENBRGER RIESENBERG ’03 of De Pere, Wis., is a fitness specialist at Oneida Family Fitness Center in Green Bay. ELIZABETH ZIRK ’03 of Berkeley, Calif., writes: “Traveling to Thailand for the second time feels amazing.

Even with the flooding, the Thai people are warm and resilient. It’s a beautiful country.”

SARA MATZDORF DASSOW ’04 of Racine, Wis., is a program manager with BMO Harris Bank, part of the BMO Financial Group. Her position is specifically within the recruitment strategy, operations, recruitment and intake division.

AMANDA VAN STIPPEN LATHROP ’04 and her husband, Scott, of Green Bay, Wis., have a son, Trevon Scott Lathrop, born Oct. 4, 2009. Amanda is a human resources generalist with the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin.

LAUREN MARSHALL ’04 of Middleton, Wis., is a physician assistant in the Hospitalist Department at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison.

KRISTEN MC CULLOUGH ’04 of Chicago, Ill., is a therapist at Children’s Home + Aid in Chicago.

JASON NUTTALL ’04 and KATHERINE “KATIE” MEAD ’11 were married May 28, 2011. They live in Mauston, Wis. Jason is a licensed athletic trainer and Katie is a public relations assistant, both at Miles Bluff Medical Center.

KATHERINE PETERSEN ’04 of Fitchburg, Wis., married Luke Kingree, July 16, 2011. They were married by former President David Joyce in Green Lake, and the reception was held in Ripon.

PAULA RICHARDSON ’04 of Oshkosh, Wis., married Benjamin Tompkins, April 2, 2011. Paula teaches kindergarten and first grade in the Wautoma School District and graduated in 2011 with a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

MICHAEL TIMM ’04 of Cudahy, Wis., wrote and directed “Who Killed the Ghost of Christmas Past?”, presented in December at Alchemist Theatre. The interactive murder mystery featured a ramshackle excircus troupe who revise Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” with unintended hilarity.

JUANITA BAATZ GUTBROD ’05 and her husband, Shane, of Milwaukee, Wis., visited 12 national parks in 10 states within 16 days last summer. They went from South Dakota to New Mexico.

MICHAEL HATFIELD ’05 and TERI SOLARZ HARFIELD ’05 of Montgomery, Ill., have a daughter, Alexa Grace “Lexi” Hatfield, born April 2, 2011.

DAN HOFFMAN ’05 and MAEGAN COX ’06 of Pecatonica, Ill., were married June 28, 2008. They have a daughter, Hailey Ann Hoffman, born May 13. 2010. Maegen is pursuing a master’s degree in reading and literacy from Benedictine University in Lisle, Ill., and will graduate in the spring of 2012. Dan works in law enforcement.

PAUL NEUBERGER ’05 of Menomonee Falls, Wis., who has been a major gifts officer for Ripon College, now is vice president for Advancement at Marian University in Fond du Lac, Wis. Paul married Tanya Gurgul, June 25, 2011.

AMANDA ZAHN PRZYBYL ’05 and her husband, Eric, of Ripon, Wis., have a son, Edward James Przybyl, born Oct. 30, 2011.

STEPHANIE CHACHARON ’06 of Seattle, Wash., graduated in December 2011 from Utah State University with a master’s degree in English, with an emphasis in technical writing. She is a marketing communication specialist for Ubermind Inc. NEKIA MENA GOYERT ’06 and KEVIN GOYERT ’07 of Milwaukee, Wis., have a son, Kenneth Hasan Goyert, born Sept. 1, 2011.

JASON NEVINS ’06 and ALLISON FINSETH ’07 of Monona, Wis., were married Jan. 8, 2011, at Ripon College. Allison works for Half Price Books in Madison, Wis. Jason is completing his master’s degree in anthropology through New Mexico State University.

WILLIAM E. ABBS ’07 of Philadelphia, Pa., works for the City of Philadelphia, performing legislative and municipal law work for City Councilman Frank Rizzo.

He plans to transition to a private law firm.

MIKE BOHN ’07 of Williams Bay, Wis., graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School in 2010 and now is an associate with Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek in Milwaukee.

SAMANTHA FASBENDER ’07 and Seth Lee of Billings, Mont., were married Sept. 3, 2011.

ROBERT FAULDS ’07 and STEPHANIE SOMMER ’08 of Cottage Grove, Wis., were married Sept. 10, 2011. Stephanie is an operations manager for the Walgreens distribution center in Windsor, Wis. ANDREA FURDEK ’07 and JON LARSEN ’09 of Sun Prairie, Wis., were married June 25, 2011. Andrea attended Marquette University School of Dentistry and graduated with honors in the spring of 2011. She now is practicing dentistry at Barrette Dental in Beaver Dam, Wis. Jon is a sales manager at TotalMed Staffing and recently opened a branch in Madison.

JASON JAHN ’07 and HANNAH EMANUEL ’09 of Milwaukee were married July 22, 2011. Jason is a software developer at Signicast Corp., and Hannah is a third-year law student at Marquette University Law School.

PATRICK KERSTEIN ’07 of Madison, Wis., is a graduate student in the neuroscience training program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

REBECCA MALINOWSKI ’07 of Oak Park, Ill., is a reference librarian at the Oak Park Public Library.

ERIC MILLER ’07 and MELISSA MAURER ’08 of South Saint Paul, Minn., were married Sept. 17, 2011. The maid of honor was TIFFANY PALM ’08, and the best man was KENNETH LEIVISKA ’08. Eric is employed in management with Hertz. Melissa works in research and new product development with Illume.

DOUGLAS NEHM ’07 of Washington D.C., graduated from George Washington University in 2011 with a juris doctorate and master’s of business administration degree.

He works for Piedmont Fund Services, a hedge fund administrator in Virginia.

ROSS OBERSCHLAKE ’07 of Chicago graduated from dental school at Marquette University in May 2011 and now works as a dentist in downtown Chicago. He married Maggie Seweryniak, Aug. 20, 2011.

KAREN HANADEL ’08 of Gilbert, Ariz., graduated with a doctorate in physical therapy in May 2011 from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. She now practices in Gilbert, Ariz.

LEAH HOVER-PREISS ’08 and her husband, Zach Preiss, of Wisconsin Dells, Wis., have a son, Aiden Anton Preiss, born Dec. 5, 2011.

MEGAN KRUEGER ’08 of Mount Calvary, Wis., married David Ketter, March 5, 2011.

Megan is studying for her master’s degree in social work at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh/UW-Green Bay. JOHN MC GUIRE ’08 and JORDAN LANDER ’09 Naperville, Ill., were married Nov. 11, 2011, in La Crosse, Wis. At the beginning of 2012, they will move to Georgia to commence John’s four-year military commitment as a first lieutenant in the Armor division. Jordan will keep her job in marketing at Medix Staffing Solutions and will work remotely while John is in the military (thanks to the generosity of her CEO/boss, ANDREW LIMOURIS ’94).

LESLIE MERRILL REINKE ’08 of Sun Prairie, Wis., teaches preschool in a 4K classroom in Madison with the Dane County Parent Council-Head Start.

KARA WAGNER ’08 of West Bend, Wis., married Corey Petzold, June 17, 2011. The best man was Sam Schroeder, Ripon’s soccer coach. Kara teaches biology, chemistry and anatomy at West Bend West High School.

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Notes KATHERINE STOTIS ’10 of Madison, Wis., is a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Library and Information Studies.

KRISTEN SWOBODA ’10 of Hartland, Wis., teaches third grade in Waukesha, Wis. APRIL AGAMAITE ’11 of Dyckesville, Wis., is a public relations/event coordinator at LaForce Inc. CORY ALVEY ’11 of Freeport, Ill., was an English teaching assistant in China during the summer.

