Ripon Magazine Spring 2009

MAGAZINE

SPRING

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2009

From the President Grad Nauseum: A Little Perspective for New (and Recent) Grads

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eing There is a terrific Peter Sellers film in which an unpretentious gardener’s folksy wisdom propels him quite accidentally to national prominence despite his obliviousness to the whole situation. In the final scene, the main character (not subtly named Chance) starts walking across the surface of a lake. To underscore the fact that it is, in fact, a lake, he pauses to test the depth — which is substantial — with his umbrella. The point of this scene has long been a subject of debate among film buffs because it seems at odds with the “rules” of the movie, which up to that point are grounded in reality.

In my opinion, walking on water is a metaphor for the fact that Chance doesn’t perceive obstacles. It’s the answer to the question that nags us throughout the movie: How could someone achieve what Chance does despite a lack of guile or ambition?

Our graduates have plenty of guile and ambition, along with countless other traits that make them attractive as people, partners and employees. However, unless you just crawled out of some Cold War fallout shelter and haven’t noticed yet, things are tough out there right now.

Not long ago, graduates all faced the work/experience conundrum. The only jobs available to people with no experience were hourly gigs with no benefits, at which you had to slog through long enough to build a resumé. Students got wise to that after a while and started padding their resumés as early as high school, usually through a combination of service learning and internships. When they got to college, those opportunities only multiplied. By the time most college students graduate now, they have resumés that make them look like seasoned professionals, and legitimately so. Often their pregraduation work experience is far more impressive and useful than those of us who paid our dues and climbed our way up the ladder.

However, all bets are officially off. Highly competent young professionals around the globe have been yanked from their cash-strapped companies and forced into free agency. Instead of competing with just the self-made Gen X-ers, they now have to try and stand out from recent grads with a couple years’ experience under their belts.

Fortunately, the real story is better than what you might read in the news. Although unemployment is hovering around 9 percent nationwide, that number includes all geographies, socio-economic groups and levels of education. The Boston Globe recently reported that the unemployment rate for college graduates — incidentally, still the most educated one percent of the world’s adult population — is about 4.4 percent. That’s still much worse than the 2 percent we saw at the end of 2008, but it underscores the fact that jobs are still out there, and that having a college degree is still a huge advantage.

I asked Dan Krhin, director of Student Support Services and program director for the McNair Scholars Program at Ripon, for some concrete advice to new grads still trying to get their feet wet.

“A Ripon education is designed to provide you with a set of skills that can be transferred to a range of careers,” he says.

“The particular major may not necessarily be the critical factor in being hired. It’s more important to be able to articulate what you have learned in the pursuit of a degree than your ability to know certain facts about your major.”

Dan advises the following for new grads, or even recent grads who have been laid off: ■ Have your resumé carefully reviewed by people who have experience in the resumé-writing field, who will give you particular feedback about the formatting and presentation. Presentation isn’t as important as content, but it’s still important.

■ Gather strong letters of recommendation from people who know your history, character and what you have actually produced. (If you’re a good writer, you might offer to draft one for them — they’ll usually appreciate the time it saves.)

■ Talk to professionals in various fields and at companies you’re interested in about possibilities for employment. A personal relationship with someone can help circumvent automated resumé processing, especially at larger companies.

■ Accept that you may have to extend your ideal employment/career horizon a bit at the same time you are working at a job to pay bills. For emotional and financial reasons, do not remain idle.

■ A move to a geographic area that you had not initially considered may be an option. If you’re leery about the location, don’t sweat it — you don’t have to stay there forever.

■ If you are thinking of graduate school, now may be a good time to consider this direction.

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he reason I mentioned Being There is that it’s easy for new or displaced workers to listen to the news and the opinions of others and despair. While the job market isn’t as healthy as a couple years ago, there will always be a place in the world for earnest, persistent and intelligent people with a good plan and a strong resumé. It might take a lot of mailing, networking, self-marketing and interviewing to land the job you want, but if you’re able to see past the obstacles, there’s a good chance you’ll succeed. In this economy, that’s just one step below walking on water.

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

MAGAZINE

SPRING 2009

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STEPPING OUT

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GONE TO THE DOGS

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VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2

Senior class speaker Nicholas Krueger ’09 asked his classmates to reflect upon the College’s ceremonial mace and the words inscribed thereon: “Look unto the rock whence ye are hewn.” “… Having been hewn from such quality rock, our class is lucky to have been shaped by master craftsmen,” he said. Krueger and the other 200 members of the Class of 2009 were treated to comments from honorary degree recipients Robert Sean Wilentz and U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, as well as distinguished educator of the year Robin Tessereau, as they reflected on the theme “Democracy and the Presidency.”

On the Cover: While the wind was brisk, the skies were bright and graduates, their families and friends enjoyed a Ripon College commencement the way it was meant to be — outside.

Ripon Magazine takes a look into the lives of six alumni and one professor to see how dogs have made their lives whole. Whether they raise their trusted canines for companionship, competition, service or sport, none of them could imagine their lives without their furry friends.

Ric Damm photo

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

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

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

Editor: Ric Damm e-mail: dammr@ripon.edu Editorial Assistants: Jaye Alderson, Cody Pinkston Student Assistants: Megan Captaine ’09, Colin Freeman ’09, Elizabeth Kunde ’09, Jordan Lander ’09, Tiffany Seering ’12.

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

AN APPLE FOR THE TEACHERS It has been said teaching is the profession that teaches all the other professions. Certainly few of us would be where we are today without the aid of a good teacher or two or three or… . We highlight seven alumni educators representing primary, secondary and post-secondary levels.

These Days at Ripon

16

Sports

25

Alumni

28

Class Notes

30

Last Word

40

COMMENCEMENT

Class of 2009 steps out from the rock whence they were hewn

Ceremony celebrates ‘Democracy and the Presidency’

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nder bright but chilly skies, Ripon College’s Class of 2009 gathered May 16, left their college days behind and stepped into their futures. President David Joyce introduced the College’s 143rd commencement exercises, which had the theme of “Democracy and the Presidency” in this historic inauguration year.

“All of us have accumulated many experiences and have crafted unique stories that we will relive the rest of our lives,” Joyce said. “I challenge you graduates to remember the roles that your professors, mentors, classmates and families have contributed to the novel that you are crafting and the story that will eventually be the story of your life.

“My wish for you is that it will have a happy ending, and that the library of life will be a little bit better because your story has included Ripon College. Today’s exercises are a celebration of many things: the achievements that you have made and the introduction to the process of disciplined inquiry, the scholarship of discovery and the exposure to a core of general knowledge and understanding of relationships and the patterns that cross the separate fields and that make up what we call the liberal arts.”

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he keynote speaker and an honorary degree recipient was Robert Wilentz, professor of history in the American

Alumni Board President Dante Houston ’01 presents Class of 2009 pins to Venessa Siebers and Ashley Skoczynski.

Revolutionary Era at Princeton University.

“It’s a special thrill being at Ripon, not only as an extraordinary college but as a historical place in precisely that era of American history that fascinates me the most,” Wilentz said. “I got the chance while I was here to see the Little White School House where, in February 1854, one of the thousands of protest meetings gathered that would eventually (culminate) in the forming of the Republican Party at a time when these people had no idea they were Robert Sean Wilentz forming anything. … The Republication Party that became the first truly mass antislavery party in the history of the world.”

He told the graduating seniors that, as students at Ripon, they are individuals who have shared a demonstrated ability to study and think at high levels of excellence.

“Now, as graduates of Ripon College, you have accepted a common duty, the moral obligation to be Emily Meyer ’09 presents President David C. Joyce with a check on intelligent,” he said. “It is a behalf of the senior class fund-raising officers. The Class of 2009 strenuous obligation that raised $2,533 to pay for new trees to beautify the campus.

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Ripon’s ROTC program commissioned six cadets during a ceremony in Demmer Recital Hall, Friday, May 15. Ripon’s newest second lieutenants are, from left, Cameron Arndt ’09, Morgan Flom ’09, Joshua Frey ’09, Gregory George ’09, Andrew McKee ’09 and Tyler Rosenecker ’09.

U.S. Rep. Gwendolynne S. Moore

Robin B. Tessereau

Hugs are a common element of commencement. Here, Megan Captaine ’09 shares an embrace with a classmate.

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Nicholas Krueger ’09

enjoins you to reject the old and popular presumption that intelligence imperils whereas benign stupidity is a synonym for goodness. You are pledged to exert your intelligence while keeping tempting complacency and ideology at bay.”

Wilentz analyzed our democracy as it ebbed, flowed and changed through the administrations of our country’s presidents.

“Though American politics has its discernible patterns and rhythms, the presidency and its relationship to democracy does not,” he said. “It’s much, much more complicated than that.”

He described what he considered strong presidents, weak presi-

dents and imperial or “regal” presidents who act in secret and without accountability.

Now, he says, our outlook is promising.

“We have a new administration, people are talking about the transparency, the openness. All true, but we cannot invest our trust in any one man, given the vagaries of human nature. … Also, the long-term outlook is somewhat bleaker, with the demise of the press. Thanks to the rise of the Internet, we are seeing a replacement of journalism that strives toward objectivity with dumbeddown blogs full of attitude but with very little information, let alone reflection.

“What will replace that important check, that important aspect of American democracy? How are we to open up those secret places without a responsible press, what Woodrow Wilson called the sunshine that brings the sweetest smell to any democratic government?

“It is up to you, our children, to learn and teach the generation that follows that a strong presidency is different from a regal presidency, that without the first the United States is a weaker nation, but with the second the United States ceases to be the United States at all, at least as planned by our framers.”

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he second honorary degree recipient, Gwendolynne Moore, has been a Representative of Wisconsin’s Fourth Congressional District since January 2005.

“This year’s theme, democracy and the presidency, captures the overwhelming sentiment of this moment for me,” Moore said.

When President Barack Obama invoked the spirit of Abraham Lincoln to launch his historic campaign for the presidency, “he stood on the shoulders of a giant and therefore had a clear view of where democracy was headed.”

She said that she, too, has “stood on the shoulders of giants who have exalted me above where

I could have climbed on my own.”

Moore, an African-American, said she has stood on feminist shoulders, like Ripon’s first graduating class of four women in 1867; brave shoulders, like Joshua Glover, who escaped from slavery to Moore’s birthplace of Racine, Wis.; heroic shoulders, like the white citizens of Milwaukee who stormed the jail to free Glover after his capture; pioneering shoulders, like the citizens of Ripon, who hosted the founding of the anti-slavery Republican party; and revolutionary shoulders, like the white, mostly Catholic students of Marquette University in Milwaukee, who in 1968 went on a bread and water fast for days demanding that Marquette diversify its student population.

Moore was one of 49 students in the first class to be recruited to the university as a result of this “act of defiance.”

“I stand on the shoulders of you, my fellow graduating class of 2009, where you have been called upon to shoulder a global financial crisis, a planet in peril from climate change, two wars and global terrorism, rampant global poverty, hunger and inequality,” she said.

“But remember Barack Obama’s historic run. We stand on the shoulders of hope. … My fellow graduates, our hopes are greater than our fears. Even though we face challenges of gigantic proportions, stand shoulder to shoulder with each other and remember that hope prevails over everything.”

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ipon’s 2009 Distinguished Educator Award was presented to Robin B. Tessereau, a German teacher at Hamilton High School in Sussex. She was instrumental in starting the school’s German club and supported Hamilton’s German-American Partnership Program, an exchange program between German students and Hamilton students.

Photos by Jim Koepnick and Ric Damm

The Babcock Clan: from left, Blanche Bartizal Babcock ’53, Tim Babcock ’82, Peter Babcock ’09, Sara Oberhauser Babcock ’83 and Katherine Babcock ’80.

Reesha Lopez ’09 shares a moment with her partner, Laura Kreofsky ’91.

Associate Professor of Business Administration Mary Avery embraces her son, Ryan Avery ’09, after presenting him with his diploma.

“A builder, an architect, an engineer, an auto mechanic, a cleaning lady, even a musician or a writer or an artist can stand back and admire his or her work,” Tessereau said. “A teacher, on the other hand, rarely has that opportunity. Being called here today to receive this award is my opportunity to stand back and admire my work.”

She said her father taught her that she always needed to be thoughtful about what was happening in the world around her, “that it mattered what you do each day and that deliberate effort to achieve excellence would pay dividends for me later on.

Ripon ROTC cadets stand at the ready. Jeffrey Davis ’10, Zachary Lyon ’10, Andrew Mans ’12, Jonathon Suchy ’12 and Lindsay Sykes ’12 presented the colors at the opening of the commencement ceremony.

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Proud father Daniel Oakley ’79 with his daughter, Erin Oakley ’09.

Sodexo Food Service employee Chris Bosveld, who often works the Grab N’ Go station at Pickard Commons, presents her son, Ellis Bosveld ’09, with his diploma and a Grab N’ Go lunch.

Alumni Board President Dante Houston ’01 shares his advice with the Class of 2009.

From left, Mona Delsman ’09, Emily Nichols ’09, Mandy Fehring ’09 and Blair Gebhardt ’09 play it up for the camera.

“One of my dad’s favorite sayings when I was growing up was, ‘The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.’

My challenge to each of you is to make a difference in the lives of others by doing that little extra.

Do not be satisfied with ordinary.

Do that little extra, and you will make a difference in the world.

Make a promise to yourself to value the things that matter most and do that little extra.”

The senior class gift was announced: six trees for the memorial green space.

A Cameron Arndt ’09 seems unsure whether to laugh or cry as Lynne Joyce and President David C. Joyce pucker up and move in for some “love.”

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nd senior class speaker Nicholas Krueger of Menomonie, Wis., urged his fellow graduates to reflect on the symbol of the ceremonial mace carried into the commencement exercises by the faculty marshal.

Krueger, a mathematics and politics and government major with minors in Latin and National Security Studies, said the mace contains a relic from the city of

Jeff Morrell ’09 poses for a photo with his father, Ed Morrell ’77. Jeff is a thirdgeneration Ripon alumnus. His late grandfather, David Morrell ’52, served as a College Trustee from 1975 to 1981.

Ripon, England, representing the continuity of tradition from the old world to the new. It is inscribed with the Latin phrase that translates to: “Look unto the rock whence ye are hewn.”

“The rock from whence you and I have been hewn is made of solid marble,” he told the 201 graduates who would later cross the stage to receive their diplomas with him.

“This is fortunate because the price of greatness, as Winston Churchill once said, is responsibility. Expectations are high and the going will sometimes get rough.

The future of our country and our world falls on our shoulders. But having been hewn from such quality rock, our class is lucky to have been shaped by master craftsmen.”

He said their Ripon education has molded them into the complete individuals they are today, with “the ability to think critically, communicate clearly, manage capably and interact maturely.”

He said, “Today is not the end of our education but only the beginning of a lifetime of new horizons, perhaps shadowed for a moment by uncertainty, but full of opportunity. … Just as the stone on the mace signifies continuity from age to age, so, too, are you and I charged with the responsibility to carry out our destiny of leadership, service and citizenship to our fellow man and to our great nation.” R Jaye Alderson For a complete photo gallery and audio from the 2009 commencement ceremony, visit: http://www.ripon.edu/ special_events/commencement/2009

“I think we are drawn to dogs because they are the uninhibited creatures we might be if we weren’t certain we knew better. They fight for honor at the first challenge, make love with no moral restraint, and they do not for all their marvelous instincts appear to know about death. Being such wonderfully uncomplicated beings, they need us to do their worrying.” ~ George Bird Evans, Troubles with Bird Dogs

It’s a DOG’s Life

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hese Ripon alumni — and countless others — have been drawn to dogs for various reasons. Many of our readers have sought out dogs for companionship, for service or for sport. For the six alumni and one professor featured here, their coldnosed friends have “There is no come to define who psychiatrist in they are as people. the world like a As Roger Caras — known for his role puppy licking as the host of the your face.” annual Westminster ~ Ben Williams Kennel Club Dog Show — once said, dogs are not their whole life, but they do make the lives of these alumni whole.

When Janice Mell ’57 and her husband, Eric, were first married, he saw an

Airedale puppy in a pet shop.

“He thought she was the sweetest thing he’d ever seen,” Janice says.

So, since 1973, Janice and her family have been raising, showing and loving Airedales.

“Once you have an Airedale, you always have to have an Airedale,” she says.

“They’re fun, very smart, very good watchdogs, very loyal and very attentive to how you feel. And they don’t shed. They’re not a dog for everybody because they’re very high energy. But it’s a wonderful breed.

They have a ‘regal-ness’ about them.”

One of their first dogs, Susie, was a star while they were living in Minneapolis.

She had just the look producers wanted for a production of “Annie” at the Chanhassan Dinner Theater. For more than a year, Susie played Annie’s dog, Sandy, in the production seven days a week and was picked up by the show’s personnel for each performance.

Janice Mell ’57 and one of her Airedales.

She and her family have been raising dogs of the breed since 1973.

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“She came anywhere you’d want her to come,” Janice says.

After moving to Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, Janice’s daughters wanted to show the dogs. So Janice would groom them and the girls would show them. Her daughters still show dogs although Aimee Mell, 40, now has a doctorate in musicology and teaches in Seattle; and Bonni Fisler, 36, boards, grooms and trains dogs in Port Angeles.

“She has a way with animals,” Janice says.

Some of their big wins include the sweepstakes at Montgomery County, Pa., a big dog show, and a specialty award in California in 2008.

Janice continues to raise dogs for pets and show, and she receives about one litter per year. She currently has 10 dogs, and they truly are a part of her family.

“I always said I was raised by a dog,” she says. “I love being around dogs. They bond with you, become a part of your family. They become a really good friend. I think dogs add a lot to your life. They’re always good buddies. They think you’re wonderful, and they have that nonjudgmental feeling about them.”

Steve Peters ’65 of Marquette, Mich., loves the breed of Alaskan malamute, and he loves his own malamute, Denali. After being introduced to malamutes in 1972, “I fell in love with the breed right there,” he says. “Their looks, the fact that they are associated with the Arctic, that they are a native American breed — one of the few we have, actually.”

But they also have some quirky traits that Peters admits may not appeal to everyone.

“They are the clowns of the dog world,” Peters says.

“The breed standard says they are dignified upon maturity. We always wonder when our dogs are going to be mature! They are individual, though. That’s half the fun. They are very intelligent dogs.

It’s fun to watch them thinking, trying to solve a problem or get into trouble. And most of them talk, most of them ‘woo.’ I would have conversations with my first malamute. I had no idea what I was saying, but we were talking.

Denali is not a talker.

Steve Peters ’65 with his Alaskan malamute, Denali, shortly after Peters picked him out at He’s a cuddler, and he the Alaskan Malamute Club of Wisconsin loves his stuffed toys.” picnic near Palmyra, Wis., July 15, 2006.

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Many Alaskan malamute owners show their dogs in conformation, agility, obedience and weight pull. Others are involved in sledding, back-packing and other activities.

Peters recently was appointed historian of the Alaskan Malamute Club of America, the “I think dogs are American Kennel Club Parent the most amazing Breed Club of the Alaskan malamute. He helps people with hiscreatures; they tory projects and documents the give unconditional history of the club.

He also is chief ring steward love. For me, they for the Marquette Kennel Club, are the role model which sponsors AKC shows. He for being alive.” handles everything from hand~ Gilda Radner ing out arm bands to laying out ribbons, calling the dogs in, hiring judges and taking care of judge hospitality.

Peters currently has only one dog because he still works full time at Northern Michigan University, where he is the cataloger in the library, is project archivist for the John D. Voelker papers, and chairs the university’s promotion and tenure committee. Denali, who is 3 years old, still is not quite mature enough to show regularly in competition, although Peters has taken him to a “practice show” called a puppy match.

“Denali came home ‘best puppy in match,’ ” Peters says.

“He loved the experience. He seemed to get the idea of what dog shows are about. He’s got potential.”

At his first competitive shows, Denali won two reserve ribbons, which means he was a runner-up to the dog that earned points. At his second weekend of shows, Denali had the judges laughing at him.

Although Peters didn’t grow up with dogs in his home, he’s always had dogs nearby.

“My first babysitter was a rough collie,” he says. As an infant, he says, he’d be put outside in the fresh air, and the neighbor’s collie kept watch. “Every once in a while, she’d come over and peer in,” Peters says. “And from then on, I always seemed to live next door to people who had dogs.”

Now, he loves the companionship of having his own dog.

“We can do things together,” Peters says. “When I go somewhere I take him along.”

Kathleen Pesch Platt ’79 lives in Mequon, Wis., and has a clear passion for helping oth“Our dogs will love ers. She has 30 years of experiand admire the ence as a registered nurse consultant, assisting families and meanest of us, and elderly clients in maintaining feed our colossal independent living situations. vanity with their A second passion of Platt’s — her love for dogs — extends uncritical homage.” back even farther than that to ~ Agnes Repplier childhood.

Twelve years ago, Platt found a way to bring these two passions together — becoming a trainer and tester for therapy dogs.

“I have owned dogs since I was a child, and my father

was a volunteer obedience instructor for the K-9 Obedience Training Club in Menomonee Falls, Wis.,” Platt says.

“Then approximately 12 years ago, I also became a trainer, allowing me to work with new owners to teach them how to Kathleen Pesch Platt ’79 and her 12handle, train and year-old Schipperke named Lizzy reguestablish bonds with larly visit people in hospitals, nursing their dogs.” homes and other settings as part of After several years Therapy Dogs Inc. as a trainer, Platt became certified with the American Kennel Club to evaluate dogs for CGC (Canine Good Citizen) criteria. She also became involved with Therapy Dogs Inc., an organization based in Wyoming that provides evaluation and registration for volunteer therapy dogs to visit people in hospitals, nursing homes and other settings.

“Over the years, I had become interested in how people and animals interact, and I was especially intrigued by how elderly patients responded to animals,” Platt explains.

“There is a movement in the United States called ‘Edenizing,’ where animals and children are brought into nursing homes to enhance the quality of life for residents and staff.

In exploring this theory/method, I was able to observe extremely remarkable results — people who had not talked in weeks starting to talk, families seeing their parent break out of internal dementia, children suddenly smiling and even patients’ blood pressure normalizing after periods of instability. These results were something that especially intrigued me because of my many years working in the health care industry and with the elderly.”

Platt’s own dog, a 12-year-old Schipperke named Lizzy, has been working as a TDInc. dog since 1997.

“Even now, after many years encountering these situations, I sometimes come home “Heaven goes by in tears after seeing somebody respond to Lizzy, especially favour. If it went by when staff or family tell me merit, you would this person hasn’t responded stay out and your to anything in days, weeks or dogs would go in.” even months,” Platt says. “My belief is that volunteering with ~ Mark Twain my dog and helping other people through therapy dogs enriches the quality of life for everyone involved, and it is such a rewarding experience.

Sometimes I’m not sure who gets the most benefits — the people we are visiting, their families, the staff at the facility, the dogs or the handlers!”

Peggy Gero DaValt ’80 of Columbus, Wis., is an IS comprehensive services senior for the State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Central Wisconsin Center

Peggy Gero DaValt ’80, center, presents “River,” a Gordon setter, who received a Best in Show Specialty/Best of Breed award at the NODROG Specialty show in September 2007.

Photo courtesy of Garth Gourlay Photography.

and Mendota Mental Health Institute. She also serves as the 1980 Ripon College Class Agent.

But she also has made her mark as a top breeder of Gordon setter dogs. She fell in love with the breed after she saw a Gordon at the Wisconsin Kennel Club Show in 1984. Since then, she has been actively breeding, raising and showing the dogs. She recently was elected by her peers to serve as a governor on the Board of Governors for the Gordon Setter Club of America Inc. This is a two-year term where she will focus on helping the club to use technology to join the 21st century.

She recently has been showing a Gordon that has been in the Top 10 for this breed in the United States for the past two years. She has won many group placements at AKC shows and has a specialty best-in-show win. She also won back-to-back best-in-show placements at UKC shows with a total of eight to date. She shares her home with five dogs — Ice, Asti, Twister and Drifter, all Gordon setters, and Whisper, an Irish setter. She also co-owns many more.

Two of DaValt’s dogs have received their championship title, received by obtaining 15 points by wins in shows.

Asti did so in three months at the age of 14 months, and Twister earned the title at 19 months. The number of points awarded in shows depends on region and number of competitors in that category.

Ice has five points toward her championship; and Whisper, the Irish setter, has one show point.

Training for dog shows takes a large amount of time and dedication, as does holding down a career. DaValt manages to find time for both by working with friends on training and care of the dogs.

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“It is my job that affords me the time and financial ability to continue to raise and show the dogs,” DaValt says.

She provides customer and desktop support to 1,500 users at the Central Wisconsin “Dogs are miracles Center and Mendota Mental Health Institute in Madison, with paws.” ~ Attributed to Susan Wis. In addition to e-mail Ariel Rainbow Kennedy administration and database administration duties at work, she also is pursuing computer forensics outside of her employment.

The flexible hours of her position allow for time to travel to shows and train. On top of competing, DaValt breeds Gordon setters and until recently, had four generations of the same line living in her home.

The true gift DaValt has found through showing dogs is not the ribbon one may take home at the end. Instead she values the friendships that have developed. “The dog world has given me so many opportunities to travel and to forge friendships all over the world,” she says.

For information can be found on DeValt’s blog at http://gorsetr.blogspot.com.

Noah Leigh ’04 and Daphne Meyers Leigh ’05 of West Allis, Wis., have been affectionately dubbed “the people with the pugs” by their neighbors.

Their interest in pugs began out of necessity because they needed to find a small dog that fit into their urban lifestyle.

Pugs were their first choice because Noah grew up in a “pug family.” And once they welcomed their first dog into their

Daphne Meyers Leigh ’05 and Noah Leigh ’04 not only have pugs of their own but also serve as a foster family for other pugs who need a loving home.

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home, it was clear that they would be “pug people” for life.

The couple has translated their love of dogs into a reason to become actively engaged in the greater community.

Daphne and Noah have been involved with the Northern Illinois Pug Rescue and Adoption (NIPRA) ever since they became foster parents for a little pug named Louie.

After taking care of him for a few months, the couple decided to make him a permanent member of their family.

“He was too good to give up!” says Daphne. “We just couldn’t see him go to another new home.”

They later became a temporary foster family for a dog named Ryno and adopted their newest dog, Fozzie, last year. Both dogs were in desperate need of some physical care, a sign of how important it is to have the right dog in the right home.

“The most important thing anyone considering getting a dog should know is that you have to do some research to find out what kind of dog will suit you best,” says Daphne.

As firm believers in pug “One reason a dog rescue and adoption, Noah can be such a comfort and Daphne volunteered at the annual Milwaukee Pug when you’re feeling Fest on behalf of the blue is that he doesn’t NIPRA. try to find out why.”

Daphne and Noah also have been using their expe~ Author Unknown rience as a pug foster family to help potential families know what to expect and assist in the transportation of the rescued dogs to their new homes.

“It’s really exciting to see someone who is truly happy getting a dog,” says Daphne. “People light up when they really love dogs and can’t wait to get one of their own or help out some dogs that haven’t found that forever home, yet.”

Peggy Stevens, professor of biology, grew up in the country and has always loved dogs.

“We had a pet mixed breed that looked just like Spot — as in [the characters from the popular children’s learning books] Dick, Jane and Spot,” Stevens says. “I was always out in the woods or marsh somewhere. My mother didn’t believe in house dogs. We never did see eye-to-eye on my dog habit.”

Now, Stevens is devoted to Labrador retrievers, and that, she says, is her ex-husband’s fault.

“He wanted a hunting dog,” she says. “We got a Lab. The dog was impossible to live with without training, so we took him to obedience classes. I took over and got hooked on it, and I started doing obedience — heels, sits, stays, comes when you call. A few years down the road, with all the effort and time I put into it, I thought I’d like to have one that was a really good specimen of the breed.”

From an acquaintance at the University of CaliforniaSanta Cruz, Stevens got her first conformation dog to train for competition, and the dog eventually became a champion. She went with a Lab because that was the breed she started with, but she grew to love its special qualities.

“It’s an easy breed to live with,” she says. “They’re very versatile and have a good temperament. They’re very active dogs. If you show them for conformation, you don’t have to do a lot of grooming. They’re shorthaired and stay pretty clean.”

Stevens often shows Labs in competitions similar to the Westminster Kennel Club dog show. These determine dogs who best personify a written standard of the breed. The winners then compete against dogs who have won their own classes to earn points toward their championship.

Winners of “best of breed” compete against other dogs in the same general group (sporting for Labs) and then for best in show.

Because Stevens breeds her own dogs, she needs a minimum of five or six dogs at one time to keep the breeding program going. There is a period of just three to four years out of a lifetime of 13 or 14 years in which a female can be bred.

Stevens says Labs have utility in many functions. Some of her dogs are hunters and help find birds in the field.

“That’s a conservation issue, too,” she says. “If a hunter shoots a bird and can’t find it, they’re entitled to shoot another bird. The dogs make sure the birds who are killed or crippled are found and brought back to Professor of Biology Peggy Stevens, right, breeds Labrador retrievers and raises them for hunting and service. the hunter.”

She is shown here with Jake as he earns his first win in competition.

At least six of her dogs have become service dogs, helping handishow ring. Most Lab breeders concentrate on one or the capped people with everyday needs, such as retrieving other, and it is much harder to get the working ability and things from high counters, the conformation in a single individual. handing over the money to “We long for an Stevens stays in touch with many of the people who puraffection altogether pay for purchases in stores, chase her dogs, and some have gotten more than one from and answering doorbells and ignorant of our her. telephones. faults. Heaven has “Most of my friends not associated with the College are One puppy was just sold dog people,” she says. “I keep in touch with most of my accorded this to us in to become a search-and-resbuyers. We remain friends, often for decades.” the uncritical canine cue dog.

But mostly, she just loves her dogs.

Stevens is part of a relaattachment.”

“It’s so fundamental to me,” she says. tively small cadre of Lab ~ George Elliot breeders who attempt to More information on Stevens’ dogs can be found at www.linamialabradors.com. r breed dogs with working credentials — field and/or obedience titles — as well as the Stories compiled by Jaye Alderson, Megan Captaine ’09, conformation that allows them to be competitive in the Liz Kunde ’09 and Jordan Lander ’09

SPRING 2009 11

‘I feel like I’m really making a difference … it’s a very rewarding career’

A look at some of

Ripon’s alumni teachers

A

chasm exists between master’s students in a business program and third-graders struggling with their basic multiplication facts. Still, there is a bridge that connects the two. That bridge is the teachers who find ways to reach and inspire their pupils at both ends of the spectrum.

Here, Ripon Magazine features seven educators: three university professors, a college vice president, a high school social studies teacher, a retired elementary teacher and a current elementary teacher who is using song to reinforce her lessons.

Almost 80 percent of new jobs in the United States are being created by small businesses, and tough economic times make entrepreneurial endeavors even more critical, according to Frank “Frenchie” Lockwood ’65 of Sylva, N.C. Lockwood is an associate professor of entrepreneurship and Frank “Frenchie” director of the MasLockwood ’65 ter of Entrepreneurship (ME) program at Western Carolina University.

12 RIPON MAGAZINE

Kathleen “Kay” Rains ’71 assists students at Ross School in Braintree, Mass., where she taught for 33 years.

Photo courtesy of the Braintree Forum

“The objective of the ME program is to help people learn the skills necessary to start and run a new venture, small business, family business, franchise or technology business,” Lockwood says.

Western Carolina is part of the University of North Carolina system and the only university in the state to offer a bachelor’s of science in entrepreneurship and a master’s of entrepreneurship.

“To my knowledge, ours is the only master’s of entrepreneurship degree offered in the country,” Lockwood says.

In 2005, the U.S. Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship recognized Western’s ME program as the “outstanding” master’s of business degree program. The program also has been recognized by the U.S. Army, and starting this fall, it will be a part of the

One Army Education program offered to all active duty and reserve personnel.

An important attribute of Western’s degree programs, according to Lockwood, is the fact that all members of the faculty have extensive careers as entrepreneurs.

“I’ve started more than 20 businesses in my lifetime; some that have worked and some not,” Lockwood says. “It’s a big advantage when you are in the classroom to be able to draw on real-world experience regarding what it takes to successfully run a business. My experience gives me credibility with my students. Many business educators have not had to make payroll from their own funds at the end of a week,” he says.

Plus, Lockwood says, the typical MBA program “help[s] students learn skills needed to succeed in an existing large business. That’s vastly different

from starting a business.”

After leaving the 101st Airborne in 1967, he attended Emory University in Atlanta where he earned his master’s degree. Years later, in 1990, after selling a publishing company, Lockwood returned to school. He earned his doctorate in strategic management from the University of South Carolina in 1998.

“Competing with younger students after being away from school for 25 years was a challenge,” he says.

Now, as director of Western’s ME program, Lockwood recruits new students, many of whom are older. The average age of his students is 37. This fall, Lockwood plans to admit 50 students, a 25-percent increase from previous years.

“To get into our program, you have to have an idea, a dream of something you want to create,” Lockwood says.

“When students leave, they will have learned the skill to start the new venture they dreamt about when they entered the program.”

Lockwood has been at Western for six years and was awarded tenure this spring at the age of 66. He has been recognized twice as outstanding entrepreneurship professor and in 2006 was a finalist for the Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor of the Year award. He continues to be an entrepreneur, starting a biotech business in March. He works with the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians on business endeavors and financial literacy.

He also is working with the North Carolina Community College System to help create an applied arts and science degree in entrepreneurship which is tied to Western’s bachelor’s program.

“Students going to their local community college can dual enroll which offers recipients of the AAS degree automatic acceptance into our bachelor’s program,” Lockwood says. “My goal is to spread entrepreneurship education across North Carolina.”

When Jill Thornburg White ’69 of Valparaiso, Fla., was growing up, she determined that education was to be her life.

“I come from a family of educators, and I had [created my own] school in my

basement when I was a kid — Mrs. Merriweather’s School for Good Children,” White says. She says education drew her because of its “abilJill Thornburg ity to make small White ’69 changes in people’s lives that turn out to be big changes.

There’s nothing like seeing the light bulb go on when a student understands.”

White, senior vice president at Northwest Florida State College, also is filling the role of interim president, while a search for a permanent president is under way.

She originally planned to teach high school English, but a job teaching developmental English, reading and English as a second language in a community college setting changed her focus.

“I did not start out understanding the community college system in the United States at all,” White says. “In community colleges, you are reaching a little bit of every single part of American society — from displaced homemakers and military vets to grandfathers and grandsons graduating at the same time. The difference you’re making in education crosses all aspects of society. Our students come from every corner of the country, international students, recent high school graduates and seekers of second careers. Students range from those who are 18 to students who are 85. It’s exciting to see those students interact with each other.