ANNA ALVIN ’11 of Beaver Dam, Wis., is pursuing her master’s of business administration degree at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

ALEIGHA JO BANGART ’11 of Chilton, Wis., is a study technician in toxicology with Convance Laboratories.

PARKER HEAPS ’09 of West Bend, Wis., is working with the marketing company Marketing Werks, a client-based experiential marketing company specializing in mobile marketing, taking products and services directly to customers around the country. For two summers, Heaps was a crew member for two LEGO tours, The LEGO Experience Tour and The LEGO Games Summer Tour 2010. “So I was actually a part of the team that basically traveled the country playing with kids every weekend,” he says. “Not too bad of a job right out of school.” This past summer, he coordinated the tour. “So for the past five months, I have been working with LEGO to design, produce, organize and route this whole tour! It has been a pretty exciting time for me, and I am enjoying it very much.” Information is available at legoexperiencetour.com

ALLISON WINTERS ’08 of Worthington, Minn., has joined Atlanta-based Hope-Beckham Inc., a public relations and event marketing firm, as an assistant account executive. She previously worked as a tour/actor director for Missoula Children’s Theatre.

ELI ANNIS ’09 of Milwaukee, Wis., received his master’s of science degree in mathematics in August 2011 from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

His wife, NELL RAE FORREST ’09, is the volunteer coordinator at the Milwaukee Art Museum.

SARAH BROWN ’09 of Ripon, Wis., is a program assistant/volunteer coordinator for the Office of Community Engagement at Ripon College.

JOSHUA D. FREY ’09 of Copperas Cove, Texas, is a first lieutenant and a chemical reconnaissance platoon leader with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Hood, Texas.

ZACHARY M. MANS ’09 and BRANDI GASPARD ’10 of Coon Rapids, Minn., were married Aug. 5, 2011, by then-President David C. Joyce.

EMILY MATHEWS ’09 of St. Paul, Minn., is studying for a master’s degree in social work at St. Thomas University and St. Catherine University and plans to graduate in 2012. She is working as an intern at MORE multicultural school for empowerment through the social work program and also part time as a nanny.

ASHLEY SKOCZYNSKI ’09 of De Pere, Wis., will attend Viterbo University in January 2012 to obtain her master’s degree in servant leadership and a certificate in ethical leadership.

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THE 2010s JESSICA DAVEY ’10 of Berlin, Wis., teaches sixth-grade science at Horace Mann Middle School in Sheboygan, Wis. JEFF DAVIS ’10 of Ripon, Wis., is the first full-time coordinator for the National Junior Forensic League. He previously taught English for a year at CNN International Language Academy in Korea.

LINDSAY KUEHL ’10 of Stoughton, Wis., married Ryan Lamb, June 25, 2011. She is substitute teaching.

BRUCE T. KUKOWSKI ’10 and JULIE NELSON ’08 of Oshkosh, Wis., married June 11, 2011. Bruce left for basic combat training for the U.S. Army in July.

BETHANY SUE MEHLBERG ’10 of Marion, Wis., teaches fifth grade at Wittenberg Elementary School.

ANNELYSE OLIVER ’10 of Cedarburg, Wis., is a sales associate at The Gem Shop in Cedarburg and a frontline specialist at REI of Brookfield.

RENAE POOLE ’10 of Waunakee, Wis., is pursuing a master’s degree in marine biology at NOVA Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. TYLER RUPPERT ’10 of Rhinelander, Wis., teaches math at Rhinelander High School.

STEPHANIE JO BARTMAN ’11 of Menasha, Wis., works at Tailwaggers in Menasha.

KELLY BIALLAS ’11 of Westmont, Ill., is pursuing a degree in nursing at St. Xavier University.

JESSE BRIANNE DE ANGELIS ’11 of Ironwood, Mich., joined Americorps as a team member for the Student Conservation Association.

HOLLY DE VORE ’11 of Waupun, Wis., is pursuing a master’s degree in experimental psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

CANDACE ELLEFSON ’11 of West Bend, Wis., is student-teaching language arts at the Berlin, Wis., elementary and middle schools.

ALISON ERNST ’11 of Lemont, Ill., is attending the Veterinary Technician Program at Fox Valley College.

ALICE FEHLANDT ’11 of Boulder Junction, Wis., is studying for a master’s degree in physician assistant studies at Carroll University.

ALEXANDRIA FLADHAMMER ’11 of DeSoto, Wis., is pursuing a doctorate in psychology at Illinois State University.

SCOTT GILLESPIE ’11 of Chicago is a sales associate with Incontext Solutions.

ALAN HANSON ’11 of Blue River, Wis., is pursuing a degree in historical administration at Eastern Illinois University.

ZACHARY HAYES ’11 of Carpentersville, Ill., is pursuing a degree in education from Judson University.

RYAN HERMAN ’11 of Carol Stream, Ill., was employed temporarily as a market research analyst with Corelink in Mount Prospect, Ill. CASSANDRA HIGGINS ’11 of Fond du Lac., Wis., is a retention specialist with Charter Communications.

ALUMNI

Profile

Make them laugh

I

t’s a serious world sometimes, and Mike Maxwell ’03 of Chicago likes to lighten things up for people. Maxwell is a stand-up comedian who is building routines and a reputation that he hopes will lead soon to a full-time comedy career.

“One of the best ways to get known is to participate in showcases and comedy festivals,” Maxwell says.

Comedians must audition, and several thousand compete for a major festival.

“I’d had a goal of doing three festivals this year,” Maxwell says. He was accepted to six stand-up festivals and dozens of showcases across the Midwest.

A highlight, he says, was the Great American Comedy Festival in Norfolk, Neb. – Johnny Carson’s hometown – where he met Louie Anderson, Cloris Leachman and Eddie Brill, an industry insider who books acts for “The Late Show with David Letterman.”

He shared the stage at Zanies Chicago with Tim Meadows of “Saturday Night Live” and did his first major media interview with WGN radio in December. He frequently hosts at Comedy Under the Tap in Oswego and hosted at the Improv Chicago in Schaumburg in January.

“2012 already has a great start as I’ve been accepted into the largest comedy festival in the south, the North Carolina Comedy Arts Festival, in February; I’ll be performing at Gilda’s Laughfest in March; and I’ll be returning to Norfolk in June as a Great American Comedy Festival finalist.”

Maxwell has enjoyed making people laugh ever since he was a child. “If they were having a bad day, I would make jokes and make them laugh,” he says. “That’s where it started. I did theatre through high school and some at Ripon. Katie Avila Loveland ’03 was the one who said I should do stand-up or Second City. And I had several college friends who egged me on to do the Ripon Variety Show. When I roomed with Rob Lennox

’03, I would test nearly all my new jokes with him.”

After graduation, Maxwell moved to Chicago and was trained in writing, sketch comedy and improv at Second City. He has developed a style as a “clean” comic who looks at the humor of personal experiences, everyday situations and headline news.

“I’m a mix of improv and stand-up comedy,” Maxwell says. “I don’t swear or use vulgar language. I’d love to be full time in the near future to get back out and headline clubs and college shows.”

He plans to start a college tour in February.

The hardest part of writing also can be the most motivating for him. “You have to practice and develop the material,” he says. “When you get a new joke idea, you need to make sure you look at it from a few different angles to get the best out of it. Some jokes come through right away, and some take quite a while. I’ve had some ideas that didn’t quite work at the time, but literally a year later I can use them in something I’m working on. No one knows where that joke comes from. They’re just happy that it’s funny.”