“That’s what keeps people alive. It’s what keeps your brain active, your emotions active. Whether you’re on a home computer, or with someone in a shopping mall or at work, you’re dealing with people from the full cross-section of society. Education gives people the tools to deal with society successfully and happily.”

After earning a master’s degree in accounting, White taught accounting for several years at Pensacola (Fla.) Junior College. She then earned a doctorate in education from Florida State University, and her dissertation won a

national award for best dissertation for legal issues in education.

She was vice president for instruction and student services at Everett Community College just north of Seattle before coming to Northwest Florida 12 years ago. Northwest Florida used to be a two-year school, but White wrote proposals for expanding the school’s offerings to baccalaureate degrees, and it became a four-year institution in 2003.

She also wrote the proposal to have a charter high school offered there, the first community college in the state and possibly the nation to do so.

“Our students graduate with both a high school diploma and an associate two-year degree at the same time,” she says.

But she also continues to teach because that is where her heart lies.

“There aren’t very many careers where you have an opportunity to make an immediate change in someone’s life,” she says. “I like to think each individual student I’ve worked with will go out and make a difference in the world, and that magnifies the impact.”

To spend 35 years of one’s life dedicated to the same profession signifies diligence, commitment and, above all, a stout passion for your line of work.

Kathleen “Kay” Rains ’71 of Braintree, Mass., is a perfect illustration of such character, because she was an educator for 3-1/2 decades before retiring last June.

Upon completing her major in philosophy at Ripon in the fall of 1971, Rains spent her spring semester enrolled in the Colleges of the Midwest Urban Student Teaching Program in Chicago.

“This was an extremely beneficial and important experience, as at the time, it was very difficult to obtain teaching jobs,” Rains says. “This experience gave me the opportunity to broaden my background and to stand out amongst other candidates for job openings.”

After completing the program, Rains moved to Orchard Park, N.Y., where she taught second grade for two years. She then moved to Braintree, a suburb of Boston, where she taught in Braintree Public Schools for 33 years, most all of SPRING 2009 13

the years in second grade. While devoting herself to her career, Rains still found time to continue her own education, earning an additional 45 education credits as well as her master’s degree in 1999.

Being engulfed in the same occupation and same community for such an extended time period meant Rains encountered the unique experience of teaching some of the children of her former students.“I must admit that it is a little strange when I run into one of my students who is grown and married, but I still remember him or her as a secondgrader,” she explained to a local reporter from Braintree.

Rains maintains that her retirement was bittersweet, as even after all those years teaching day in and day out, she still found joy in returning to work each morning to educate the community’s youths. “I considered teaching to be a very creative career,” she says. “Every year, every class and every child was different.”

Rains explains her approach to education: “Have high expectations of your children. If you have confidence in your students and believe they can achieve something, they will get the message.

They will work hard and they will do well.”

Rains lives in Braintree with her husband, Kevin, a fellow Ripon graduate from the class of 1971.

Linda Mogicato Sasser ’75 of Bloomingdale, Ill., has been the director of the Master of Education Program and professor of education at Judson University for the past three years. In these positions, she has taught educational psychology for undergraduates as well as graduate courses for teachers, and directed a 13-month program training teachers in research-based instructional strategies and practices.

Sasser was so inspired by her educational psychology course at Ripon, taught by Professor Emeritus Larry Miller, that she chose to obtain her master’s and doctorate degrees in educational psychology at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She has a passion for learning and is constantly working 14 RIPON MAGAZINE

new research findings into her lessons and workshops for pre-service and in-service teachers. She uses her passion for human memory in her presentations Linda Mogicato on brain-based Sasser ’75 learning strategies and how to use memory to its best advantage in the classroom.

She often has opportunities to teach workshops and give presentations on her other interests, which include gender differences in learning, emotional intelligence, cognitive aging and ways to help older adults maintain cognitive vitality.

Sasser’s favorite part of her job is the results she sees in those she teaches.

“One of the rewards is hearing from teachers that they are experiencing success, especially increased student participation and learning, as a result of implementing the strategies they have learned,” she says. “It is exciting to hear teachers share ideas with each other and see their passion for creating better learning environments for their students.”

This fall, Sasser will be teaching a full course load with her primary focus on undergraduates. She will continue to teach educational psychology and other education courses, and will add two sections of the Freshmen Faith and Learning course. Half of this course is about Christian worldview and liberal arts education, and the other half is the professor’s choice, she says.

Her section, “What’s the Brain Got to Do with It?,” will allow students to learn about connections between the brain and learning, memory, emotion, sleep and gender. She is looking forward to teaching about two of her passions: her Christian faith and the brain.

At a time in our nation’s history when patriotism seems renewed and civic engagement deepened, Chad Mateske ’97 of Glendale, Wis., is working to ensure that students are educated about

the democratic process and its evolution throughout America’s history.

Using the “We the People” program, Mateske works with students inside and outside of Chad Mateske ’97 the classroom to research and prepare answers to questions on topics varying from American and world history to political philosophy to current events. The program culminates in competitions at the state and national level. After months of dedication, Mateske and his rookie team at Wauwatosa West won the state competition last year and placed in the top half of all schools at the national level.

“I had a group that worked hard,” says Mateske. “They really came together in the week leading into the State competition, and I thought they had a good chance to win.”

This year, the school defended its title and again went to Washington, D.C., where the team finished 15th in the nation.

“The National competition is something special,” says Mateske. “It is a pretty neat experience and for a few of my kids … it was their first time not only in D.C. but flying period.”

Mateske became involved with “We the People” shortly after taking his first teaching job at Ripon High School. He attended a conference with a fellow teacher about how to employ the program in his classroom and the benefits students could reap. For the next few years, the groundwork was laid and the program was launched.

After experiencing success with his Ripon team, Mateske left his collegiate home and returned to the Milwaukee area where he grew up.

When he began at Wauwatosa West, Mateske saw yet another opportunity to introduce a new school and new students to the program.

Mateske says preparing to teach the course really challenged him because of the volume of information he needed to know in order to facilitate student research.

“The class really makes you do your

homework, but once you have done that — much like your first few years of teaching — you have that base to work from,” says Mateske.

The many hours invested by Mateske and his students paid off, though, as they have won the state competition for the second year in a row.

The program is more than just teaching students information necessary to perform at competitions, though. The lessons learned through the “We the People” program will serve them for the rest of their lives, says Mateske.

“This class prepares these kids to care about government and to realize the importance of being engaged citizens in a representative democracy,” says Mateske.

When Sara Molinski Gallegos ’00 of Denver, Colo., started teaching elementary school students three years ago, most of them spoke primarily Spanish.

“I had to think very creatively about how to reach them,” she says.

To help them remember common slip-ups in many subject areas, she made up little songs to jog their memories.

“They ate it up and began learning very quickly,” GalleSara Molinski gos says. “That Gallegos ’00 sparked something in me to start using songs in my classroom to help teach. It’s a great way for kids to learn material in a way that is not traditional or conventional, but it’s fun and it attaches a positive memory to that learning experience.”

Some of her best efforts have been incorporated into a CD and songbook to use in other classrooms. “Silly Ditties for Kiddies” includes such titles as “4,” “Y,” “Rural, Urban and Suburban,” “6,” “OW,” “Magic H,” “OULD” and “T-I-ON,” addressing social studies, math, sentence structuring and phonics.

Gallegos uses the songs in her thirdgrade classroom at Westview Elementary School in Northglenn, but she says the

concepts can be used from kindergarten up through grade 5.

“The kids love them,” Gallegos says. “Whenever I ask them what is 4 times 5, I’ll hear them start singing the ‘4’ song and then they’ll say, ‘Oh, I have the answer!’ Just seeing them use that on their own makes me know it’s working.

“I see them use them independently when they’re writing, and sometimes during a math test they’re doing the little song. I like to see them using it. I encourage it. I just have to tell them to whisper!”

Gallegos was the February 2009 winner of the “9News Teachers Who Care Award” from a local television station, has had a writeup in a Colorado education association journal.

She sells her materials on the Web site www.sillydittiesforkiddies.com.

Gallegos received her undergraduate degree in computer science from Ripon, and she spent five years working in business. But she didn’t like the stress and the travel, and “I felt like I wasn’t making a difference in business.”

She returned to school to earn a master’s of education from Regis University and began teaching. “I feel like I’m really making a difference, and it’s a very rewarding career,” Gallegos says.

“I love going to work every day.”

When she sees her children successfully using her ditties, “It makes my heart swell up,” she says. “It makes me feel like I’m having an impact on these kids and giving them confidence, as well.”

After more than four decades in education, John A. Stoler ’56 of San Antonio, Texas, continues at age 74. He semi-retired in 2005 from the University of Texas at San Antonio. He now is in “modified service,” teaching one class each semester.

“I can still teach and be almost entirely retired,” he says. “I’ll keep going until they carry me out in a box.

I love teaching. I love the interaction with students.”

Stoler majored in English at Ripon because he liked reading and writing.

“And I liked the faculty,” he says. “I owe a lot of my interest in education to my experiences at Ripon. I loved Ripon.”

Stoler served in the Air Force for four years, then John A. Stoler ’56 worked for JC Penney. But one of his Air Force officers — noting Stoler’s interest in reading and creative writing — encouraged Stoler to go to graduate school and become a teacher. And that’s what he did.

After teaching two years at Fresno State University in California and five years in Pullman, Wash., in 1974 Stoler was invited by a former professor to be a consultant in San Antonio where they were establishing a university. He later was hired to help write the English and humanities programs and has taught there ever since.

“We didn’t have a campus when I came here, and now we have 28,000 students,” Stoler says. “So I’ve really watched it grow from nothing.”

For 21 years, he was associate dean for student affairs, but he likes being solely back in the classroom. “Now I don’t have to put up with student complaints — I just teach my course,” he says. “I teach mostly graduate classes at the master’s and doctorate levels. The students are more mature, and they all want to be there.”

Stoler still does library research to prepare for his classes, and he has leeway to focus on his specialty, 18th and 19th century British fiction. This fall, his class will address the novels of Charles Dickens and Henry Fielding; the spring class will be one he developed about the panoramic novel.

“Of all the choices I’ve made in my life, my best are that I married my wife, Mandy; I stopped smoking; and the third was to go into teaching,” Stoler says. “It’s a gratifying profession.” R Stories compiled by Jaye Alderson, Megan Captaine ’09, Liz Kunde ’09 and Jordan Lander ’09

SPRING 2009 15

These Days at Ripon these days at ripon Briefs BRIEFS A ‘POWER’-FUL POETRY MONTH Acclaimed Dakota author Susan Power helped kick off National Poetry Month at Ripon with a reading of some of her poetry and fiction April 1.

Power, a fiction and nonfiction writer, poet and performer, is an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and a native Chicagoan. Her first novel, The Grass Dancer, was awarded the Penn/Hemingway Prize in 1995, and Roofwalker (a story collection) won the Milkweed National Fiction Prize in 2003.

“In addition to giving a fabulous public reading enjoyed by members of Ripon College and the larger community, Susan Power visited four classes: Life Writing, American Indian Literature & Film, Fiction Writing, and Contemporary Literature,” says Katherine Sontag, visiting assistant professor of English.

“Students loved her enthusiasm, openness, humor and stories. Her visit is another example of how enriching such author visits can be for all of us.”

Power’s visit was sponsored by the Ripon College Visiting Writers Series, with assistance from the Lynne Post Northrop Fund and the Schang Family Visiting Writer Fund.

16 RIPON MAGAZINE

MADSON ’09 RECEIVES ACTIVIST AWARD Haley Madson ’09 of Ripon recently was awarded a Student Activist Award from the Wisconsin Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies. Madson was nominated by Professor of Psychology Joe Hatcher for her work on behalf of the Blue Mountain Project in Jamaica.

Madson was one of three winners to be awarded for an outstanding contribution to activism related to peace and justice issues.

Madson has organized several fund-raisers for the Blue Mountain Project, raising about $1,500 and collecting school supplies for children in Hagley Gap and Penlyne Castle, Jamaica. She also founded a campus group, Student Volunteers for the Blue Mountain Project, which held more fund-raisers.

She has served as a board member for the project and has just been hired as the service learning program coordinator of the Haley Madson ’09 Blue Mountain Project. She has been on three trips to work with the people of Hagely Gap since last May and is planning a fourth trip in August.

“This award means so much to me,” Madson says. “I have always worked to support the project because I believe in its mission and the people of Hagley Gap. It is a real honor to see that someone recognized the amount of time and effort I was putting in.”

Madson will work as an Americorp*Vista for a year and then plans to attend graduate school for a master’s degree in nonprofit management.

ELP GRANTS GIVEN FOR SUMMER STUDIES The Ethical Leadership Program has awarded grants to faculty and students for summer studies.

Faculty Summer Grant recipients will study ethics and ethical leadership issues with the goal of incorporating ethical issues and leadership issues into the curriculum: ■ Paul Jeffries: Revise Philosophy 241 to explore philosophy through film by using readings and discussion supported by philosophical issues played out in film to examine ethical issues.

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

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

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

Student Summer Intern recipients are: ■ Elizabeth McHone, a junior from Stevens Point, Wis.: Ethics of buying and consuming non-local food at home and on campus and its effects on the environment, local economies and our health. Spend time educating the Ripon College community about local food issues and inciting renewed interest in local food and

sustainability by working with Sodexo, local producers, social media and members of the community.

■ Talya Petersik, a senior from Ripon: Ethics of limited resources available to students in schools who have cognitive delays and researching a promising new program, Fast ForWord, to improve student learning and lives and how this ties with educational rights and responsibilities.

■ Luke Lockhart, a senior from Richland Center, Wis.: Researching the ethical use of social networking Web sites and the use of bigotry, exclusion and bullying as it relates to the Ripon College student population.

■ Stephanie Potts, a senior from St. Charles, Ill.: Exploring the ways in which children with disabilities are stigmatized and the ethics of how to enact public awareness of disability.

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

■ Kirsten Collins, a senior from Fremont, Wis.: Conducting a project that will raise questions concerning the adequacy of English-as-a-Learned-Language services at the middle and secondary levels in Ripon and proposing changes to further develop appropriate and effective services.

■ Tomissa Porath, a senior from Shawano, Wis.: Investigating the Milwaukee Public Library systems decision to issue a family card instead of an individual card, causing concerns over the ethics of confidentiality and people’s right to privacy and information.

All recipients will present their findings in presentations on campus.

FOURTH ETHICS CONFERENCE GOES GREEN Almost 100 people — including students, faculty, staff, college trustees, community members, state representatives, business leaders and colleagues from other colleges and universities — attended the free conference “Going Green: How It Can Benefit You, Your Business and Your Environment” April 14.

The Ethical Leadership Program (ELP) partnered with Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) this year to present its annual ethics conference as an informative, fun-packed day directed toward helping both small and large businesses become environmentally responsible.

“This year, we worked to create a unique and timely conference topic that challenged us all to think about our business practices, our organizational goals and the future of generations to come,” says Lindsay Blumer, ELP executive director.

Participants learned about the pressing needs of the environment and how everyday decisions affect it. There also was valuable training about steps and practices to make their businesses both more sustainable and costeffective.

“These concerns continue to offer ethical dilemmas and tough leadership decisions that affect our economy and our lives, now more than ever,” says Blumer.

The day consisted of intimate group discussions and a Future 500 founder Bill keynote address by Bill Shireman. Shireman has helped Shireman provides the many corporate leaders adapt their businesses to become keynote address at the 4th more environmentally friendly. Currently, he is annual ethical leadership coordinating with Fortune 500 companies to become the conference in Great Hall.

This year’s conference Future 500. The Future 500 is a nonprofit organization focused on environmental that helps businesses improve their bottom line through ethics.

Ric Damm photo sustainable business practices.

Briefs BRIEFS SUMMER PLAYERS HAVE COLLEGE TIES Ripon Summer Players opened its 13th season with the comedy classic “The Curious Savage” in June. Ripon Summer Players is a program of Ripon Noon Kiwanis and the Ripon College theatre department.

Performers included Karin Suesser, wife of Joe Hatcher, professor of psychology; Tylor S. Loest ’07; Amy Dorman ’08; Josh De War, director of residence life; Brian Reed, age 5, son of Tim Reed, assistant professor of Spanish; Robin Woods, professor of English, and her husband, Jim Tronoff; Jack Christ, professor of leadership studies; Michelle Fuerch, professor of Spanish; Linda DeCramer ’89; Robert Amsden, professor of theatre; Vida Vande Slunt, West Hall secretary/technician; Kelly Stage, assistant professor of English; and Vicky Weber ’12.

The crew included Kenneth Hill, professor of theatre and chair of the department; Adrienne Fails, technical director of the theatre program; and Susan McDaniel Hill, adjunct professor of theatre.

SPRING 2009 17

Briefs BRIEFS FACULTY NOTES ■ “Paintings by Rafael Francisco Salas,” by the assistant professor of art, is on view through Aug. 16 at the Neville Public Museum in Green Bay. The collection is described as “thoughtful, evocative and dream-like images that are open to everyone’s experiences and interpretation.”

■ By the end of summer, Professor of Music Kurt Dietrich will have performed on three CDs released within a span of a year. Interestingly, the recordings were made during a span of 30 years.

“Magnus,” by the Madison-based Tim Whalen Nonet, was released last summer.

It is a compilation of live performances by the group recorded at the Restaurant Magnus in Madison. “I am not a regular member of this group but was called ‘last minute’ to fill in for the regular trombonist in December 2007. Two of the nine tracks on the album were recorded the night I filled in,” says Dietrich.