And that’s the name of the game. “It’s really important that I get people to relax and take their minds off of what’s going on in their everyday lives,” he says. “It makes people smile and enjoy their days, and to know that sometimes it’s OK to admit, ‘I’m probably taking things a little too seriously,’ ” he says.

“I like to say what’s on everybody’s minds. I say things that people are thinking but maybe don’t think they can say out loud. When the crowd laughs it tells me, ‘I totally know what you’re talking about.’ They come up after the show and say, ‘Thanks, great show!’ ” n

Facebook: “Mike Maxwell - Stand up Comedian” Twitter: @themikemaxwell Website: mikemaxwell.org W IWNITNETRE 2R0 21 02 1 2

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Notes

JORDAN HILL ’11 of Black Earth, Wis., is pursuing a master’s degree in creative writing/poetry from Columbia College in Chicago.

LAWRENCE HONAKER ’11 of Stedman, N.C., is interning at BASF SE, a chemical company, in Ludwigshaffen, Germany.

MATTHEW INGISH ’11 of West Bend, Wis., is student-teaching in physical education/health at Bessie Allen Middle School in North Fond du Lac, Wis. JAKE JOCHEM ’11 of Hartford, Wis., is studentteaching in history and social studies in Green Lake, Wis. AVERY JOHNSON ’11 of Minneapolis, Minn., has entered the U.S. Army as a 2nd Lieutenant-Aviation at Fort Rucker, Ala. INGA JOHNSON ’11 of Dundas, Minn., was studentteaching in the Ripon School District in the fall of 2011.

CODY JOLIN ’11 of Altoona, Wis., is pursuing a master’s degree in physics from Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti.

TERRAH JONES ’11 of Green Bay, Wis., is pursuing a doctorate in archaeology at the University of CaliforniaLos Angeles.

TYLER KELLNHAUSER ’11 of Menasha, Wis., worked during the summer at the Menasha Public Works.

JOHN KIERNICKI ’11 of Berlin, Wis., is pursuing a doctorate in chemistry from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.

JOHN MC CLUSKEY ’11 of River Grove, Ill., is a 2nd lieutenant in the U.S. Army, serving in Columbus, Ga. ELIZABETH MC HONE ’11 of Stevens Point, Wis., is an English teaching assistant in Quanzhou, China.

KATHERINE “KATIE” MEAD ’11 and JASON NUTTALL ’04 were married May 28, 2011. They live in Mauston, Wis. Katie is a public relations assistant, and Jason is a licensed athletic trainer, both at Miles Bluff Medical Center.

SAMANTHA MEIDL ’11 of Jefferson, Wis., is a provider relations specialist with UMR, an insurance company.

MELISSA MIERHOFER ’11 of Ripon, Wis., is pursuing a master’s degree in animal behavior from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pa. HANNAH MILLER ’11 of Shawano, Wis., is pursuing a medical degree at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison.

BRENDAN O’BRIEN ’11 of Chicago is a project coordinator at InContext Solutions.

NICOLE OLSON ’11 of Andover, Minn., is studentteaching English at Ripon High School.

SARAH-MARIE OLSON ’11 of Cottage Grove, Minn., is teaching middle/early school in New Zealand.

ASHLEY KIRST ’11 of West Bend, Wis., is teaching physical education/health in Australia.

NICHOLAS OSENBERG ’11 of Anoka, Minn., worked last summer as a production intern at Peninsula Players in Fish Creek, Wis.

KAREN KRIZ ’11 of Walnut, Ill., is pursuing a master’s degree in biology at the University of Illinois at Springfield.

KRISTA OVERGAARD ’11 of Sussex, Wis., is pursuing a master’s degree in mental health counseling in geriatrics at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.

BRITTANY KROMBOS ’11 of Markesan, Wis., married Zachary Stoll, June 4, 2011.

KATHRYN LA VIOLETTE ’11 of Appleton, Wis., is working at Habitat for Humanity in Oshkosh, Wis. JOHN LIGHTFIELD ’11 of Burlington, Wis., is teaching English in Quanzhou, China.

GEOFF LLOYD ’11 of Lisle, Ill., is working at the Alliance for the Great Lakes in Chicago. He also is pursuing an advanced degree in urban planning from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

ERIN LUKAS ’11 of Greendale, Wis., is pursuing her nursing degree (MSN) at Marquette University in Milwaukee.

MATTHEW MADSEN ’11 of Wisconsin Dells, Wis., is pursuing a master’s degree in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

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JESSICA MARTZAHL ’11 of New London, Wis., is pursuing a master’s degree in clinical/counseling psychology at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

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NICHOLAS PARULSKI ’11 of Wauwatosa, Wis., plans to be student-teaching in the spring 2012 semester.

BRITTNEE PEOTTER ’11 of Kaukauna, Wis., is an assistant teacher at Kyria Child Care Center in Oshkosh, Wis. AMANDA PROUTY ’11 of Apple Valley, Minn., is a business development coordinator at MSA Professional Services in Champaign, Ill. MEGHAN RANES ’11 of Round Lake, Ill., is studentteaching in an elementary school in Chicago, Ill. JUSTIN RANK ’11 of Appleton, Wis., is a recruiter at Advanced Workforce Inc. ABIGAIL RICHESON ’11 of Appleton, Wis., is pursuing a doctorate at the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine in East Lansing, Mich.

AMBER RICO ’11 of Wichita Falls, Texas, is pursuing a doctorate in microbiology at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo.

KURT ROEDER ’11 of West Bend, Wis., is an assistant store manager at Wal-Mart in West Bend.

JORDAN SALZER ’11 of Oshkosh, Wis., is a traveling merchandising manager for Ralph Lauren.

NOELIA SAYAVEDRA ’11 of Oshkosh, Wis., is pursuing a master’s degree in cross-cultural psychology at Brunel University in England.

TYLER SCHULTZ ’11 of Denmark, Wis., is a chef at Christiano’s Pizza in Green Lake, Wis. ERIC SCHUMANN ’11 of Dodgeville, Wis., is employed by the Spanish government as an English assistant in Castro Urdiales, Spain.

ELIZABETH SHADLE ’11 of Marengo, Ill,. is enrolled in an online program of Walden University, pursuing a degree in forensic psychology in applied mental health.

JASON SHIPBAUGH ’11 of Villa Park, Ill., is employed at the Dupage County Circuit Court in Wheaton, Ill. ALYSSA SIGLER ’11 of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., is student-teaching in history in Ripon, Wis., and Australia.

WILLIAM SITTER ’11 of Oshkosh, Wis., is pursuing a law degree at Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Mich.

ZACHARY SMITH ’11 of St. Louis, Mo., is working in marketing/management at Bolwerk Design in Green Lake, Wis. MEGAN E. SOCKNESS ’11 of Cottage Grove, Minn., is pursuing a master’s degree in library and information sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Information Science.

JOLINN THILL ’11 of Fond du Lac, Wis., plans to student-teach both at the Friendship Learning Center in North Fond Du Lac; and also in Australia.

CASEY TOTTEN ’11 of Junction City, Wis., is pursuing a doctorate at the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine in East Lansing, Mich.

CARISSA TURK ’11 of Richland Center, Wis., is student-teaching German and music in the Milwaukee Public Schools.

RYAN VAN ZEELAND ’11 Appleton, Wis., is pursuing a doctorate in chemistry at Iowa State University.

TRACY WALDINGER ’11 of Prairie du Sac, Wis., is pursuing a degree at the Chicago Kent College of Law.

From the A R C H I V E S

Polish diplomat enhanced Ripon with breadth of life experiences Did you know … from 1958 to 1963, Ripon’s Russian department was led by the former Polish minister of education?

In 1958, Ripon College applied for a grant to the John Hay Whitney Foundation to support a professor of sociology. The foundation placed outstanding teaching faculty in the humanities at independent colleges throughout the United States and supported their salaries of during the first year. Although Ripon had applied for a sociology professor, a match was made with Waclaw Jedrzejewicz (Ye-dje-ye-vich), a professor of Russian at Wellesley College in Massachusetts.

Jedrzejewicz was born to a Polish family in what is now part of Ukraine in 1893. When World War I broke out in 1914, Jedrzejewicz fought in the Polish army against the Russians and Germans who, over the previous century, had divided traditional Polish lands along with the Habsburg Empire and Lithuania.

After Poland was reconstituted at the Polish-Russian Peace Conference at Riga in 1921, a meeting that Jedrzejewicz attended, he entered into government service. From 1925 to 1928, he served as a military attaché from Poland to Japan and eventually served as Polish minister in Tokyo.

In 1928, Jedrzejewicz returned to Poland to serve in several government positions, first as director of the Consular Department and later in the Ministry of Education. In 1934, he became Poland’s Minister of Education and served for one year before retiring from government service.

When Germany invaded Poland in September 1939, Jedrzejewicz fought with the Polish forces until they capitulated and he was forced to flee. Jedrzejewicz escaped the Germans via Romania, France and London before arriving in the United States in 1941. Two years later, he helped found the Pilsudski Institute of America for Research in the Modern History of Poland in New York City. He was the executive director until

he found a position teaching Russian at Wellesley College. This position lasted for 10 years until Jedzrejewicz reached the compulsory retirement age of 65. Ripon then was able to hire Jedzrejewicz by offering annual contracts which did not include tenure.

At Ripon, Jedrzejewicz served as chair of the Russian department and quickly became well-liked and respected. He became known as Dr. J. His classes in the Russian language and Russian literature in translation grew steadily, most likely because of the breadth of life experience from which he spoke.

Professor of Philosophy Emeritus Spud Hannaford fondly remembers Jedrzejewicz as a distinguished and gracious, “almost self-effacing” host, who enjoyed entertaining at his faculty apartment on Oak Street. At these events, Jedrzejewicz offered humorous and understated toasts such as, “A toast, because we’re having an evening party!” to accompany the infused vodkas he often served. In 1963, Jedrzejewicz returned to New York to work again with the Pilsudski Institute he had founded. n

By Andrew Prellwitz Librarian, Archivist and German Instructor

Do you have memories of Jedrzejewicz? If so, please write Ripon College Archivist Andrew Prellwitz at prellwitza@ripon.edu.

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MARY DAUTERMAN HILLER ’39 of Baraboo, Wis., died May 5, 2011. She studied English at Ripon and also attended Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis., and Texas College for Women in Denton, Texas. Her career was in the field of journalism, which led her to the San Francisco area where she made her home. She covered the first meeting of the United Nations held in the Old Opera House and had worked for a number of advertising agencies as a copy writer. Survivors include two daughters.

BARBARA “BABS” KINSLEY KOEHLER ’39 of Cypress, Calif., died June 14, 2011. She majored in English at Ripon College. Her faith was Christian Science. She enjoyed giving hot fudge sundae parties, working in her gardens and supporting her church. Survivors include two daughters; and a brother, ROBERT DAUTERMAN ’40.

ELODICE PATCHETT REUSS ’39 of Dousman, Wis., a longtime resident of Appleton, died Dec. 1, 2011. At Ripon, she studied English and music.

She was an accomplished cellist and pianist and a charter member of the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra. In 1997, she received the orchestra’s Bravo Award. She retired from the orchestra in 2003 and was recognized for her 36 years of dedicated service. She frequently played with the Lawrence College Symphony Orchestra, played in the pit orchestra for Attic Theater and for many community and church functions. She taught private piano lessons for 25 years and was a member of Wednesday Musicale. She was an avid gardener and was a member of Homemakers Club of Grand Chute Township. Survivors include two sons.

DOROTHY “DO DO” BERTSCHINGER HOSLETT ’41 of Egg Harbor, Wis., died Dec. 28, 2011.

At Ripon, she studied psychology.

She and her husband, George, had a sign-painting business in Sheboygan before she returned to Egg Harbor to run the Alpine Resort with her brother, Bill Bertschinger. She and her husband also owned and operated the Lollipop tour boat in Sturgeon Bay and vacationed in Florida for several months each year for more than 35 years. She enjoyed traveling, playing bridge, playing piano, taking car rides around Door County in her Buick, singing and spending time with her family. She was a lifetime member of Calvary United Methodist Church in Egg Harbor and a founding member of the Egg Harbor Chicks.

ROBERT M. ALBERT ’42 of Lincolnwood, Ill., died April 29, 2009. He studied psychology at Ripon.

Survivors include his wife, Hattie Jane “Sis” Albert, 7000 N. McCormick Blvd., Lincolnwood, IL 60712; one son and one daughter.

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SYLVESTER SIJAN ’42 of St. Francis, Wis., died Sept. 9, 2011. He studied sociology at Ripon and was a restaurateur for more than 40 years.

He had a proud foundation rooted in Serbian heritage, being a son of one of St. Sava’s charter members. He was the model for the security guard sculpture in the Frontier Airlines Center entrance rotunda in Milwaukee. The sculpture was created by his son, Marc Sijan. Survivors include his wife, Jane, 2500 E. Howard Ave., No. 111, St. Francis, WI 53232; one son and one daughter.

JANET HANSEN KOHL ’46 of Ripon, Wis., died Nov. 16, 2011. At Ripon, she studied psychology and sociology. Later in her life, she was employed as a retail clerk in the book store at Ripon College. She enjoyed reading, music and attending BZ Social events. She was a member of Ripon’s Women’s Study Club, various bridge clubs and First Congregational Church of Ripon, UCC. Survivors include two sons, including JAMES T. KOHL ’77; a niece, SHARON GIBNEY VAN ROEKEL ’66; and a sister-in-law, MARY ALICE KOHL GIBNEY ’40.

ELINOR BRYAN KITCHELL ’43 of The Colony, Texas, died Oct. 21, 2011. She was the retired owner of the Kitchell Agency. Survivors include one son and two daughters. Her husband, JOHN F. KITCHELL ’47, died in 2008.

ROBERT KEELEY ’48 of Sarasota, Fla., died in January 2012. His freshman year at Ripon in 1942 was interrupted by World War II. He returned to Ripon to continue his education in physics, graduating in 1948.

He had been chairman of Kammco Co. and had been living in Florida for several years. Survivors include one son, ROBERT STROM KEELY ’79; one daughter; a sister, PATRICIA KEELEY WINTER ’50; and a nephew, CRAIG WINTER ’76.

Former Ripon College trustee ALICE “BURNSIE” BURNS MIJANOVICH ’43 of Marengo, Ill., died June 23, 2011. She studied chemistry and biology at Ripon and practiced medicine for 38 years. She was on Ripon’s Board of Trustees from 1978 to 1993; was an Honorary Life Trustee; received the Ripon College Medal of Merit in 1997; and was a charter member of Partners in the Legacy. She was active in medical organizations, as well as church and community organizations in Marengo.

She was well-traveled; volunteered for Earthwatch programs in Greece, Zimbabwe and Portugal; and served on a mission trip to Kenya. She also assisted as a security officer for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

Survivors include one son and two daughters, SUSAN MIJANOVICH KEY ’72 and ANN MIJANOVICH PETERSEN ’75.