Before he taught at Ripon, Dietrich toured the United States for five-and-ahalf years with a nine-piece jazz group called Matrix. During that time, the band recorded four albums (yes, old-fashioned LP records) that were released by major record labels. Two of the band’s albums, “Wizard” (1978) and “Tale of the Whale” (1979), originally were released

by Warner Brothers. Both have been rereleased on CD by the specialty reissue label Wounded Bird Records.

“We were often told that our music was ahead of its time,” Dietrich says. “I don’t think it was 30 years ahead of its time, but someone thinks there is an audience for it now.”

Matrix will reunite for two “gigs” this September – Sept. 4 at the Thrasher Opera House in Green Lake, Wis., and Sept. 5 at the Fox Jazz Fest in Menasha, Wis. ■ Robert Wallace, professor of biology, and Hilary Smith ’07 co-authored the entry “Rotifera,” for the third volume of the Encyclopedia of Inland Waters.

■ Tim Petersik, professor of psychology, published the article “Orientation anisotropy in the Ternum phenomenon” in “Perceptual and Motor Skills.”

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Shireman is called “a master of environmental entrepreneurism.” He has resolved conflicts between some of the world’s largest corporations and environmental activist groups. Shireman forged partnerships between Mitsubishi Motors, Mitsubishi Electric and the Rainforest Action Network to help save the world’s forests; devised a forestry restructuring plan that brought Canada’s biggest forestry company, MacMillan Bloedel, together with Greenpeace and the Sierra Club; wrote many of California’s recycling laws; and forged the coalition that led to the California beverage container recycling law, the nation’s most cost-effective “bottle bill.”

Other presenters included Deke Palececk, Brad Roost and Nicole Roost of Saving Grace Salvage Co.; Sue Loomans, executive director of the Wisconsin Green Building Alliance; and Mary Avery, associate professor of business management.

The entire conference was planned by students who want to see local and national business become more sustainable. “Attendees learned not only how to make their business green but also the valuable advantages of a sustainable business,” says Emily DeVillers, a senior ELP intern from Forestville, Wis.

KHARBUSH ’09 EARNS NSF GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP Jenan Kharbush ’09 of Madison, Wis., has been awarded the 2009 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship. She will attend the University of California-San Diego Scripps Oceanography Institute starting this fall. She will be working toward her doctorate in marine chemistry.

This prestigious fellowship will fund three years of her graduate school work. It also provides funds for foreign travel and access to a supercomputer.

“This is a very big deal in science and engineering,” says Mas Iimura, assistant professor of chemistry. “This is an extremely competitive and prestigious award, allowing students to concentrate on research in graduate schools. It is awarded based on a student’s intellectual merit and potential to conduct research and contribute in science and engineering. The proposal she wrote and submitted for the NSF was the best I have read written by an undergraduate student.”

Jenan Kharbush ’09 Rachel Resop ’08, who now is studying microbiology at UCLA, and Hilary Smith ’07, who is studying for her doctorate in biology at Georgia Tech, both received honorable mention for a 2009 NSF graduate fellowship.

LIBRARY FRIENDS CELEBRATE THIRD YEAR Guest author Ronald Wallace was the keynote speaker at the third annual meeting of Friends of Lane Library March 27.

The Madison-based poet is the Felix Polak Professor of Poetry and Halls-Bascom Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He serves as codirector of the Program in Creative Writing, which he began in 1975, and as editor of the University of Wisconsin Press Poetry Series, which he founded in 1985.

“He’s curious about everything, and that shows up in his work,” says Professor of English David Graham, who introduced Wallace. “He writes with humor and accessibility. He’s a poet of grace and depth and humor.”

Wallace’s readings showed that, ranging from observances in everyday life, to his grandchildren to dealing with cancer. The moods were hilarious at times, and darkly serious at others.

Wallace grew up in St. Louis and worked for a time at the Ronald Wallace public library there. He thought about going into library science, but instead has taught creative writing for 37 years. He says he doesn’t have difficulty finding things to write about.

“The older you get, the more trouble comes to you,” he says. “You don’t have to

Briefs BRIEFS HANNAFORD ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP ESTABLISHED

On May 2, four Ripon students participated in a rocket contest through the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium.

From left, sophomores Matt Madsen of Wisconsin Dells, Wis., Cody Jolin of Altoona, Wis., Jordan Hill of Black Earth, Wis., and junior Dan Schick of Nashotah, Wis., worked on the design and construction of their six-foot rocket since last fall. For the final launch day at Bong Recreation Area in Kansasville, Wis., 12 teams competed from across the state. “Although our rocket did not fly the highest (one of the goals this year), it came out of the crash as ‘re-flyable with minor repairs,’ which counts for something,” says Sarah J. Desotell, assistant professor of physics. “Overall, the team gained valuable experience and are excited to apply what they’ve learned in next year’s competition.”

Rocket Students Look Forward to Next Year

look for it.”

He says that when something happens in his life, he thinks, “I could write poems about this, so I did. Every poem you write … is a political act.”

His “intelligent linguistic humor” was well-received by the approximate 50 attendees.

NORTH KOREAN HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERT SPEAKS The executive director of the U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, Chuck Downs, spoke on campus April 6. The Ripon College International Relations Club was the sponsor.

Downs was on the board of the committee for human rights in the Pentagon’s East Asia Office from 2001 to 2008, and acted as treasurer from 2004 to 2008. He served as assistant director of the Office of Foreign Military Rights Affairs where he negotiated the military use of Diego Garcia with the United Kingdom.

Downs has published many articles regarding defense issues and foreign policy and wrote the book Over The Line: North Korea’s Negotiating Strategy.

At Ripon, Downs addressed issues of foreign policy and human rights present in North Korea today.

“After the talk, all I heard on campus was positive remarks about Mr. Downs’

More than a half century of dedicated service to Ripon and generations of its students will be celebrated with the establishment of the Professor Robert V. “Spud” and Neola Hannaford Endowed Scholarship Fund.

Future generations of students will be the ultimate beneficiaries of the funds, as income will generate annual scholarships for students with an interest in philosophy who exhibit Hannaford’s qualities of scholarship, leadership, integrity and service to others. A minimum of $50,000 is sought to establish the endowed scholarship fund, and the generosity of alumni and friends already has committed more than $30,000.

The College will celebrate Hannaford’s 80th birthday and formally present the scholarship during Homecoming weekend, from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, in the Dahm Heritage Room of Pickard Commons. All are invited to attend.

Hannaford first began teaching philosophy at Ripon College in 1956. Although he retired in 1996, he continues to teach as an adjunct professor.

For more information or to make a pledge toward the endowment, contact the Advancement Office at 1-877-231-0455.

COLLEGE REPUBLICANS HOST STATEWIDE CONVENTION The Ripon College Republicans were host to this year’s convention for the Wisconsin Federation of College Republicans March 27 and 28.

Students converging on the Ripon campus discussed issues important to the Republican Party and established goals for the coming year and beyond.

Student leaders from across the state learned from one another with the intent of building and revitalizing the political groups on their own campuses. In addition to electing new officers, students will pass resolutions and host a dinner banquet.

SPRING 2009 19

Briefs BRIEFS CHEMISTRY STUDENTS PRESENT POSTER Bryan Nell ’09 of St. Germain, Wis., and Jon Paretsky ’09 of Eagle River, Wis., presented a poster of their research, titled “Synthesis of organometallic compounds bearing tridenate podand thioether ligands,” at the Inorganic Chemistry Division Poster Session at the 237th American Chemical Society National Meeting held in Salt Lake City, Utah, in March.

This poster was based on the research they conducted with Assistant Professor of Chemistry Mas Iimura for the past two years at Ripon. The goal of the research, still ongoing, is to study and explore the organometallic chemistry of late transition metals in sulfur-rich coordination environments.

appearance at Ripon,” says Tyler Otts ’09, president of the International Relations Club. “It opened a lot of students’ minds to the monstrosities going on in North Korea by the oppressive government. Paired with the movie the International Relations Club showed a few weeks after Mr. Downs’ talk — called ‘The Crossing’ — these showed students what is going on in North Korea.”

YOUTH SUMMIT SHARES PERSPECTIVES ON CRIME This year’s Forum on Ethics and Oratory Youth Summit focused on ethical issues related to communication about crime in American culture.

The Forum Scholar, who visited the campus in February, was Professor Jim Haney ’76 of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Haney enlightened attendees of his presentation on particular issues related to the topic, stemming from his background as not only a professor of public relations courses, but also as a previous director of research and information for the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

The Youth Summit extended the forum’s message to the high school level.

Participating high school students developed a deeper understanding of the subject and engaged in workshop sessions about the role of ethics and oratory in leadership.

They also viewed three presentations by area experts on the topic.

Evan Perrault from Green Bay, Wis., television station Fox 11 gave a presentation about the media’s side of the topic. A panel of law enforcement officials, including Alix Olson and Michael Hanson of the Madison Police Department and Mike Galvin from the Wisconsin State Patrol, enlightened attendees about the inverse side of crime coverage. Jacqueline Clark, assistant professor of sociology, spoke about “Race and Crime in the Media: A Sociological Perspective.”

“Youth Summit provides our seniors with a unique opportunity,” says Communication Department Chair Jody Roy. “It’s both a capstone of our seniors’ work within the major and an outreach program that allows them to share what they’ve learned with younger students.”

“Planning an event of this substance and magnitude was a lot of responsibility and a great challenge,” says Jordan Lander, a senior from Westby, Wis. “After months of planning and hard work, it was amazing to see the fruits of our labor pay off and to watch the Evan Perrault, far left, general assignment news reporter for Fox 11 television of Green Bay, Wis., talks with, from left, knowledge we have gained Kevin McGuire ’09, Assistant Professor of Communication as communication majors Steve Martin and Tyler Brunette ’09 following April’s Forum enrich others, as well.” on Ethics and Oratory Youth Summit.

SIFE PLACES SECOND AT NATIONALS Once again, the Ripon College Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team was recognized as a regional champion at competition in Chicago. Ripon’s students went on to compete at the national level in Philadelphia, May 10 through 12.

At nationals, the Ripon SIFE team placed second in the Entrepreneurial Topic Competition for the formation of the Creative Enterprise Center, a student-led consulting business that assists community businesses and organizations. The project was presented by Chris Larsen ’09, Milaca, Minn., group leader, and Paul Williams ’10, New London, Wis. 20 RIPON MAGAZINE

This year’s team included 31 active members from 19 different majors, and completed more than 1,500 total hours, 15 total projects, and impacted more than 2,200 people.

Active members from this year’s team are: ■ Ray Anderson ’09, Fox River Grove, Ill. (business advisory board director, project leader and presenter) ■ Jonathan Bailey ’10, Hortonville, Wis. (project leader) ■ Elyse Beine ’11, Mayville, Wis. ■ David Bennett ’09, Unity, Wis. (VP of productions) ■ Robert Bergfeld ’09, Ballwin, Mo. (co-president and presenter) ■ Paul Braun ’10, Mayville, Wis. (productions team) ■ Nick Damico ’09, Germantown, Wis. (presenter) ■ Ryan Eggert ’10, Algoma, Wis. ■ Joe Faulds ’10, De Pere, Wis. (project leader) ■ Brad Fehly ’09, Mukwonago, Wis. (VP of consulting) ■ Adam Firgens ’10, Suring, Wis. ■ Blair Gebhardt ’09, Whitefish Bay, Wis. ■ Kirsten Gerek ’10, Glenview, Ill. ■ Blanca Gomez ’09, Livermore, Calif. (project leader) ■ Peter Hollmaier ’10, Oshkosh, Wis. (project leader) ■ Erin Hying ’12, Waterford, Wis. ■ Josh Kjell ’10 Ellison Bay, Wis. (VP of finance and presenter) ■ Chris Larsen ’09, Milaca, Minn. (director of the Creative Enterprise Center) ■ Whitney Levash ’10, Brillion, Wis. ■ Robert Ludwin ’09, Prospect Heights, Ill. ■ Haley Madson ’09, Ripon ■ Mary McDonald ’10, Denmark, Wis. (presenter) ■ Melinda McNett ’09, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. (presenter) ■ Josh Novak ’11, Denmark, Wis. ■ Angela Olivas ’09, Malone, Wis. (co-president and presenter) ■ Casey Riesing ’12, Milwaukee, Wis. ■ Vinny Rocco ’11, New Berlin, Wis. ■ Cathie Schult ’09, Marathon, Wis. ■ Jessica Solverud ’10, Wausau, Wis. ■ Jim Statza ’11 Lake Bluff, Ill. ■ Paul Williams ’10, New London, Wis. (VP of development and project leader) “The students have great attitude and all fired up about next year,” says SIFE Adviser Mary Avery, associate professor and director of the business management program. “SIFE improves every year, largely because of the involvement of the entire campus community. We have 19 different majors in SIFE, and I know that the diversity of interests and abilities is what sets us apart. There’s a lot of collaboration. SIFE service opportunities take what students are doing in the classroom and apply those lessons directly to community problems.”

Calendar Calendar August 21 Faculty & Staff Opening Meeting August 22 Residence Halls Open for All New Students August 24 Residence Halls Open for All Returning Students August 25 Registration August 26 Classes Begin August 27 15th Annual Ripon Area Clergy Association Potluck September 1 Matriculation Convocation September 2 Student Activities Fair September 11 & 12 Teagle Conference September 12 Sigma Chi Derby Days September 17 Constitution & Citizenship Day September 18-20 Family Weekend September 24 6th Annual Iron Chef Cooking Competition October 2 Arts & All That Jazz

VELORUTION TO ROLL AGAIN The first Ripon College Velorution Project (RVP), the innovative bicycle program for first-year students, had so many unknowns it could have been called the Velorution Experiment. A little more than one year after the debut of the famous free-bike program, however, college officials feel the experiment is worth repeating.

“The RVP will be offered once again to the class of 2013,” says President David C. Joyce. “Leave your car at home this fall and we’ll give you a quality bike to keep.

That’s still the deal.”

The program’s $50,000 price tag is not insignificant for a college Ripon’s size.

Despite some belt-tightening in other areas, however, the College was loath to scale back or eliminate the RVP.

October 3 Homecoming 50th Anniversary of the Delta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Chi Omega October 10 Fall Ball October 19-23 Fall Break SPRING 2009 21

Briefs BRIEFS STUDENT GROUPS HOST BREAD FOR THE WORLD The Campus Christian Fellowship and Amnesty International co-sponsored the workshop “More Bang for Our Development Buck$,” given April 23 by representatives from Bread for the World (BFW).

The focus of the workshop was “to cut global hunger and poverty through reform of U.S. foreign aid.” Presenters were Tammy Walhof, senior regional organizer for the BFW’s Midwest office, and Beth Lepinski, Wisconsin volunteer state coordinator.

BFW “is a collective Christian voice urging our nation’s decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad. By changing policies, programs, and conditions that allow hunger and poverty to persist, we provide help and opportunity far beyond the communities in which we live.”

Paul F. Jeffries, associate professor of philosophy who supported the students’ efforts, says, “I thought the workshop provided helpful insights into many practical dimensions of U.S. foreign aid and how it might be reformed to be more effective, especially to those in most need.”

RIPON HOSTS HIGH SCHOOL FORENSICS CHAMPS For the fifth consecutive year, Ripon College and the Ripon Area School District hosted the Wisconsin Forensic Coaches Association high school state championships April 18. Nearly 1,000 students, 250 teachers and coaches, and a number of parents attended.

Forty Ripon College students served as volunteers on a campus that doubled in population in just one day.

“The coaches repeatedly tell me how happy they are to come to our friendly and welcoming campus and community,” says Deano Pape, director of forensics and tournament liaison. “We are proud to serve as the host site for an activity that is valued across the state of Wisconsin.”

22 RIPON MAGAZINE

“We’re facing the same economic challenges as many other colleges, but the support of this program by our alumni, trustees and friends hasn’t abated. I think that speaks to how much we believe in it,” says Joyce. “It’s part of our identity now.”

Initially conceived as a way to mitigate parking woes on campus, the program’s focus expanded to address such concerns as student wellness, fuel costs, pollution and safety. Since its February 2008, introduction variations on the program have been implemented at several other colleges.

Cannondale is the official bicycle partner of the 2009 edition of the Velorution, which will apply a custom paint scheme and Ripon College graphics in red and white to each F9 mountain bike used for the program. Locks and lights will be furnished by Madison, Wis.-based Planet Bike.

About 1/3 of participating students responded to a recent survey about their experience. Ric Damm, RVP coordinator and cycling coach, says the program seems to have resonated with students.

“Feedback was very positive. The majority of students said they used their bikes for recreation and to run errands off campus,” Damm says. “While we still need to address bike parking in some key areas on campus, overall I think the program fared well in year one.”

Although this year’s participants could bring a car this fall if they want, 81 percent of respondents said they won’t do it, either because their bike is sufficient (52 percent) or they don’t have a car at all (29 percent). Fifty-four percent of respondents said their bike use increased as a result of the RVP, and 82 percent said they would encourage future students to sign the pledge.

The 2008 pledge offered a free Trek mountain bike to any first-year who vowed not to bring a car to campus for the duration of the year. More than 160 students took the deal, or six of every 10 in the Class of 2012.

FORENSICS SENDS THREE TO NATIONALS Ripon sent three more events to nationals at the American Forensics Association District IV tournament hosted by Gustavus Adolphus College in March. District IV includes colleges and universities from Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin.

Sophomore Garrison McMurtrey of Canton, Miss., had the tournament of his career. He was named tournament champion in After Dinner Speaking for his speech about the commercialization of Barack Obama.

McMurtrey also took second place in extemporaneous speaking and fifth place in impromptu speaking. The first- and secondplace finishes earned him the opportunity to take those two events, along with his duo with Jeff M. Davis, a sophomore from Rockton, Ill. (which was qualified at-large during the regular season), to nationals.

Luke Lockhart, a junior from Richland Center, Wis., was tournament champion in extemporaneous speaking and took that event along with impromptu speaking (qualified at-large) to nationals.

Director of Forensics Deano Pape was honored with the Garrison Larry Schnoor Distinguished Service Award for his service to McMurtrey ’11 the forensics community. It is the highest coaching honor bestowed at the district level.

“To say that we have grown new wings and taken flight in the past two years is an understatement,” says Pape. “I could not be more proud of this team and this College. We are, indeed, very fortunate to have such quality students representing our institution.”

At the American Forensics Association national tournament held in April at the University of Akron, four of Ripon’s five events finished in the top half of the standings, and overall the College defeated more than 25 other colleges and universities based on those individual results. r

2009 May Bumby Severy Award Recipient

Matzke insists teaching is also about learning

T

he standard line about why people should study history is that those who don’t learn from the past are condemned to repeat it. But Assistant Professor of History Rebecca Berens Matzke says it’s much more complex than that.

“Part of the fun of doing history is that there are so many interpretations of it,” she says. “There can be lots of lessons.

History is important for teaching you new ways to think. It gives you the idea people can and DO do things differently, which can make you think about yourself and current events.

It’s a great tool for learning critical thinking. You realize the past is not simple. The interpretations are very complex, and you can apply that critical thinking to other parts of your life.”

Bringing that wider interpretation of history to the classroom has earned Matzke the 2009 May Bumby Severy, Class of 1908, Award, given in recognition of excellence in undergraduate teaching.

“It was a wonderful surprise,” she says. “It’s very humbling to have somebody think I was doing a good job. It’s really rewarding.”

A love for history and for teaching was instilled early in Matzke. She was born in Seward, Neb. “a little college town amazingly like Ripon,” she says. “I first got interested in history as a little kid in Nebraska going to auctions with my dad and buying antiques. I was fascinated by old stuff. Somebody else had held this, and they had a life. How did they come here? I remember a set of wooden marbles that we got that were incredibly old. I thought, ‘There was a kid here like me who was playing like me,’ and I speculated on people’s lives.”

She also had several educators in her family. Her grandfather was a first-generation college student from a small farming town in Iowa, and he became an English professor.

Both of her parents were elementary and junior high school teachers, and later ran the town’s weekly newspaper.

Her mother later went back to school to earn her doctorate and become a journalism professor.

“There was always the thought in my mind, ‘I’ve got all this neat stuff I’m interested in, and teaching would let me share that with others,’ ” Matzke says.

“To broaden their worlds and think about other cultures, in the past, other parts of the world, our own culture, realizing that you have a culture and that it colors the way you look at things.”

Matzke attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln for her undergraduate degree in history and English, and she says she had some really great Assistant Professor of History Rebecca Berens Matzke says learning is a two-way street when it comes to her professors who inspired her and students. Here, she shares a learning exchange with Nasif Rogers ’07.

Bill Denison photo

SPRING 2009 23

Comments from Matzke’s nomination for the award included:

encouraged her to think about how difference in how you perceive the ■ “When asked if there was anything about people get their information from subject.” the class or the instructor’s teaching methods the past.

Matzke’s studies are widethat should be changed, the student said, ‘No, “There is not just one thing ranging and she likes to employ she is amazing.’ ” going on in the past,” she says. “A different techniques in the ■ “She does a great job preparing her students particular writer has a perspective. classroom. for discussions by giving them questions on My teachers really tried to encour“I lecture, I have discussions, I the reading to think about in advance. Her age me to think about my sources have art days to make the students discussions weave material from lectures and and how much fun history is.” express visually and graphically films in addition to the readings.”

Teaching classes in graduate some of the concepts we’ve been ■ “ … It is important to note that she is a school at Cornell University in talking about,” she says. “I like to model for faculty/student collaboration.”

Ithaca, N.Y., “convinced me I do a variety of things in the class■ “She did an excellent job of selecting topics really like to do research, but I also room, just getting students to think and material that would stimulate student like to be in the classroom with about things, think about sources. interest while introducing concepts and skills students,” she says.

It’s great getting them to talk about that could be carried forward to other She earned her doctorate at the things and realize. ‘Oh, I never courses.” end of 2000, then was an adjunct thought about that before.’ Those ■ “She also did an incredibly good job of balprofessor at the University of light bulb moments. I’d rather ancing readings, documentary films, lectures, Nebraska while her husband, Bill, have that happen than me saying, discussions and debates in the construction of attended graduate school. They ‘This is the way you ought to look the course schedule.” now live in Oshkosh, Wis., where at it.’ ” they are raising their two children And she continues to find that and Bill runs Matzke Dairy Condiscovery for herself. sulting. Matzke was thrilled to find a position at Ripon, which “It’s fun being a historian,” she says. “The great thing about is so much like her hometown. growing old when you’re a historian is that you have more “It’s very friendly,” she says. “Ripon felt very comfortable, context to consider stuff. That’s one of the best things about just like home. We’re very happy to be in a place where we this job. You can’t teach something unless you really know it. both have jobs we like. College students are great to be You prepare for class, do your own primary source research, around, Ripon College students in particular. They’ve been and you learn from the students. They ask questions or bring pretty consistently ready to learn, open to different things. It’s in ideas from other classes. What you end up with is not just a a really welcoming atmosphere, and it’s great to be around all teaching job but a learning job.” r those young minds that are picking things up from different sources. And they have great ideas, too. They force TRUSTEE PROFILE: me to think about how there are AMES LARK different ways to look at things. It’s definitely a two-way street. You get to Elected July 1985 every individual has something learn all the time because you’re Spouse: Martha he or she brings to the table as teaching.”

Business: Attorney/Partner a Trustee, Jim feels he is able to In nominating Matzke for the Foley & Lardner LLP contribute insight because of Severy Award, one of her colleagues his extensive history with the wrote: “Her energy and enthusiasm fill Jim Clark felt motivated to College. He also benefits the the classroom.” serve on the Board of Board with his legal expertise.

“That seems to make a big differTrustees because it allows Jim stays active in his spare ence to students, when they see that him to give back to his time, with his favorite hobbies you really love the subject, and that undergraduate institution being golf and skiing. His that played a very imporposition on the Board has you’re not just going through the James R. Clark ’68 tant role in his life. Since made him aware that two of motions,” Matzke says. “You really love becoming a member of the Board in the College’s most pertinent challenges this, and that can get them to love it, 1985, Jim feels he receives much in are maintaining reasonable affordabiltoo. That’s always my hope, based on return for the time he invests as a ity and attractiveness to teachers of my own in high school and Trustee. future students. However, he finds the college who were really passionate “The reward is in the association dedication of Ripon College’s leaders about the subjects and thinking skills with other Trustees, the administraone of the most promising aspects of that are involved. It makes a big tion, faculty and students,” he says. As the institution.

J

24 RIPON MAGAZINE

R. C

’68

Sports sports Baerenwald ’12 takes third at nationals in shot put Softball, baseball break records but falter in post-season

H

eidi Baerenwald may be only in her first year of collegiate track and field, but the first-year from Appleton, Wis., proved she can compete with anyone. As the only representative from Ripon at the 2009 NCAA National Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Baerenwald finished third in the shot put.

Baerenwald’s school-record throw of 46-06.75 was five feet off the mark of the 2009 champion and eight inches behind the second-place competitor.

She recorded the top throw of any Wisconsin athlete, while also out-throwing everyone from the Midwest Conference (MWC). Baerenwald, who earned honors as a 2009 All-American, was the only first-year to qualify for the finals.

Her throw broke her own previous school record, set earlier this year, by 11 inches. During the outdoor season, Baerenwald finished in the top three in all eight of the meets in which she competed, including six first-place finishes.

As a team, the Red Hawk track-andfield women ended 2009 with a fourthplace finish at the MWC Championships. Baerenwald set a new MWC record in the shot put and earned MWC First-Team honors.

Joining Baerenwald as a First-Team All-Conference performer was Trisha Jones (Sr., Marengo, Ill.), who won the

Heidi Baerenwald ’12

Trisha Jones ’09

triple jump at the MWC Championships with a distance of 3511. Jones also set a school record at that meet in the 400 intermediate hurdles, running the preliminaries in a time of 1:06.02.

Brittany Dick (Sr., Amherst, Wis.) earned Second-Team AllConference honors in the 3,000meter steeplechase and was named to the third team in the 1,500-meter run. Jessica Davey (Jr., Berlin, Wis.) also placed her name into the Ripon record books, breaking the six-year-old record in the 5,000 meters with a time of 18:29.68.

SOFTBALL The softball team entered 2009 as the defending conference champions, and — for most of the season First-Team, All-Conference performer Andrea Knorr ’09 finished her Ripon career with a school-record 271 — they played like champs. The strikeouts.

Al Fredrickson photo Red Hawks finished the year 2014 and 12-1 in the MWC on the final day of competition.

(Ripon’s best conference record in program The one constant on this year’s team history). Ripon boasted a 5-0 mark at this was pitching. Ripon hurlers led the year’s MWC Crossover Tournament. It was league with a combined 2.17 ERA. That the first time in school history the Red was nearly two runs fewer than the Hawks had gone undefeated at that event. next-best team. The pitching staff was In a season of firsts, 2009 also marked led by Andrea Knorr (Sr., Neenah, the first time Ripon hosted the MWC Wis.) and Brittnee Peotter (So., Conference Tournament. After winning a Kaukauna, Wis.), who both were named pair of games in dramatic fashion on the First-Team All-Conference. first day of the tourKnorr finished the season 10-8 with a ney, the Red Hawks 2.29 ERA and 85 strikeouts, giving her a needed to win just school-record 271 strikeouts for her once on the second career. That broke the previous record day to assure themof 226, which was held by first-year head selves of back-to-back coach Jen Mueller ’07. In addition, conference crowns.

Knorr finished her stellar career in the Unfortunately, it wastop five in innings pitched (428.2), vicn’t meant to be. tories (34), earned-run average (2.44) Ripon dropped two and complete games (41). Knorr also set games to St. Norbert Brittnee Peotter ’11

SPRING 2009 25

Cross Country receives Academic Recognition Ripon’s 2009 women’s cross team cumulative GPA of 3.14. country team received national To receive recognition, teams recognition from the U.S. must have a team score at the Track & Field and Cross NCAA regional meet and have a Country Coaches Association team cumulative GPA of at least when it released its annual list 3.10. of national all-academic Jessica Davey (Jr., Berlin, teams. The Ripon women Wis.) received individual recogniranked third in the nation with tion, as well. To receive individual a team cumulative grade point honors, students must place in the average (GPA) of 3.75. top 25 percent at the NCAA There are approximately regional meet and meet the GPA Jessica Davey ’11 390 teams in Division III that requirement. have women’s cross country.

This is the second year in a row that The Ripon College men also received both the men and the women have national all-academic recognition with a received this honor.

the school record for most saves in a season, three, while also ranking fourth and sixth in school history for strikeouts and ERA in a single season. Knorr did some damage at the plate this season, as well.

She was second on the team in batting (.323). She recorded three doubles, one home run and 14 RBI. Peotter also had an outstanding year.

She set the school record for strikeouts in a single season with 125 (second in the MWC) and posted a league-best 2.08 ERA. In just two complete seasons, Peotter already ranks fourth in school history for both strikeouts (208) and ERA (2.42).

Offensively, Ripon was led by shortstop Natalie Geenen (Sr., Appleton, Wis.), who had her own record-breaking year as an MWC First-Team selection.

Geenen batted .359, with 13 doubles, seven triples, three home runs, 23 RBI and 35 runs scored, all of which were team highs. Her triples and runs scored also were tops in the MWC. She finished second in the conference with 15 stolen bases.

Geenen ends her Red Hawk career as the school leader in runs (105) and doubles (39), and ranks in the top five in batting average (.368), hits (161), RBI (68), triples (13), home runs (17) and stolen bases (29). Geenen leaves Ripon as a four-time First-Team All-Conference player along with a pair of Player of the Year awards (2007, 2008).

Also earning conference honors were Jackie Reichhart (Jr., Cedarburg, Wis.) at first base, catcher Alli Jensen (So., Shawano, Wis.) and outfielder Megan 26 RIPON MAGAZINE

Sockness (So., Cottage Grove, Minn.).

Reichhart made the First Team for the first time after two years on the second team, thanks to a .299 batting average.

She had nine doubles and a team-high 23 RBI. Jensen and Sockness each garnered Second-Team honors, batting .286 and .293, respectively. Jensen finished the season tied for the team lead in home runs with three, while also driving in 13 runs and scoring 13 more. She also recorded the third-best fielding percentage in school history (.990).

Sockness started all 34 games for the Red Hawks, hitting three doubles, driving in 14 runs and scoring 18 times.

The 2009 Red Hawks set the school record for team fielding percentage (.949) and finished in the top four all-time in wins (20), ERA (2.17), hits (253), doubles (41), triples (14), home runs (10), RBI (145) and runs scored (156).

Natalie Geenen ’09

Jason Smith ’11

for Ripon were the play of pitcher Matt Dwyer (Jr., Stoughton, Wis.) and third baseman Nick Beaman (So., Oshkosh, Wis.), both named First-Team AllConference.

Dwyer led the MWC with a 1.96 ERA, and a 4-0 record, including a pair of complete game shutouts. He also struck out a team-high 46 batters.

Beaman, meanwhile, was equally impressive at the plate. He ranked fourth in the MWC with a .430 batting average and added a team-high 31 RBI. Beaman also finished the season tied for the league lead in home runs (8) and triples (3). In the last month of the season, Beaman batted .534 (39-73).

Also voted First-Team All-Conference were pitcher Mike Lloyd (Sr., Oshkosh, Wis.) and catcher Nick Whitty (Jr.,

BASEBALL The Red Hawk baseball team finished the year 18-15, including an 11-5 MWC mark. On the final day of the regular season, Ripon forced a one-game playoff with Beloit College. The Red Hawks lost 4-3 to the Buccaneers in the bottom of the ninth inning and, therefore, missed the MWC Tournament for the first time since 1995.

Two of the big bright spots

Third baseman Nick Beaman ’11 was named First-Team AllConference at his position. Beaman finished the season tied for the league lead in home runs and posted a team-high 31 RBI.

Eden, Wis.). Lloyd was named MWC North Pitcher of the Year, going 4-4 with a 3.64 ERA and 26 strikeouts. Whitty started 31 of the Red Hawks’ 33 games behind the plate, batting .284 with five doubles, 22 RBI and 14 runs scored. He committed just four errors in 191 chances for a .979 fielding percentage.

Outfielder Bryant Bullock (Jr., Milwaukee) was named Second-Team All-Conference thanks to batting .301 with seven doubles, two triples, 17 RBI, 25 runs scored and a team-high six stolen bases.

Kurt Roeder (So., Beaver Dam, Wis.) also had an outstanding year, placing his name in the Ripon record books. The pitcher/outfielder posted the most saves in a single season in school history, recording four, to go along with an ERA of 3.20. At the plate, Roeder hit three triples, which tied him with teammate Beaman for the league lead.

MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD The Ripon men’s track-and-field team finished in the top half of all five of their regular season meets in 2009.

Their lone first-place finish came in the season opening meet at the ShermanLukoski Invite at Ingalls Field in Ripon.

The season culminated in a sixth-place finish at the MWC Championships in Waukesha, Wis. Jason Smith (So., Stevens Point, Wis.) was the only Red Hawk to earn First-Team All-Conference honors, as he won the 5,000 meters at the MWC Championships with a personal-best time of 15:09.06. Smith also finished fourth in the 1,500 meters at the conference meet.

Joining Smith on the All-Conference team were Kyle Roy (So., Fredonia, Wis.) and Bob Wood (Sr., Port Washington, Wis.), who earned Second-Team honors in the hammer throw and 110 meter hurdles, respectively.

MEN’S GOLF The men’s golf team finished in the top four in six of their meets this season, which culminated in a sixth-place finish at this year’s MWC Championships. In the championship, Ripon shot a threeround score of 989-46 strokes behind champion Monmouth College.

Mike Moldenhauer (Jr., Berlin, Wis.) fared the best at the conference meet,

Carstensen to replace Plumley as volleyball coach Becca Carstensen has been strength and conditioning coach. named the head volleyball No stranger to Wisconsin, coach, replacing Erin Plumley, Carstensen earned her bachelor’s who resigned after one season. degree in kinesiology from the UniverPlumley cited personal reasity of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 2005, sons for her decision to step where she lettered four times in volleydown. She led the Hawks to a ball and once in basketball. As a 10-17 record, including a 6-3 member of the Blugold volleyball mark in the Midwest Conferteam, Carstensen served as the coence (MWC) and a trip to the captain for two years, while twice MWC Tournament. being named to the WIAC All“Erin did an excellent job Conference First Team as a middle Becca Carstensen with our volleyball program hitter. She also was selected to the Allthis past fall. Our team improved steadily Midwest Region and AVCA All-American throughout the season, culminating in the Third Team in 2004, while earning a WIAC conference tournament appearance,” Scholar Athlete award that same year. according to Athletic Director Bob Gillespie.