VICTOR SALTER ’43 of Hockessin, Del., has died. He studied physics and mathematics at Ripon and received a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was retired from DePont de Nemours, E.I. Survivors include his wife, Ruth Robens Salter, 726 Loveville Road, HCC2020, Hockessin, DE 19707; two sons and one daughter.

CARL CERULL ’44 of West Allis, Wis., died July 16, 2011. He was a World War II veteran in the 98th Division and a member of the Masonic Lodge in West Allis for more than 60 years. He studied history and German at Ripon. He taught in Waunakee and Oconomowoc before teaching social studies and economics for 34 years at Wauwatosa East High School. Survivors include one son; and a cousin, NEIL ALBERT DAETZ ’56.

JEAN HAMMOND OTTO ’48 of Milwaukee, Wis., died Sept. 15, 2011. She had a distinguished career in the newspaper industry as a writer, editor and leader of local and national journalistic organizations in Appleton, Wis., Milwaukee and Denver, Colo.

She received a Distinguished Alumna Citation in 1992 from Ripon College and was a member of Partners in the Legacy. Survivors include one son and two daughters.

CHARLES SHEPARD ’48 of Buffalo Grove, Ill., died Oct. 21, 2011. He was an Army veteran of World War II. He studied chemistry at Ripon. He was a math teacher and basketball coach at Deerfield High School for 25 years.

He also managed Tennaqua Swim and Tennis Club for many years. Survivors include his wife, Juelane Shepard, 171 Willow Parkway, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089; two sons and four daughters.

Prominent Panamanian politician RODERICK ESQUIVEL ’49 of Panama City, Panama, died Oct. 27, 2010. He graduated from Ripon with a degree in biology and as a gynecologist from the University of Chicago. He was a former professor and chief of the obstetrics/gynecology department at the University of Panama Hospital; former vice president of the Republic of Panama; president of the Liberal Party of Panama; Minister of Labour, Social Welfare and Public Health; and vice president of Liberal International. He was a Ripon honorary degree recipient in 1985. Survivors include his wife, Jean, of Panama City, Panama; three sons and one daughter.

LAN JESPERSEN ’49 of Fresno, Calif., died June 26, 2011. At Ripon, he studied chemistry. He was a retired assistant business administration professor at California State University at Los Angeles. Survivors include his wife, BARBARA SCHAEFER JESPERSEN ’51, 4790 N. Sunset Ave., Fresno, CA 93704; one son and two daughters.

PHYLLIS RUDSINSKI KEITH ’49 of Lake Zurich, Ill., died Feb. 14, 2011. She studied chemistry at Ripon.

She was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary and St. Peter United Church of Christ. Survivors include one son and one daughter.

MAURICE ROBERTS ’49 of Fayetteville, Ark., died July 5, 2011. He studied philosophy at Ripon, graduated from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago and earned his doctorate in ministry at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis. He was a Navy chaplain for 22 years, serving in Argentina, Newfoundland, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Texas, a year in Vietnam and as senior chaplain of the USS Forrestal. He retired in 1977 as captain after serving as senior chaplain at the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md. He was associate pastor at Old Stone Church in Cleveland, Ohio, for four years; and hospital chaplain at the Veterans Administration in Arkansas for 26 years. He traveled extensively. Survivors include his wife, Ann, 2631 N. Candlewood Drive, Fayetteville, AR 72703; one son and two daughters.

CAROL COULSON KRYZANIAK ’50 of Rockford, Ill., died Feb. 15, 2011. She moved to Rockford in May 1954 and was employed as a bookkeeper at Machesney Airport, Comprehensive Accounting and Elmquist Sound and Communications. She was a lifelong member of Evans and Beth Eden United Methodist churches, where she served in numerous leadership positions. She also was a Girl Scout leader and a longtime member of the Hononegah Camping Club. She and her husband wintered in Arizona for 17 years. She loved nature, birdwatching and the Green Bay Packers. Survivors include her husband, Tony Kryzaniak, 7384 Colosseum Drive, No. 17, Rockford, IL 61107; one son and four daughters; and a nephew, DENNIS RUSSELL ’69.

ANN RESCH LITTEN ’50 of Savannah, Ga., died Aug. 26, 2011.

She studied English at Ripon and was a member of Alpha Phi sorority.

Survivors include her husband, David L. Litten, 1 Prescott Lane, Savannah, GA 31411; one son and two daughters.

JAMES J. HERMAN ’51 of Paso Robles, Calif., died Aug. 31, 2011. He studied physics at Ripon and also earned degrees from MIT, the University of Wisconsin and a law degree from Santa Clara University. He worked for Lockheed Corp. on top-secret projects such as Deep Quest and the space shuttle and was an expert in guidance and control systems. He was a retired attorney

and engineer. He enjoyed travelling, working in his garage, listening to the radio, making stained glass work and building intricate doll houses and farms for his grandchildren. He also enjoyed working with Habitat for Humanity and other volunteer organizations. Survivors include his wife, LYNN WILLIS HERMAN ’50, 2565 Pasadena Lane, Paso Robles, CA 93446; two sons and one daughter.

JEANNE MARIE JONES ’51 of Ripon, Wis., formerly of Milwaukee, died June 10, 2011. She attended Ripon and Milwaukee Area Business School and worked as a secretary to the dean at Marquette University School of Dentistry. She enjoyed gardening, royalty, traveling, cats and dogs, and football. Survivors include one brother, DUKE JONES ’54 of Kodiak, Alaska.

ROBERT MARTIN ’51 of Racine, Wis., died Nov. 25, 2011. He served in World War II, then attended Ripon College where he studied history.

He served in the National Guard from 1946 to 1956. At St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, he was an usher and served on the Vestry. He belonged to the Masonic Order, 32nd Degree Mason, Shrine International, Racine Bell City Lodge No. 18, Friends of the Library, and Racine Jaycees. He was business manager and a board member for many years for the Racine Symphony Orchestra. He was employed by J.I. Case Co. for 18 years, and then in purchasing by In-Sink-Erator for 25 years, retiring in 1990. Survivors include his wife, PEGGY DOOLIN MARTIN ’49, 2419 Thor Ave., Racine, WI 53405; two sons, JEFFREY MARTIN ’74 and JAMES MARTIN ’78; one daughter, JANE MARTIN FOX ’81; and daughters-inlaw, MARY BINZEL MARTIN ’75 and KATHLEEN GIBSON MARTIN ’78.

RALPH MARTIN ’52 of Scottsdale, Ariz., died Sept.

1, 2011. He had been a long-term resident of Whitefish Bay, Wis. He studied economics at Ripon and played on the football and track teams. He also was a member of Alpha Phi Omega and the ROTC. He served in the Army during the Korean War. He co-founded Great Lakes Packaging Corp. in Germantown, Wis., and retired as executive vice president. He loved sports and during his later years was an avid golfer. Survivors include his wife, Joanne Daley-Martin, 7500 E. McCormick Parkway No. 62, Scottsdale, AZ 85258; and three sons.

ROBERT L. RUSSELL JR. ’52 of West Boylston, Mass., died July 6, 2011. At Ripon, he studied business management. He was a retired general manager for Steward-Hunt Inc. Survivors include his wife, Judith McKenzie Russell, 72 Malden St., West Boylston, MA 01583; two sons and four daughters.

ARTHUR TALARICO ’52 of Kerrville, Texas, died Jan. 24, 2006. At Ripon, he studied economics. He had worked for First National Bank of Kerrville. Survivors include his wife, MARLENE BOCKSTRUCK TALARICO ’53; three sons; and a brother, ERNEST TALARICO SR. ’50.