Carstensen earned her master’s degree in “We wish Erin continued success in all of sport management in 2007 from Northern her future endeavors.”

Illinois University in DeKalb, Ill. While at Carstensen, who becomes the fifth head NIU, Carstensen served as a graduate coach in program history, comes to Ripon assistant in exercise gerontology and as a after a two-year stint as an assistant at strength and conditioning intern.

Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, where A native of Eau Claire, Wis., Carstensen she helped lead the Storm to a 40-29 record attended high school at Eau Claire Memorduring that time, including a trip to the 2008 ial. She is a member of the American VolleyNCAA Division III National Tournament. ball Coaches Association (AVCA), while While at Simpson, Carstensen also served as also belonging to the National Strength and an exercise science instructor and assistant Conditioning Association (NSCA).

entering the final day of competition tied for the tournament lead. He finished with a nine over par, which was three strokes off the pace of the winner. Moldenhauer’s season performance was good enough to earn him the individual title for the North Division standings, which looks at scoring averages among players from Ripon, Carroll, Lawrence, St. Norbert and Beloit. His scoring average for the best six rounds of the year was 75.67, slightly better than Carroll’s Mike Riek at 76.00.

Moldenhauer was the only Red Hawk to earn All-Conference this season.

Ripon’s next-best competitor, Stuart Marks (So., Berlin, Wis.), finished tied for 30th with a three-round total of 254.

Billy Kollatz (Jr., Greenfield, Wis.) wasn’t far behind, shooting a 261, which tied for 38th place.

MEN’S TENNIS The men’s tennis team finished 2009 with a 5-13 record (1-3 MWC). Their most dominant performances came against Lakeland College and Marian University, defeating both schools by an 8-1 score.

In doubles competition, the duo of Jay Hardacre (Jr., Racine, Wis.) and Dan Weiler (Sr., Aurora, Ill.) had the most success. The pair were 7-11 in their matches, mostly at the number one flight. In singles play, Andrew Paxson (Fr., Lake Bluff, Ill.) recorded a teambest 5-10 record, mostly playing at the number four spot.

The season ended with a seventhplace finish at the conference championships. Ripon found the most success in the doubles portion of the two-day event, winning at least one match at all three flights. Ripon’s team of Hardacre and Weiler advanced to the quarterfinals, before losing to Monmouth 3-6, 67 (0-5). At the number two position, Jake Knaapen (Sr., Portage, Wis.) and Alex Tande (So., Waunakee, Wis.) advanced to the finals of the consolation bracket, where they eventually lost to Illinois College, 10-6.

Matt Thies (So., Elkhorn, Wis.) and John Suchy (So., Fort Richardson, Alaska) also teamed up to advance to the consolation finals, where they would lose to Lawrence University, 10-0. r SPRING 2009 27

Alumni Favorite Memories

ne Library…

Appreciating the Resources of Lafon d memories of Lane Library.

The Grease Pole Roger E. Wheeler ’63 of Woodbury, Conn., remembers the grease pole used during the homecoming festivities in the fall. “I remember bringing down all the sophomores in the grease pole contest before they could get the flag,” he says. “The freshmen had to put a flag up on a pole coated with grease, and the sophomores had to jump across a little oil river and try to take the flag down. The freshmen would defend the flag. I got the opportunity to jump across and take down a whole bunch of sophomores all by myself before they grabbed the flag. It was one of the big homecoming events.”

28 RIPON MAGAZINE

Kan., has Richard Lorin Kay ’53 of Lawrence, War barracks that was left over from World “When I was a freshman, I stayed in a great a was ary he says. “I found Lane Libr II, and it was not a good place to study,” a ing hav of e and I became very appreciativ place to study. I would go in the stacks, e Lan of r floo n stration took place on the mai quiet place to study. In those days, regi n mai the nd d in a long line that wound arou Library. My first day on campus, I stoo e atur liter lish I’m looking at the books of Eng reading room. As I’m standing in line, land Rich in ry the things my little public libra on the shelves, and I was thrilled at all cked ary was my first contact with a well-sto Center, Wis., did not have. Lane Libr e.” sinc ever me gs that have been important to library with literature, history and thin

…And the Librarian David W. Hertel ’65 of Watertown, Wis., fondly recalls Librarian William Brandt and his wife, Mary. “I was welcomed into their home, almost as family,” he says. “I sat occasionally for their children when they lived on Thorne Street. It was fun to sit in a big chair in a private home and read as opposed to sitting in a dorm. Later on, when they moved to Elm Street, I refinished some furniture for them. I caned some chairs. I think Mary still has them. Once when I came back to campus, I was pressed into service cooking steaks. Since my family was kind of poor, we had never had them. Bill or Mary told me how to time them, and everyone ate well. When they bought the house on Elm Street, there was a Victorian walnut bed in the barn, and it matched a dresser I had at the time. They gave it to me, and it was in pieces when I got it. I refinished it, and we still have it and use it as a set with that dresser. I always felt the Brandts were a very close part of my Ripon family, and I still keep in touch with Mary. I worked in the library, too, my senior year and enjoyed that very much. Both of them are very kindly people.”

Springfest 1988

Sadie Hawkins Dance ’40s Doty Lueptow ’49 of Oakwood, Ga., says that when she was a student at Ripon, most of the dances were held at the student union. “When I was a freshman, no one was allowed to have a car, so that limited off-campus activities. WWII ended in August of 1945 and boys started returning from the service in droves. Those car restrictions were lifted when veterans began returning — some of them married and living off campus,” says Lueptow. “The most important dances were Homecoming, The Holly Ball and The Military Ball. Sadie Hawkins dances were fun, and it was one time when it was proper for girls to ask the boys for a date. Everyone dressed like Daisy Mae and other characters from the ’Lil Abner cartoon series. I think a prize was awarded for the most authentic or perhaps tackiest costume.

There are a number of pictures of these outlandish costumes in the 1946 Crimson.”

At Springfest 1988, in th e photo above, Linda Gl eason Scott ’89, top left, and he r visiting sister, Amy, top right; a visiting friend, Ellen, bo ttom Cooper Gooder ’89, enjoy left; and the late Melissa go night,” says Scott. “I ended od times. “I remember the up getting stitches on my chi walking across the ‘beer slid n from es’ on the floor on my way out.

Seems like both yesterday and a million years ago.” Sh e adds to her list of memories the 100 Days and the Jet Set party days party, Frisbee Golf, Derby . “Oh, and pub afternoons — were the best until the cam pus went dry!” She also ref those ers to the toilet paper regatta outsi de the Beta Sig’s house as “one of my favorite stupid good times. … I think about being at Ripon often while I’m juggling my house , my family and my job,” she says.

An Owl in Bowen’s Woods Philip John Nancarrow ’65 of Houghton, Mich., says “One of my favorite memories is seeing an owl swoop through Bowen’s Woods. I was walking on the paved pathway between Scott Hall and the campus in the evening dusk. What called my attention to look off into the woods I don’t know, but I happened to see an owl swoop through the trees. It made an impression. One does not see a lot of owls and not in town. It’s the only owl I saw in my three years at Ripon. I came from the north woods of upper Michigan, so I suppose it gave me a flash of home by seeing something I had seen a few times in my growing-up years out in the woods.”

U-Ra-Ra Ripon!

Cathy Olson Parisie ’63 of Aptos, Calif., remembers her time at Ripon as a cheerleader, especially homecoming and riding through town sitting on a fire engine. “I remember the cheerleading tryouts being pretty competitive, being nervous about whether you made it or not, and being happy when you did,” she says. “A lot of my sorority sisters were [cheerleaders] at the time. At homecoming, there also was a kind of grease pole fight, and it was kind of funny.”

SPRING 2009 29

Class Notes CLASS NOTES 1940s The Rev. Donald A. Williams ’42 of Concord, Mass., is appearing this year in the play “Our Town” for the seventh time, using the script he was issued to play Dr. Gibbs at Ripon in 1940.

Miriam Beilke Huth ’45 of Roswell, Ga.: “Best of two worlds — wintering with family in Roswell Ga., summers I’m back at home on Big Green Lake.”

William Wells ’44 is teaching project management to graduate engineers in Beijing, China.

Richard K. Wells ’46 of Grayslake, Ill., has been named a Knight of the Legion of Honor by the President of the French Republic for his valorous action during World War II. This distinction is the highest honor that France bestows upon those who have achieved remarkable deeds for France.

Wells received 15 decorations for his service during World War II. Wells retired from Amaco in 1986.

1950s June 25-27, 2010 55th Reunion, Class of ’55 Evan Olson ’50 of Omaha, Neb., has moved his financial planning practice in with a group of other experts where they take advantage of each other’s specialties. The business is called Wealth Management Partners at Tagge Rutherford Financial Group. At 81, Evan is the senior man on deck. His wife, Sybil, has a successful residential real estate practice.

Vilma Butcher Carlson ’51 of Tekonsha, Mich., has seven children living in seven states and says, “The gypsy is still traveling.” She spent 10 days in Iceland last August, has visited her 17 grandchildren in Colorado, Washington, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Tennessee and Illinois; spent 17 days in Kuwait, Dubai, Oman, Bahrain and Lebanon in April; and plans to re-visit Colorado, Washington, Pennsylvania and Tennessee this summer and fall.

John C. Growt ’51 of De Pere, Wis.: “Retired and spending most of my time in hibernation!”

Joan Ioas Varellas ’51 of Fresno, Calif., was a stewardess with United Airlines from 1951 to 1955 when she married. In 1975, she entered real estate and enjoyed a successful career until 2004 when she retired. One of her grandchildren, Peter Varellas, was a water polo first string AllAmerican and academic All-American. He earned

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

30 RIPON MAGAZINE

a silver medal with the 2008 U.S. Olympic water polo team.

Chad Gibbons ’52 divides his time between Pleasantville, N.Y., and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He has gotten back to his tennis games after recovering from back surgery.

Richard H.T. Martin ’52 of Hudson, Wis., is a lector at St. Paul’s Anglican Episcopal Church, where he has been a member since 1972.

Barbara King McIntyre ’55 of Laguna Niguel, Calif., retired for the third time in September 2007. She had been a real estate broker in Lake Havasu City and Kingman, Ariz., for a combined 22 years. She now is a “bum” in Orange County, Calif. “My daughter, Kirsten, wanted me to move closer to her to help take care of the younger sister when the older granddaughter, 11, is auditioning for TV/movies/commercials. (That 700mile roundtrip from Kingman, Ariz., was a bummer.)”

The Rev. Dr. Robert D. Schieler ’56 and Charmaine Weyer Schieler ’56 of Woodridge, Ill., both are retired. Bob was an associate pastor with his father in Ripon for 3-1/2 years; chaplain and

associate professor at Elmhurst College, Ill., for 13 years; senior pastor in Downers Grove, Ill., for 17 years; and a conference minister for seven years.

He retired 10 years ago. Charmaine was a public school teacher for 34 years and retired 10 years ago.

Roberta “Bobbie” Ainsworth ’57 of Upland, Calif., is active in the Episcopal Church: leading worship as a lector and as a Eucharistic minister, a morning service leader and a Eucharistic visitor.

She’s also involved in choir, Bible study, Altar Guild, Sunday school, Vacation Bible School, writing church articles and leading Scripture studies. She even developed a multi-language liturgy for Pentecost.

Bruce Anderson ’57 and Ann DiJohn Anderson ’59 divide their time between Inverness, Ill., and Bonita Springs, Fla. Ann is the secretary of the women’s group for Hope Hospice of Bonita Springs. They have raised substantial funds to help build a state-of-the-art 24-bed hospice building and headquarters. Bruce has been active as a committee chair and “nail pounder” for the Bonita Bay Habitat for Humanity group. This group has raised the funds and the structures for as many as six Habitat homes a year, with 13 built to date. Bruce

A LUMNI B OARD SEEKS INPUT ON C ONSTITUTION AMENDMENT In 2006, the Board of Directors of the Ripon College Alumni Association revised the constitution to more accurately reflect the goals, expectations and operations of the organization. Those changes were approved by the Board of Directors and shared with the Alumni Association through this publication. It became clear after the officer nominations last fall that another amendment was necessary. Under the current constitution, a member of the Board could be eligible to run for President of the Board, but not be eligible to seek the Vice Presidency. There were specific reasons that this policy was adopted; however, it has proven confusing and impracticable, so the Governance Committee recommended and the full Board has unanimously approved language to treat the two constitutional offices equally as follows: Section 2. The President and Vice President of the Association and Board of Directors shall be elected by the Board of Directors to a two-year

term at the spring meeting in oddnumbered years. A term as President or Vice President is served concurrently within the term as a Director and may be an extension of the Director’s term if an individual is elected fewer than two years before the expiration of his/her term on the Board. See the Board of Directors Operating Rules for more details.

This revised constitutional language cannot officially be adopted until it is published in the Ripon Magazine. If anyone has questions or concerns about this change, please contact me and I will be happy to answer your questions or present your concerns to the Board of Directors.

Sincerely, Andy Voigt ’97 Chair, Governance Committee Alumni Association Board of Directors ahwmvoigt@verizon.net 608-742-9090

also is the president of their condo association.

Bob McPherson ’57 of Appleton, Wis., is a retired opera singer. He lived in New York City for 35 years and sang all over the east coast, including nine years at the Metropolitan Opera. He now has his own boat repair business, Robert McPherson Marina Repair, in which he contracts to do fiberglass repair of boats in the Fond du Lac, NeenahMenasha, Oshkosh and Green Bay areas of Wisconsin.

Lowell Weber ’57 of Edina, Minn., is active in charitable work, especially with Meds on Wheels and Loaves and Fishes.

Susan Pond Brady Wojtasik ’57 of New York, N.Y., continues to write and recently took a course in memoir writing from William Zinsser at the New School University. She has joined a small poetry writing group and continues in various church activities, the Massachusetts Arts Council in Washington, Mass., and the Archives Management Group of the Child Life Council.

Arlene Ford Burke ’58 of Strawberry, Ariz., just celebrated her 50th class reunion from nursing school at Rockford Memorial Hospital. She now is retired and does volunteer and church work in Winslow, Ariz. Her husband, the Rev. Canon Norman C. Burke ’56 preaches at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Winslow and next year will note 50 years in active ministry.

Donald P. Giegler ’58 of La Jolla, Calif., is a consultant for those building and using microprocessorbased radiation monitoring systems.

Howard L. Dahlke ’59 of Winneconne, Wis., is retired, but still consulting for Wescon Products Co. Two artworks by Ann Kleboe ’59 of La Grange, Ill., were included in a juried show of senior artists (those 50 and older) at Renaissance Court in the Chicago Cultural Center. The mixed media works, “Union Station Inspiration” and “Downtown Journey,” were selected for the show that ran last fall.

Ann has done artwork all her life, selling at street fairs and incorporating it into her work at a mental health center and as a mental health work and addiction counselor at hospitals.

1960s June 25-27, 2010 50th Reunion, Class of ’60 45th Reunion, Class of ’65 Verne Clark Lewellen Jr. ’60 of Harrisonburg, Va., retired in March 2005 from Atlantic Supply where he was in inside sales. He had worked in plumbing and heating supplies sales his entire career. Verne and his wife, Lois, had lived in Gaithersburg, Md., for more than 30 years. Four years ago, the moved to Harrisonburg to be closer to their son, daughter-in-law and two “wonderful granddaughters,” Kristen, 8, and Samantha, 10.

Evan Olson ’50

Barbara King McIntyre ’55

Ken Luber ’60 of Idyllwild, Calif., has published a novel, “Match to the Heart,” through Dog Ear Publishing. Information about the book is available at www.matchtotheheart.com.

The Rev. Dr. Ray Schiefelbein ’60 of Independence, Mo.: “I’m retired but very active. Rona, my wife of 48 years, departed to be with the Lord last summer. That ‘tomorrow is a new day’ is an understatement.”

Karen Carlson ’61 of Novato, Calif., had a 40year retrospective of her watercolor art, “Out of the Desert,” exhibited this spring in the Tiburon (Calif.) Town Hall. She was invited to exhibit her work by the Tiburon Heritage and Arts Commission. Carlson works at the circulation desk of the Belvedere-Tiburon Library.

Margaret “Maggie” Johnston LeFevre ’61 of Palatine, Ill., retired from Hartford Insurance Co. in April 2008 after 16 years with the company.

She was a group life and disability salesperson. “I am enjoying my two grandchildren, gardening and traveling,” Maggie said.

Susan Pond Brady Wojtasik ’57

Linn Janson Andrews ’65

Linn Janson Andrews ’65 of Anchorage, Alaska, recently was the featured quilter at the Anchorage Quilt Show. About 30 of her quilts were shown, as well as about 30 quilt tops (not made into quilts yet).

John Burrows ’65 and Nancy Ostermeier Burrows ’66 of Jacksonville, Fla., care for a grandson two days a week. John tutors a student in reading one day a week at a neighborhood elementary school and still works as president of the John Burrows Co., a home inspection business. Nancy also does volunteer work with St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, currently working on developing a Greenhouse Project, a home for senior citizens; and Leadership Jacksonville, an organization that seeks to develop youth and adult leaders to assume greater responsibility as community trustees who improve the quality of life for self, family and community.

George L. Sievers ’61 of McMinnville, Ore., is retired from the Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corp., based in Milwaukee. He worked for the company for more than 30 years, heading up the states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Montana and Iowa.