MERRILL WATERHOUSE ’53 of San Diego, Calif., died Feb. 22, 2011. At Ripon, he studied math and economics. He was a retired eligibility technician with San Diego County. Survivors include his wife, Donna Steckman Waterhouse, 5141 Cole St., San Diego, CA 92117; one son and one daughter.

KAY GEBHARDT KITTELL ’54 of Waupun, Wis., died June 20, 2011.

She attended Ripon College and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, earning degrees in speech and art.

Her early career focused on painting and traveling to art fairs, often taking her family with her. She earned many awards. She later took up metalworking and welding.

She was an organist at St. Joseph’s church for many years; an accomplished pianist; and a stage performer in Waupun and Beaver Dam. She was active in a bridge club and Friends of Waupun Library. She loved traveling, including Alaska, England, Holland, France, Italy, Greece, Tobago and Costa Rica, where she picked up kayaking at age 65. Survivors include five sons, including MATTHEW KITTELL ’88; and a brother, BRUCE GEBHARDT ’59.

CAROLYN KRUEGER MANGOLD ’54 of Green Bay, Wis., died June 30, 2011. At Ripon, she studied music and was involved in Delta Phi Epsilon, was on the court of the Military Ball and served as a soloist with the college choir. After Ripon, she continued her education at San Francisco State University where she acquired her general classroom and special music credentials.

There, she again was involved in music activities, taking a lead role in one of the operas. She then taught in the Livermore Valley School District in California, retiring after 20 years. She then returned to Green Bay, Wis. Survivors include one stepson and one stepdaughter.

RAYMOND NICKELS ’54 of Green Lake, Wis., died Oct. 16, 2011. In 1947, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served under Gen. Douglas McArthur in Japan as a communications specialist where he was awarded several medals. When he returned to the United States, he attended Ripon College and studied business management. He later earned two master’s degrees and was a teacher and school administrator.

After his retirement, he worked for both the Green Lake Association, where he served as president for many years; and as Glenview (Ill.) Township treasurer.

He enjoyed football, golfing and travelling. Survivors include his wife, BARBARA LLOYD NICKELS ’54, 473 Golf Hill Court, Green Lake, WI 54941; one son and one daughter.

CALVIN SCHIELER ’54 of Green Valley, Ariz., formerly of Ripon, Wis., died Jan. 17, 2012. He served in the U.S. Army, studied economics and psychology at Ripon College and received his master’s degree in business from Indiana University. He worked for Kemper Insurance and State Farm. He was a regional manager and executive for Speed Queen, retiring as vice president of international

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sales. He was a member of Ripon Kiwanis and Our Saviour’s United Church of Christ. In Arizona, he joined Green Valley Coin and Stamp Club, Green Valley Schaffskopf Card Club and Green Valley Community Church. Survivors include his wife, MARGARET “PEGGY” SCHIELER ’54, 903 W. Belltower Drive, Green Valley, AZ 85614; two sons and one daughter; a brother, BOB SCHIELER ’56; and siblings-inlaw, CHUCKIE WEYER SCHIELER ’56 and FREDERICK AUGUST JESS JR. ’42.

GEORGE SINADINOS ’54 of Orland Park, Ill., died June 23, 2011. At Ripon, he studied politics and government. He retired as a district sales manager for the Kimberly-Clark Corp. He was a lifelong White Sox fan and active at St. Nicholas Green Orthodox Church.

He was involved in the American Hellenic Education Progressive Association, a Greek-American association, serving as president of the Oak Lawn-Englewood chapter founded by his father, as well as Supreme Governor on the national level. He was named National AHEPAN of the year. He loved cars, jazz and swing music. Survivors include his wife, Sharon, 15620 Petunia Court, Orland Park, IL 60462; one son and one daughter.

RAYMOND ATLEE ’55 of Collegeville, Pa., died Sept. 23, 2011. He studied philosophy and history at Ripon, and then received a bachelor’s degree in 1958 from the General Theological Seminary in New York, and a master’s degree in 1968 from Nashotah House Theological Seminary in Nashotah, Wis. He was a retired Episcopal priest who enjoyed studying theology and philosophy and was devoted to human rights and the environment.

He was rector of St. Mary’s Church in Wayne for 26 years and a prominent member of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, serving on many diocesan committees and writing a parochial handbook for the environment.

He was an avid reader, gardener and long-distance runner. Survivors include his wife, Anne Tyler Atlee, 542 Tawnyberry Lane, Collegeville, PA 19426; and three daughters.

ELDEN WOOD ’55 of Wausau, Wis., died Nov. 11, 2007. He majored in economics at Ripon and was a retired electrician for Weyerhaeuser Co. Survivors include his wife, ANN BAXANDALL WOOD ’55, 1409 Silver Spring, St. No. 5, Wausau, WI 54401.

HELENE M. KOUBA ’57 of Chicago, died Feb. 15, 2011. She studied French and political science at Ripon. Survivors include a sister, BARBARA KOUBA HOFFMAN ’60.

DENNIS JOSIAH ’58 of Panama died Sept. 28, 2011. He graduated from La Boca Junior College in 1952 and taught in elementary schools before graduating with a degree in history from Ripon, and later a master’s of divinity degree in 1961. He served as a priest at several churches. In 1972, he returned to the United States and received a master’s degree in theological education, then serving as a professor of religion at Instituto Episcopal San Cristobalk from 1977 to 1999. For his service, he received

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several recognitions, awards, certificates and plaques, including a Bronze Medal from the Panama Canal. He retired from active ministry in 2000. Survivors include his wife, Sybil Josiah, Box 025724, PTY 5245, Miami, FL 33102; two sons and two foster daughters.

LE ROY J. MILES ’58 of Gold Canyon, Ariz., died Jan. 25, 2011. He attended Manitowoc High School, where he earned seven varsity letters and was captain of the basketball team. He also was homecoming king with Queen Bette Herman (his future wife). At Ripon, LeRoy earned letters in four sports — football, basketball, baseball and track. He was vice president of Wood County Bank in Wisconsin Rapids and Nekoosa Port Edwards State Bank in Nekoosa. Later, he cofounded and was executive vice president of Northland Cranberry Co. He also was active in the Kiwanis Club, South Wood County YMCA and the Wisconsin Rapids Credit Bureau. Survivors include his wife, Bette Miles, 4849 S. Desert Willow Drive, Gold Canyon, AZ 85218; two sons and one daughter.

LARRY LARSON ’59 of Racine, Wis., died Sept. 14, 2011. At Ripon, he studied physical education and earned nine varsity letters in track, cross country and wresting. He received his master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison; taught in Valders and Beloit, then taught social studies and coached cross country and wrestling at Washington Park High School in Racine from 1962 through 1992. He coached the U.S. Race Walking Team; created the first high school sport history class; and was a track official at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. He was a deacon, worship assistant and lay minister at the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, and president of Hoy Nature Club and Churchmen’s Club. Survivors include his wife, Judy, 18 Virginia St., Racine, WI 53405; and one son.

RICHARD THRELKELD ’59 of East Hampton, N.Y., a far-ranging and award-winning correspondent who worked for both CBS and ABC News, died Jan. 13, 2012, in an automobile accident. At Ripon, he studied history, and politics and government.

He spent more than 25 years at CBS News, retiring in 1998. He was a reporter, anchor and bureau chief. He covered the Persian Gulf War and the Vietnam War, the Patty Hearst kidnapping and trial, and the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. He worked alongside Lesley Stahl as co-anchor of “The CBS Morning News” from 1977-79, and reported for “CBS Sunday Morning” from its inception in 1979, as well as for “The CBS Evening News with Dan Rather.” He was a national correspondent for ABC’s “World News Tonight” from 1981 to 1989, when he returned to CBS News. His final assignment at CBS was as Moscow correspondent. During his career, he won several Emmy and Overseas Press Club awards and an Alfred I. du Pont-Columbia University Award. Survivors include his wife, Betsy Aaron, a former CBS and CNN correspondent, 33 Robins Way, East Hampton, NY 11937; and two daughters.