Betty Hileman ’65 of Santa Fe, N.M., built her own adobe home, mixing the mud, laying the adobes, doing the brick-on-sand floors and using cherry wood shipped from her Pennsylvania property for the cupboards and decking. She is retired after many years as a bureau chief and the director of the State Center for Health Statistics, and now works doing some scoring of ACTs and SATs. She also enjoys taking a BBC language course in Spanish, keeping up with friends, the opera, movies and traveling.

Elizabeth Black Kramer ’62 of Venice, Fla., writes that she completed her BSN at the University of Wisconsin and her MSU from Marquette. She married J. Lance Kramer, Ph.D., had two children, a son and a daughter, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She now is retired and moved to Florida in 1992 “to enjoy the sun.”

John Hyde ’65 of Conover, Wis., retired Nov. 30, 2008, from Hyde & Lichter, a firm of organizational psychologists. He still has one client in Minneapolis. Hyde and his partner started the firm in 1984, so this year marks its 25th anniversary.

He and his wife, Shari Tremberth Hyde ’65, winter in Pensacola, Fla. A lot of their time is spent with their four grandchildren.

Susan Ritter Kalanges ’63 of Chester, Va., is chairman of the Virginia Office for Protection and Advocacy with a term ending in July. She also works in other mental health-related activities.

Lana Johnson Meissner ’65 of Belmont, N.Y., started out at Alfred University as a reference librarian and worked up through various administrative positions: from head of public services to director of the library and university librarian.

Then she also took over technology services and became a vice president to encompass the two AU libraries and all of information technology services. She retired from that position in 2006. After about a year, she was offered a part-time position as editor/content writer for the university’s Web page. She now does that as well as serving as director of the public Alfred Box of Books Library. She developed a Web site for it: www.alfredboxof bookslibrary.org.

Lynn Siebel Sundelius: ’63 of Kalispell, Mont., is training two clinical laboratory science interns in her job as a lead chemist in the clinical laboratory at Kalispell Regional Medical Center. “I had great hopes of retirement by now, but the shortage of qualified people coupled with the current state of the economy makes employment seem practical, at least for the short term,” she writes.

SPRING 2009 31

L U N D E B E R G ’55 H O N O R E D While he never has bowled a perfect 300 game (his top score was 296), Art Lundeberg ’55 of Tucson, Ariz., has devoted a great portion of his life to the sport. When he recently was inducted into the Meritorious Service Division of the Tucson Bowling Hall of Fame, for him it was the crowning glory of a lifetime.

“I’ve had my 15 minutes in the sun,” he says.

“If I never have anything more in bowling, I have enough.”

Lundeberg began bowling in high school and found he was good at it.

“I wasn’t very good at a lot of sports,” he says.

“Bowling was about the only thing I was good at.

That’s what kept me bowling my whole life.”

He never played other sports in high school, but his experiences at Ripon changed him.

“I played every sport for Lambda Delta Alpha,” he says. “Ripon is a fond memory for me.

I was somewhat of a shy, introverted, academic-

type nerd in high school. I changed my ways at Ripon. I changed the way I was, I enjoyed the fraternity. I was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant from Ripon.”

He bowled twice a week here, once for the fraternity team and once with a community league at the Pin Bowl. His bowling went on hiatus when he went into the service after Ripon, but when he returned to Chicago and joined the Army Reserves, he began bowling five nights a week.

Lundeberg moved to Tucson in 1972 to work as a paralegal with IBM Corp. He immediately joined a bowling league.

In 1992, he helped found a scratch senior men’s league for players 50 and older that has grown to 15 teams.

He also works all year to recruit bowlers for the league. He served on the board of directors for the Tucson Bowling Association for 10 years, promoted bowling around the Tucson area, helped

Barbara Bradford Sewall ’65 and Ted Sewall ’66 of Fond du Lac, Wis., report that Ted is retired and Barbara does occasional substitute teaching. Ted spends his time hunting, fishing and woodworking, and both enjoy golfing, reading, traveling and babysitting their grandchildren.

Dave Worden ’65 of San Clemente, Calif., still works for Titanium Industries and recently returned from a business trip to Malaysia. He has been involved in the aerospace metals industry for almost 35 years. Virginia “Terri” Krikorian Worden ’66 worked full time for 19 years at In-NOut Burger, and now is semi-retired, working there two days a week. They enjoy living in a beach city and are rediscovering all the fun things to do in California with their two grandchildren.

Nanette Macknick Johnson ’66 and her husband, Michael, of Floyd, Va., opened Floyd Antiques,

FOR

LIFETIME

B OW L I N G

Art Lundeberg ’55 has been bowling for nearly 60 years.

bowlers with physical challenges excel at the sport and assisted other leagues with problems and rules.

He won several tournaments, many commendations and was director of the year twice, but still his election to the Hall of Fame was a surprise to him.

“To me, it was the absolute epitome of what I could have accomplished,” he says. “I was inducted into the Meritorious Service Division because of the service I gave to the sport. I’m proud to wear the ring.

To me, it was something I never expected — someone who never was very good at anything to be in

July 3, 2008. The building was built in 1923 and was used as a general store and later a jewelry store.

John Lenz ’66 of Rothschild, Wis., retired from the Merrill Foto News Dec. 17, 2008, after more than 30 years. The last nine years were as a reporter.

Suzan Helgerson Pruiett ’66 of Tampa, Fla., is the business manager at St. Mary’s Episcopal Day School and in August will start her 20th year there.

Bob Rice ’66 of Boise, Idaho, retired from Northwestern Mutual, Oct. 31, 2006, after more than 40 years with the company. He keeps active with daily exercise, guitar lessons, golf, hunting and fishing.

Barry Simon ’66 of Albuquerque, N.M., married

32 RIPON MAGAZINE

OF

the Hall of Fame in some sport. I felt quite proud and humbled.”

Lundeberg also has been a professional artist for about 30 years and used to teach painting classes. He retired from IBM in 1989 and from the Army Reserves as a lieutenant colonel.

Today, at 76, he continues to paint, and he bowls one night a week with the men’s senior league he helped found.

His wife, Alice, accompanies him, and one of their three sons, Dave, has become an accomplished bowler himself.

While Lundeberg needs to use lighter balls now and his average has dipped into the 170s, he doesn’t mind.

“I’m happy to be vertical and being able to bowl,” he says. “That’s the beauty of the game.

You can bowl at any age.

Bowling and my painting — I can do those things until I expire, and those are the things I enjoy doing now.”

Dwayne Moseley, Aug. 7, 2008. After a career in Hollywood, Simon transitioned to conflict resolution and got a master’s degree from Cal StateDominguez Hills. He now is working with a group to start a conflict literacy program in either the local schools or in the juvenile detention center.

Jim Mowrey ’67 of South Windsor, Conn., works for Scan-Optics and hopes to soon start flight school to teach and fly sky-divers. He starting jumping in 1970 and got a private pilot’s license a few years after that. He flew for the National Jet Service in the 1970s, has flown sky-divers for more than 40 years, did marketing for the sales of sport and military parachutes and was involved in building ultralight aircraft.

Bernadette “Bunny” Nihlson Poetker ’67 of Racine, Wis., married Tim Longden, April 24, 2009. Her new last name is Longden.

tary education. She is busy with volunteering, tutoring and golf, and she and her husband, Samuel, are part-time snowbirds in Hilton Head, S.C. Frederick B. Hussey ’69 of Tiverton, R.I., retired in June 2007 after 30 years in HR at the Navel Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, R.I., a civilian research and development laboratory. Before his retirement, he was the HR director. He now is working part time as a consultant.

Nanette Macknick Johnson ’66

James Hawes ’73

Dick Wright ’67 and Lucy Brooks Wright ’67 maintain dual residences in Denver, Colo., and Waupaca, Wis. Dick retired in 2000 as a science teacher at Highland Ranch High School in Highland Ranch, Colo. Lucy retired in 2001 as an elementary physical education teacher at Running Creek Elementary School in Elizabeth, Colo. They travel frequently between the two states as Dick coaches the Iola (Wis.) Thunderbird Swim Team, a youth team for 5- to 18-year olds. Sessions are held in December/January and June/July.

Charles R. “Chuck” Bartels ’68 of Klamath Falls, Ore., has retired from his positions as a 25-year forensics psychologist with the Illinois Bureau of Investigation and a 27-year teacher at Maraine Valley Community College. He now lives in Oregon to be near family and is a volunteer reading tutor for children in the Klamath Falls school system. “I hope to fish, relax, chill out and look at the mountains,” he said. “It’s beautiful.”

William B. Cramer ’68 and Barbara Paine Cramer ’68 of Stroudsburg, Pa., write: “Bill, known to have ‘fits of philanthropy’ even at Ripon, was named outstanding volunteer of the year (2008) by the Pacono Mountains Chapter of the Association of Fund-Raising Professionals.”

David R. Gardner ’68 of Forest, Va., retired March 31, 2009, as a principal and senior portfolio manager with Flippin, Bruce and Porter Inc., an investment planning firm. He had been with the firm for 11 years and in the financial services business for 40 years. He now is forming his own financial planning and investment consulting business and expects to be up and running by September.

Sladen W. Hall ’68 of Irvine, Calif., has retired on Dec. 31, 2008, from Paragon Global Resources Inc., after 11 years with the company. He was the senior vice president and chief financial officer.

Evelyn Georgi Hustig ’68 of The Villages, Fla., retired in March 2007 after teaching elementary school for about 18 years and computer software for adults for about 18 years. She taught in several states, including Colorado, California, Minnesota, Illinois, Wyoming and Virginia. She ended her career teaching fourth grade at North Sumter Intermediate School in Wildwood, Fla. She now teaches English to immigrants as a volunteer, and she enjoys playing golf, gardening and singing in the church choir.

Linda Houston Cannizzo ’69 of Grafton, Wis., is enjoying retirement after many years in elemen-

David R. Lee ’69 of Appleton, Wis., has been named executive director of the Paper Discovery Center and the Paper Industry International Hall of Fame in Appleton. He previously served as educator.

Joan Novinson Nicholson ’69 and Dwight D. Nicholson ’70 of Salt Lake City, Utah, are building a new home. Joan retired in the spring of 2008 from the Granite School District. Paul has reduced his workload to part time and is winding down from working at Eldredge & Nicholson Architects.

Nicholas Philip “Chip” Retson ’69 of Centreville, Va., married Pamela Browne of Madison, Wis., June 21, 2009. They became reacquainted at their 40th high school reunion of Appleton High School in 2005.

1970s June 25-27, 2010 40th Reunion, Class of ’70 35th Reunion, Class of ’75 Ruby Ibaraki Mizue ’70 of Aiea Oahu, Hawaii, retired in January 2008 as an information specialist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. She had been with the corps since 1971 and helped with engineers with their research needs. She received a degree in biology from Ripon and a master’s degree in library science and information studies in 1994. Her husband, Paul, also is retired from the Corps of Engineers as a civil engineer, and they now enjoy watching their grandchildren and traveling.

Beverly Moschel Hirsekorn ’72 of Centennial, Colo., now is manager of health outcomes and quality management for Colorado Medicaid.

Sarah “Sally” Lillard Adams ’73 of Chico, Calif, retired from teaching accounting at California State University, Chico, in 2004. She had been with the university for 22 years. She and her husband, Steve, both are life master duplicate bridge players and attended the ACBL national duplicate bridge tournament in Las Vegas in July 2008. The tournament had approximately 20,000 tables of bridge over a two-week period. Participants included Bill Gates and his bridge partner, Warren Buffet.

Jorge A. Carrizo-Esquivel ’73 of Panama City, Panama, runs his own business, Serapis Bey Editores, which has published more than 100 books

about metaphysics. Books are exported to the United States, Mexico, Spain and Argentina. He also runs a radio station that broadcasts classical music and related material 24/7 and a television station through the Internet (accessible in the United States). His Web site is at www.serapisbey. com, and his e-mail is jacbey@pa.inter.net.

Thomas Dawkins ’73 of Buena Park, Calif., is the chairman of the counseling department at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, one of the Los Angeles Community College District campuses.

He also is working on his doctorate degree in Community College Organizational Leadership at Argosy University.

Ken Elliott ’73 and Marcia Fruhman Elliot ’74 of Malta, Ill., adopted their foster daughter, Christina, Aug. 25, 2008. Christina was 17 and now has just completed her senior year at DeKalb High School. Ken and Marcia now have Christina’s two brothers as foster sons. They are Alex, 17, and Corey, 15.

Mark Andrews ’73 of Sebring, Fla., retired in October 2008 after 35 years with Allstate Insurance. He turned the agency over to his youngest son, Jason. Mark’s wife, Jacqueline Farmer Andrews ’73, does photography work for friends and local businesses. Her work can be viewed at the Web site www.jacquelineandrewsphoto graphy.com.

David Grossman ’73 of Lunenburg, Mass., has been publishing The Lunenburg Ledger, a weekly newspaper, for 12 years. He also publishes the Apple Picking Guide, which comes out once a year and focuses on all the autumn seasonal activity for the masses who pick apples in central Massachusetts.

James Hawes ’73 of Skokie, Ill., does information technology consulting and recently has worked on several projects. For Cole Taylor Bank in Rosemont, he finished several new e-banking manuals.

Over the past couple of decades, he has written for the games field for Williams, Bally, Midway and Atari. In 2008, he wrote the manual for Big Buck Hunter Tournament. Big Buck is an arcade video game where non-hunters can bring back their quota and compete for prizes. The competition is virtual. He also is the new webmaster and content provider at Green Diesel, a Michigan startup. On his own Web site, he has uploaded new pages on the Apollo moon cameras (www.hawestv.com/ moon_cam/moonctel.htm) and describes how to build a guitar fuzzbox (www.hawestv.com/ amp_projects/fuzzbox/fuzz1.htm).

Dana Nicholls Labrum ’73 of Bremen, Ind., is the reference and information services manager for St. Joseph County Public Library in South Bend, Ind. Marty Morris ’73 of Troy, Mich., retired in March 2008 after 35 years of service with the U.S. Army, both in uniform and as a civilian employee.

John Stiernberg ’73 of Sherman Oaks, Calif., now has available the revised second edition of his book Succeeding in Music: Business Chops for Performers and Songwriters. The book’s Web site is at www.succeedinginmusic.net/ and its page on amazon.com is at www.amazon.com/Succeeding-

SPRING 2009 33

John Stiernberg ’73

Elizabeth Henderson Barratt ’74

Music-Business-Performers-Songwriters/dp/ 1423456998/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books &qid=1228698098&sr=8-1 Jim Stone ’73 of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., has an independent sales business, Enots Packaging (Stone spelled backwards), selling folding cartons.

Jim has been part of the local board of directors for the Boys and Girls Club of Wisconsin Rapids Area for the last five years and is the current president.

He also is involved in Back Bay Mission in Biloxi, Miss., raising money to help people affected by Hurricane Katrina. His wife, Pat Thiesen Stone’74, is an English-as-a-Second-Language aide at West Junior High School.

Elizabeth Henderson Barratt ’74 of Carmel Valley, Calif., recently signed a book contract with Arcadia Publishing Co. to write the Carmel Valley, Calif., history volume in the company’s Images of America series. The book is due out in December 2009.

Janice Petrovski MacLeod ’74 of Clarendon Hills, Ill., has been elected to her second term as treasurer of the Clarendon Hills Public Library Board of Trustees.

Heywood L. Umanoff ’74 of Mount Kisco, N.Y., is a scientific analyst with the law firm Jacob, Medinger and Finnegan in Manhattan.

Jack Delk ’74 and Mary Elizabeth Jenkel Delk ’75 of St. Paul, Minn., work together at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis. Jack is the pastor for member care and adult ministries, and Mary is the minister for women. “We love our jobs, love serving the Lord and serving people,” Mary said.

DeBorah M. Lenchard ’75 of Hinsdale, Ill., is a director of education and talent development with Spot Trading LLC in Chicago, Ill. Richard Lewandowski ’75 of Madison, Wis., has been named by the Wisconsin Law Journal as a 2009 recipient of the Leaders in Law award. He is one of 25 legal professionals in Wisconsin to receive this award, which recognizes lawyers and judges who have given their time and talent to improve the practice of law, the justice system and the communities in which they live. Lewandowski was recognized for successfully representing a 17year-old Tibetan seeking political asylum in the United States. Richard is an attorney with the firm Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek.

Leon Pascucci ’75 recently moved to Los Angeles,

34 RIPON MAGAZINE

Richard Lewandowski ’75

Michael A. Scott ’80

Calif., where he works with a personal trainer, takes Portuguese lessons and does design work.

Sandy L. Ogden ’76 of Sunnyvale, Calif., traveled to China in the summer of 2008 to perform with the Stanford Symphonic Chorus and Orchestra in the Great Hall of the People on Tiananmen Square in Beijing during the Olympics Youth Cultural Festival.

William “Jake” Megowen ’78 of Concord, Mass., is an attorney in private practice in Salem, Mass.

He represents clients for criminal charges in District and Juvenile Courts. He encourages anyone who is experiencing such issues to give him a call at 978-369-2795, or to call him for any other purpose, like to reconnect with old school acquaintances.

Alan S. Lovell ’79, of Columbia, S.C., is now a seminary admission counselor at Columbia International University.

Donald L. MacGregor ’79 of San Francisco, Calif., is a horticulturist for Residential Student Services at the University of California-Berkeley.