RICHARD J. CELICHOWSKI ’60 of Fond du Lac, Wis., died June 14, 2011. He was inducted into Ripon College’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987 for football and track. He served in the U.S. Army from 1960 to 1964 and was a captain in the 82nd Airborne Division. He worked for Fond du Lac County for more than 30 years, retiring in 2000 as the director of administration.

He was active in church activities; the Knights of Columbus Council 664; and youth baseball. He was awarded the Fond du Lac Youth Baseball Meritorious Service Award in 2010. Survivors include his wife, Nancy, 134 Pheasant Drive, Fond du Lac, WI 54935; three sons; and a brother, ROBERT CELICHOWSKI ’67.

ARLENE MACHT BELLETIRE ’62 of Cincinnati, Ohio, died Oct. 29, 2011. At Ripon, she studied history. She received her master’s degree in library science from the University of Kentucky and worked at Cincinnati libraries for many years until her retirement, last as a reference librarian for the Public Library of Cincinnati, Hamilton County.

ANTHONY WAYNE “TONY” JACKSON ’62 of San Antonio, Texas, died June 8, 2011. He retired in 2006 after a career in packaging with Stone ContainerChicago and Georgia Pacific-Atlanta, running packaging plants in the United States, Mexico and Buenos Aires, Argentina.

EDWARD MEYER ’62 of Dale, Wis., died Aug. 20, 2011. At Ripon, he studied economics and played football and tennis. He worked in the Green Bay, Wis., area from 1962 to 1967. He moved to Indiana and returned to the Appleton area in 1988. He had been a courier route supervisor with Dunham Express. He was a great sports fan and enjoyed attending and watching games. He loved the Packers. Survivors include one son.

GAIL KLEIN SCHIEFELBEIN ’62 of Watertown, Wis., died Dec. 4, 2011. She had been a teacher for District 300 in Dundee, Ill., for more than 22 years, retiring as a third-grade teacher. She was a member of First Congregational United Church of Christ, Watertown Lions and the Ladies Golf League at Windwood Golf Course. She also volunteered her time at Avalon. Survivors include her husband, RICHARD “DICK” SCHIEFELBEIN ’61, W5572 County Road CW, Unit 12A, Watertown, WI 53098; one son and one daughter; and a brother-in-law, RAY SCHIEFELBEIN ’60.

PATRICIA “PATIE” HAYES ’63 of Wauwatosa, Wis., died June 5, 2011. At Ripon, she studied history. She worked as a travel agent and traveled with her parents to Ireland, China, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Russia. Most recently, she visited Italy. In 1968, she went back to school to become a dental technologist and retired as an orthodontic lab technician from the Marquette University Dental School in Milwaukee. She wrote a textbook for practitioners in that field and was a gifted pianist. She enjoyed watching the Packers and Brewers and supported numerous non-governmental organizations that serve society and animals.

MARJORIE VON SANDE ENGELKING ’64 of Brookfield, Wis., died July 14, 2011. She studied French at Ripon. She was a member of Unity Center of Light church in Brookfield and was a volunteer there. She also was an instructor for the Red Cross. She was a avid Wisconsin Badger fan. Survivors include her husband, ROGER F. ENGELKING ’64, 2065 Derrin Lane, Brookfield, WI 53045; and two sons.

DAVID HILLARD ’64 of Fairbanks, Alaska, died Sept. 14, 2011. At Ripon, he studied history and taught ROTC. His Army career included Ranger training and being stationed in Germany, Kentucky, Washington and Alaska. In Vietnam, he was commander of Company C and 3rd Battalion (Airborne), 506th Infantry (Currahees). His service medals include two Bronze Stars, a Silver Star and a Valorous Unit Award.

After retiring from active duty, he was purchasing director for the North Star Borough School District in Fairbanks. He enjoyed outdoor activities and fly-fishing flies and Kentucky rifles. Survivors include his wife, DIANA DIETZ HILLARD ’67, 4633 Stanford Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99709; one son and two daughters, including ELIZABETH HILLARD ’93; a sister and brother-in-law, EDITH HILLARD SZUDY ’66 and LEONARD SZUDY ’64; and a cousin, JOHN KASTENDIEK ’95.

PHILIP J. NANCARROW ’65 of Houghton, Mich., died Sept. 22, 2011. He studied history at Ripon and graduated from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, Ill. He served in ordained ministry from 1968 to 2002, including shared positions of missioner and assistant to the bishop for ministry development; work as a youth minister, chair of the Youth Commission of the Diocese of Northern Michigan and director of youth camps and conferences; service on numerous diocesan committees and commissions, including the Diocesan Council and Standing Committee; and two terms as deputy to the national General Convention of the Episcopal Church.

Survivors include his life companion, Gary Evans, 115 W. Douglass Avenue, Houghton, MI 49931; and cousins, including A. PAUL NANCARROW ’52 and PAUL S. NANCARROW ’78.

DAVID THOBABEN ’69 of Eau Claire, Wis., died July 9, 2011. He studied history at Ripon. He had a variety of occupations over the years, from wilderness guide to seller of retail sporting goods and work at Mount Scenario College. He retired as director of student life at Chippewa Valley Technical College. He was an active adviser for Wisconsin Student Government in the Technical College System. Survivors include his wife, Sharon, 3026 Old Orchard Road, Eau Claire, WI 54703; one daughter; two step-children; and a cousin, JOHN F. ROGERS ’62.

CHRISTINE A. MISCHLER ’76 of Fountain Hills, Ariz., died July 11, 2011. At Ripon, she studied Spanish and politics and government. She spent one of her

undergraduate years studying at the University of Spain.

She received a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Chris held various export positions in Milwaukee, Wis. She moved to Fountain Hills in 1988. She worked for CVS/Caremark in Scottsdale for 16 years as an account manager and analyst.

MATTHEW D. CLEMENS ’78 of Ashburn, Va., died March 20, 2011. He was raised in Washington, D.C., and Bethesda, Md., but had lived in Tucson for many years before returning to the northern Virginia area in 1999. He had been a mental health counselor with Pathway Homes and a substance abuse clinician with Loudoun County Mental Health at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center in Leesburg. He enjoyed folding origami, reading, film, jazz and cats. Survivors include his wife, Teresa Clemens, 44054 Laceyville Terrace, Ashburn, VA 20147.

AMY MELIKA BARNES FREY ’84 of Louisville, Colo., died Dec. 12, 2011. She studied biology and anthropology at Ripon and played on the basketball team. She received a master’s degree in interdisciplinary telecommunications in 1986 from the University of Colorado. As a child, she swam competitively for the Boulder Aquanauts and the Commerce City Swim Club and won numerous awards. She became a certified Master Scuba Diver in 1988 and participated in dive trips all over the world.

She also competed in ski racing and trained for the modern pentathlon in distance swimming, fencing, pistol shooting, horse jumping and running. She worked for Aetna Life Insurance for six years in Hartford, Conn.; and Hatfield Associates in Boulder, Colo. She served as president of Indian Peaks Communications and Alpine Communications; and CEO of Video Accessory Corp. Survivors include her husband, Richard Frey, 575 W. Hawthorne St., Louisville, CO 80027; and two stepdaughters.

ABIGAIL “ABBY” HULTQUIST ’12 of Wausaukee, Wis., died May 27, 2011, of injuries sustained in a one-car accident. During high school, she participated in volleyball, softball, cheerleading and forensics. At Ripon, she was a biology major and planned to pursue nursing. Survivors include her parents, Ed and Sally Hultquist, N12214 Lubka Road, Wausaukee, WI 54177.

MICHAEL PHILBIN ’13 of Green Bay, Wis., died Jan. 8, 2012, after a drowning accident. At Ripon, he was on the Dean’s List. He enjoyed the Packers, Red Sox, politics and academic life at Ripon. Survivors include his parents, Joseph and Diane Philbin, 3033 Sonoran Court, Green Bay, WI 54313.

GEORGE H. MILLER of Ripon, Wis., Ripon College Professor of History and Ralph Hale Ruppert Distinguished Professor of American History, Principles and Traditions Emeritus, died Aug. 15, 2011. He taught history at Ripon College for 27 years, from 1954 until his retirement in 1981. In 1988, he established the George H. Miller Scholarship. He also was a charter member of Ripon’s Benefactors and Partners in the Legacy. His book, “Railroads and the Granger Laws,” won widespread critical acclaim; he was coauthor of “Ripon College: A History” in 1990; and he collated and edited “A History of Ripon,” by Sam Pedrick, in 1964. He received the College’s Severy Award in 1961 and Uhrig Award in 1963, both for excellence in teaching. He received an honorary degree from Ripon in 1985 and the College’s Founders’ Day Award in 1996. He devoted countless hours to the Ripon Historical Society, researching, writing and organizing historical projects. He served on Ripon’s Historic Preservation Commission and was the commissioner’s Person of the Year for 2010; was a past president and board member of the Ripon and state historical societies and Wisconsin History Foundation; served on the Green Lake Festival of Music board of directors and Ripon Area Chamber of Commerce’s Little White Schoolhouse committee; and spearheaded the nomination process to have Ripon College and the southwest residential district designated a state historical district and placed on the National Register of Historical Places.

EDMUND BURKE RONEY, professor of drama from 1965 to 1992, died June 8, 2011. He earned a master’s degree in theatre arts from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1956 and a doctorate in drama from Stanford University in 1969. In New York City, he worked as a stage manager and a professional actor in seven Broadway plays and many off-Broadway and stock productions. After retiring, he moved east to help raise his grandson. He had lived in Brookline, Mass., for the last 10 years.

Author, photographer and renowned Adirondack guide ANNE LA BASTILLE, a Ripon honorary degree recipient in 1990, died July 1, 2011. She received a bachelor’s of science degree in conservation of natural resources from Cornell University, a master’s of science in wildlife management from Colorado State University in 1961 and a doctorate in wildlife ecology from Cornell.

In the early 1970s, after building a small log cabin on a remote lake near Old Forge, she became a licensed guide and began offering backpacking and canoe trips throughout the Adirondacks. Her efforts as a guide and outdoor writer served to popularize and reinvigorate a nearly defunct occupation. She published several books, including “Woodswoman,” “Beyond Black Bear Lake,” “Mama Poc,” “The Wilderness World of Anne LaBastille” and “Jaguar Totem.”

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LAWYERS, continued from page 7 a process that assures fairness and equality of treatment,” he says. “Of course, because humanity has flaws, this articulates goals that we should strive for within the legal process.”

Dykstra was in ROTC at Ripon and became an Army JAG attorney after law school. After his service in the Army, he joined the Corps of Engineers and has been with them for 34 years.

“I principally handle issues related to the administration of government contracts under federal law,” he says.

“Beside my regular duties, that has allowed me to assist the Corps of Engineers’ efforts to build facilities in Afghanistan twice.”

Dykstra reviews contracts, Read about recent alumni in law school and current students with aspirations to become lawyers: ripon.edu/lawstudents

environmental impact statements and project decision documents, which often requires an appreciation for the political or historical context in which the project is proposed.

“Having had a liberal arts background/training has helped immeasurably in being able to thoroughly review the documents,” he says. “Personally, I find law to be fulfilling on two levels. First, the intellectual challenge caused by finding a solution or developing an innovative legal argument to various legal issues is very satisfying. Second, there is satisfaction in giving something back to my country.”

A more global aspect of corporate environmental law has captured the interest of Max Kelln ’04 of Chicago.

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“While some may say we represent the ‘bad guys,’ I feel my clients try to do the right thing and some are even industry leaders when it comes to taking care of, and preserving, the environment,” Kelln says.

He was drawn to this specialty when he worked with a variety of companies and organizations on cutting-edge issues including climate change, fuel-efficient vehicles, and ways to make pharmaceuticals safer for the environment.

“Environmental law allows me to consider and apply many of the pressing policy issues facing society today,” he says.

Kelln says we cannot expect that a free market alone will provide the necessary incentives to prevent individuals from trampling on the rights of others.

“Especially with respect to the environment, the desire of the few to unsustainably exploit our natural resources to the detriment of the public’s health and well-being of future generations is too great,” he says. “Laws provide limits on individual actions in those necessary situations where the market has failed.”

After receiving his master’s of business administration degree from Emory University in 1981, Michael Gibbs ’79 of San Antonio, Texas, found that working in the business world for 10 years – in both a large corporation and an entrepreneurial venture – paved the way for him to return to law school.

He now is vice president and general counsel for Whataburger, a

720-unit restaurant chain with about $1.2 billion in sales and 22,000 employees. He assists department vice presidents with contracts, deals directly with franchisees, works with senior management on governance and strategic planning, and supervises the rest of the legal work, including litigation, employment, intellectual property, benefits, regulatory, and real estate development.

“I had no grand design to become general counsel for a company,” Gibbs says. “In fact, if not for Professor Paul Schoofs, I probably would not have gone to graduate school and my life may have turned out very differently. It is the faculty’s personal interest in students at a liberal arts college like Ripon that is absent at larger universities and for which I am so thankful.”

For him, Gibbs says, the law provides “a steady stream of distinct accomplishments; every time we execute a contract, close a deal, roll out new menus, or reorganize our enterprise structure as we grow. I also find great satisfaction in providing counsel that influences the strategic corporate direction.”

For society, he says, the rule of law provides “protection of our individual liberties, and unalienable rights ‘endowed by our Creator,’ as our Declaration of Independence so eloquently put it. But it also enables the ordered exercise of private property rights and the power to contract, which fuels the engine of free markets.” n

It’s a time of excitement and anticipation at Ripon College ...

... a time to celebrate and look to a future of endless possibilities ... ... a time to thank you for the gifts that make dreams possible.

The Annual Fund 1.877. 231-0455 ripon.edu/gift n

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The Holly Ball, pictured circa 1950, was one of the many formal dances held on campus during the Big Band era. The Holly Ball was held in the college dining hall, now called Great Hall, and was a preW I NYule T E RBall, 2 0 1 2held Christmas social event. Today’s students continue that tradition with the contemporary in | 33 Great Hall the week before finals.

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FlashBACK

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1967

Turtle takes a dive David Sinish ’69 of Collinsville, Conn., known in his Ripon days as “Turtle,” executes a “tip roll” during a Ripon ski trip to Winter Park, Colo. “The powder snow did not support the weight, and I landed pinned face down with ski poles and front half of the skis buried in the snow,” he says.

After a stellar high school ski team experience in Massachusetts, Sinish found Ripon didn’t have adequate elevation for skiing. “I found the hill behind where the president’s home and Storzer Center are now located, organized the Ripon College Ski Club, built a rope tow and made the best of what we had. There was a small Wisconsin motor on a platform at the top which drove the rope tow over several small telephone poles with car wheels as the pulleys.”