He writes, “In the ’70s at Ripon College, we called fellows in my job ‘P-Men,’ but my position is far more lavender-collar than blue-collar! At Ripon, I spent more time at Rodman Hall than Farr Hall, but Art brought me back to (science) nature, as a horticulturalist. Berkeley not only is a swell college town (the ‘Madison’ of the West Coast, if I may). It is also a gardener’s paradise, the Athens and Florence of garden design and horticulture. I am currently working to develop and implement a plan for campus sustainable landscape practice. Being a part of Ripon College in the ’70s was a great education, and I’m happy to share my privilege and passion with students at the nation’s No. 1 public university. Go liberal arts, go Ripon College, go Class o’ 1979. Over 50 and lovin’ it!”

1980s June 25-27, 2010 30th Reunion, Class of ’80 25th Reunion, Class of ’85 Michael A. Scott ’80 of East Lansing, Mich., had the second edition of his book Fundamentals of Veterinary Clinical Pathology published in 2008.

The book’s Web page is at: www.vet.ksu.edu/

Jim Kimberly ’81

Renee PfeiferLuckett ’87

depts/dmp/personnel/Faculty/fvcp.htm Dan Finkelstein ’81 of Troy, Mich., and a friend are on a golf streak of playing at least once a month in Michigan for the past 171 consecutive months. During this streak, they have had media coverage, once by the local NBC station and once on the front page of the Detroit Free Press sports section.

Jody Henderson-Sykes ’81 of Milwaukee now is teaching at Fernwood Montessori School, a Milwaukee Public Montessori School, where her son attends. She teaches in the adolescent program (seventh and eighth grade), mostly English and health. Jody’s daughter, Meagan Sykes, and her husband, Gregory George, both just graduated from Ripon as part of the class of 2009. Another daughter, Lindsay ’12, attends Ripon.

David Janssen ’81 of Oshkosh, Wis., a board-certified plastic surgeon with Fox Valley Plastic Surgery, has been elected to associate membership in the Rhinoplasty Society. He is the only surgeon in Wisconsin to be elected to this prestigious society. Physician members of the the Rhinoplasty Society reviewed 30 rhinoplasty procedures by Dr. Janssen over a period of 24 months. David is a trustee of Ripon College, and his wife, Kristin Kohles Janssen ’82, is a member of Ripon’s alumni board.

Jim Kimberly ’81 and Beth Osterman Kimberly ’81 of Amherst, N.H., run Sapphire Consulting, providing organizational development, emotional intelligence and executive coaching services to companies throughout the Northeast. Recent projects include leadership development for 110 managers at NH Ball Bearings; teaching coaching skills to staff of Dartmouth College; and executive coaching for a chief operating officer of a New England-based high technology company.

Joseph Michael Tolan ’81 of Webster Groves, Mo., is regional director of institutional sales with Met Life. He completed his seventh marathon, the New York Marathon last November.

Lisa Krchak ’82 of Crystal Lake, Ill., has a home care business, Homewatch CareGivers, providing non-medical in-home care for seniors and others in McHenry County and Lake County, Illinois.

David Mataczynski Clanaugh ’83 of Atlantic Mine, Mich.: “After working in print journalism, counseling, elementary education and nonprofit administration, I’ve taken the plunge into doing a doctorate in rhetoric and technical communica-

bike race. She also is studying wines and viticulture, and aspires to become a certified sommelier.

Amy Stapelfeldt Kruk ’91 of Germantown, Wis., is an account executive at Cardinal Components in Menomonee Falls, Wis.,

Scott Boback ’91

Jennifer Rogers ’91

tion at Michigan Technological University. I’m wrapping up coursework, transitioning to campus and loving teaching.”

David Eric Shogren ’84 of Maplewood, Mo., recently joined the board of directors for Harris House Foundation, a nonprofit organization that has provided alcohol and drug treatment services in St. Louis for almost 50 years.

Heather McFadden Barrie ’85 of Erin, Wis., is marketing manager with ACL Laboratories in West Allis, Wis. The business is jointly owned/managed by Aurora Health Care System (Wisconsin) and Advocate Health Care System (Illinois).

Karen Schmidt ’91

Al Sorenson ’91

Capitol. Allen has been the only girls’ track and field coach since the school opened for the 1999 season. About 100 athletes usually compete during the spring season. Allen has had a representative at the state meet in every year except two; has won some Big Nines with several second places; and has finished in the top 10 at State.

Dana Smith McGillen ’88 of Shelby Township, Mich., is the director of the preschool program at Woodward Academy.

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

Frederick Girard ’85 of Bolingbrook, Ill., has been promoted to supervisor with the City of Naperville. He had been serving as an inspector.

Mark Jonas ’85 of Kaukauna, Wis., will start this fall as the new football coach and an English teacher at Ashwaubenon High School. He previously was the football coach at Kaukauna High School and Oconomowoc High School.

Stacy Heinrich Layne ’85 of Faribault, Minn., now works in the Host Computing Services Midrange (UNIX) support department with the United States Postal Service.

Suzanne T. Tsuchiya ’85 of Chicago, Ill., is an account director at Abelson Taylore, an advertising agency that specializes in marketing strategy and advertising for pharmaceutical biotech and advice companies.

Renee Pfeifer-Luckett ’87 of Whitewater, Wis., received top honors as the 2009 recipient of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater “Academic Staff Excellence Award for Instructional Staff.”

The annual selection is based on both teaching excellence and service to the campus and community. Renee has been an academic staff member in the College of Business and Economics for six years. She primarily teaches upper-level marketing courses, using innovative instructional techniques, is a member of the Fiscal and Economic Research Center, is a Psi Sigma Epsilon adviser and is a member of the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation. Renee also serves on numerous university and community committees and boards.

Kristine Mahler Allen ’88 of Rochester, Minn., the girls’ track and field coach at Century High School, received a Breaking Barriers Award in February at the 23rd annual Minnesota Girls and Women in Sports Day in a ceremony at the State

1990s June 25-27, 2010 20th Reunion, Class of ’90 15th Reunion, Class of ’95 Joshua E. Aronie ’91 of Edgartown, Mass., is the owner of the Menensha Café.

Scott Boback ’91 of Carlisle, Pa., is an assistant professor in the biology department at Dickinson College.

Stacy Carey ’91 of Apple Valley, Minn, adopted a daughter, Delaney Annabelle Carey, born Jan. 11, 2008.

Shawn Michael Davis ’91 of Brooklyn Center, Minn., married Jill Zentner, May 16, 2009. Shawn is a training manager at Travelers Insurance.

Kim Glose-Michalik ’91 of Chepachet, R.I., has been promoted to president of Pease and Curren, a precious metal refining company.

Laura Kreofsky ’91 of Madison, Wis., along with her work and travel as a healthcare technology consultant, continues to serve as a board member of the national Melpomene Institute for Women and Girls Health (www.melpomene.org) and mountain bike ride/race with the Madison Female Off Road Cycling Society (MadFORCs).

During the summer, she will be bicycling the Horribly Hilly Hundred, competing in a halfironman triathlon and a few shorter triathlons, and the Chequamegon Fat Tire 40 mountain

Jennifer Rogers ’91 of Boise, Idaho, was promoted in October 2008 to asset operations manager for The Housing Company, a subsidiary of Idaho Housing and Finance Association. She oversees 24 affordable housing complexes in the state of Idaho, which includes compliance oversight for the Section 8 and Tax Credit Low Income Affordable Housing programs.

Karen Schmidt ’91 of Batavia, Ill., now is teaching second grade bilingual at Bristol Bay Elementary School in the town of Yorkville. Previously, she spent 11 years in Aurora, Ill., working at a lowincome school as a second-grade bilingual teacher, teaching in both Spanish and English. She started a dual language theater program for the children there, presenting eight full-scale musicals in a mix of Spanish and English. The program was featured on CBS2 News.

Al Sorenson ’91 of Tinley Park, Ill., teaches fifth grade at Sandidge Elementary School. He also has a second career as a sports artist, selling prints and original paintings, including at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y. His work recently was selected by the producers of “Moneyball,” a film based on the book about former Oakland and Boston GM Billy Beane, to be used as props in the film. The film stars Brad Pitt as Billy Beane and is due out in late 2010. His paintings also have appeared at the Sports Museum of America in New York City and are available at Spector Sports Art Gallery in Orlando, Fla. He has done television interviews for Fox Sports Chicago and MLB.com television.

Lori Stich ’91 of Colorado Springs, Colo., is telecommuting with a Washington, D.C.-area firm, the National Legal Research Group. She is back to using the name Lori Stich. “My divorce became final in December, so no more Stich Zimmerman,” she says. “It’s been a rough road the last couple of years, but I seem to have landed on my feet, maybe happier than ever. … Life goes on!

When my marriage was falling apart in late 2007, I decided to try to take lemons and make lemonade, so when I left Austin, Texas, I moved up to Rochester Hills, Mich., where I spent the first six months of the year as a professional athlete with the Brooks-Hansons Olympic Development Program while preparing for the women’s Olympic Marathon Trials in Boston. It was a unique experience, running about 120 miles a week while living and training with the most elite group of female distance runners in the country. Not a lifelong goal for me, but one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences! Now I’m back to ‘normal’ life, just practicing law and enjoying the heck out of traveling whenever I can, in between finding and buying a house and starting up playing with a local orchestra — lots of Ripon habits still in play!”

Dirk Tischer ’91 of West Bloomfield, Mich., is an associate general counsel with Federal-Mogul Corp. doing commercial and compliance work.

SPRING 2009 35

Christopher John Wylie ’92 of Appleton, Wis., is the head tennis coach at University of WisconsinFox Valley in Menasha, Wis., and also is selfemployed in various endeavors.

Paul Combs ’93 of Wayne, Neb., has been named the new head men’s basketball coach at Wayne State College in Wayne, Neb., and began his new duties June 1. He previously served six seasons as head coach at the University of WisconsinPlatteville. There, he guided the Pioneers to a 103-56 record, including a 23-6 mark this past season that saw University of Wisconsin-Platteville reach the NCAA Division III National Tournament. The team was ranked No. 1 in the country for a short period of time in January, its first number-one ranking since 1999.

Elizabeth Thomasma Krcmar ’93 of Waupaca, Wis.: “After being a stay-at-home mom to our three boys for almost eight years, I went back to teaching last year in 2007-2008. I am teaching Title 1 math part time for grades 1 through 3 at the Waupaca Learning Center.”

Chris Lizak ’93 and his wife, Julie, of Glenview, Ill., have a son, Michael Chester Lizak, born April 23, 2008.

Stacey Ventura ’93 of Chicago, Ill., married Joseph “Joe” Koszela, Aug. 16, 2008. Stacey is a senior assistant in the circulation/newsstand department of Playboy Enterprises Inc. Doug Long ’94 and Wendy Davis Long ’97 of Ripon, Wis., have a daughter, Amelia Louise Long, born June 22, 2008.

Christine R. Metzo ’94 of St. Cloud, Minn., completed her doctorate in philosophy at the University of Kentucky in May 2008. She recently was appointed the assistant director of First-Year and Transition Programs at St. Cloud State University.

Matthew M. Phillips ’94 of Stoughton, Wis., is a policy adviser on the staff of Wisconsin State Senator Neal Kedzie.

Chad Adam Lueck ’95 of Furlong, Pa., now is the director of leadership training and development at Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company which represents the biotech pharmaceutical arm of J&J. Centocor Ortho Biotech, Inc. generates approximately $5 billion of J&J’s $64 billion in annual sales.

Kim Phu ’96 of Daly City, Calif., married Danny Lee July 19, 2008.

Edward G. Stewart ’96 and his wife, Lisa Bright Hollenback, of Traverse City, Mich., have a daughter, Clara Grace Stewart, born April 19, 2009.

Tiffany Marie Thomas ’96 of Greenfield, Wis., is a clinical supervisor at the Wisconsin Early Autism Project.

Amy L. Tincher-Durik ’96 of Indianola, Iowa, is the managing editor of BHG.com, the Better Homes and Gardens Web site (Meredith Corp., Des Moines, Iowa). She also is co-chairing the Make-

36 RIPON MAGAZINE

A-Wish Foundation of Iowa 2009 auction and gala.

Eric J. Van Dyken ’96 of Florence, Ky., is a pilot with Northwest Airlines.

Becki Parsons Baird ’97 and her husband, Chris, of Ripon, Wis., have a daughter, Adeline Rose Christine R. Baird, born Feb. 18, 2008.

Metzo ’94 Becki graduated with her master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, May 16, 2009. She also has completed her fourth year at Ripon High School where she teaches world history and Asian/ African studies. In addition, she teaches U.S. history at REACH, Ripon’s exploration and application charter school.

Zach Baitinger ’97 and his wife, D. Tobiassen Baitinger, of Fort Collins, Colo., have a son, Jacob Carter Tobiassen Baitinger, born July 17, 2008. In February, Zach accepted a position in supply chain at the New Belgium Brewing Company in Fort Collins, Colo.

Suzie Soeldner Barrock ’97 and her husband, Christian, of Kohler, Wis., have a son, Edward Christian Barrock, born Dec. 24, 2008.

Brian Cahoon ’97 and Cathy Mattson Cahoon ’97 of Naperville, Ill., have a son, Will James Cahoon, born June 18, 2008.

Andrew Drechsler ’97 and his wife, Beth, of Washington, D.C., have a daughter, Ellis Margaret Drechsler, born July 19, 2008.

Stephanie Bosman Fernhaber ’97 of Bloomfield, Ind., and her husband, Ethan, have a third daughter, Valerie Jean Fernhaber, born Jan. 4, 2009.

Aaron Goldstein ’97 of Fond du Lac, Wis., was promoted to a training coordinator for the Fond du Lac Police Department effective Jan. 1, 2009.

He coordinates nearly 80 employees’ career development, including in-house, specialized and advanced training opportunities. He also coordinates the Field Training Program, hiring process and assessment centers. He also has taken on additional responsibilities at Marian University as a part-time director where he does student advising, administers the criminal justice track of the undergraduate CRJ program and recruits for the adult accelerated program in the Fox Valley Region.

Mike Guenther ’97 and Jessi Kofler Guenther ’97 recently relocated to Kirkland, Wash. Mike is an account executive for Salient Surgical Technologies and handles the greater Seattle market.

Jessi has taken a new role as director of operations with Allegis Group Services and manages the Talent Source program at Microsoft.

Ryan Johnson ’97 of Chanhassen, Minn., is the

Ryan Johnson ’97

Charles Leroy Larson III ’00

national sales director for CIGNA LifeSOURCE Transplant Network. Ryan is based out of Minneapolis and has responsibility for the entire country. CIGNA LifeSOURCE provides clients with the access they need for solid organ and bone marrow/stem cell transplantation while improving cost containment and reducing their financial risk.

They manage more than 5,000 active transplant cases per year and have contracts with over 400 transplant programs at more than 115 independent transplant centers nationally recognized for their clinical outcomes.

Felicity Meade ’97 of Seattle, Wash., is a community outreach program manager in Zune, an MP3 player and music service, at Microsoft. She also “has a really awesome dog called Umlaut.”

Lisa Budgell Ritcher ’97 of Lexington, Ky., is the bookkeeper for Energy Sports & Fitness International.

Amanda Schwantes ’97 of Greenfield, Wis., graduated from Marian University in Fond du Lac, Wis., with a master’s of arts in curriculum and instruction with a focus on differentiated instruction for at-risk learners in December 2008.

Amanda teaches math at Bradford High School in Kenosha, Wis. Abbey Smoll ’97 of Phoenix, Ariz., earned a master’s degree in elementary education in December 2008 from Northern Arizona University. She teaches first grade at Kyrene del Milenio Elementary School.

Emmy Litschke Swartz ’97 and Billy Swartz ’98 of Wauwatosa, Wis., have a daughter, Summerlyn Marie Swartz, born Jan. 12, 2009.

Trisha Schmitt Anderson ’98 and her husband, Matt, of Hoffman Estates, Ill., have a daughter, Allison Elizabeth Anderson, born May 7, 2009.

Rachel Thompson Casey ’99 and Patrick Joseph Casey ’00 of St. James, Minn., have a daughter, Willow Ann Casey, born May 22, 2008.

Rachel teaches English as a second language and Patrick is an assistant public defender.

Amy M. Letcher ’99 of New Holstein, Wis., has completed a master’s degree in education leadership with a global educator emphasis from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

G I T C H O ’01 N A M E D R E P U B L I C A N N AT I O N A L P R E S S S E C R E TA RY After several stints in political communications, Gail Gitcho ’01 of Arlington, Va., has just been named national press secretary of the Republican National Committee. The Republican National Committee is the official organization representing the Republican Party in American politics.

In her position, Gitcho serves as the primary spokesman for the Republican National Committee, helps craft responses to the Democratic party and helps develop message strategy among other duties.

Gitcho previously served as the Mid-Atlantic regional communications director for U.S. Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign; regional press secretary for Gov. Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign; and press secretary for the Congressional Office and campaign communications director for U.S. Congressman Clay Shaw (R-FL).

“I have always had an interest in politics, and after attending Ripon College I had the opportunity to work

“Ripon students on a congresreceive a very sional campaign well-rounded in Colorado as education,” the press secreGitcho says. tary,” Gitcho “While Professor says. “Despite Jody Roy’s speech losing the Colcommunication orado campaign, department I enjoyed it and played a defining learned a lot, and role in my career ultimately decided path, graduate to pursue politics Gail Gitcho ’01 requirements as a career.” allowed me to take classes Gitcho says she likes her that were outside my career job because politics brings interests — like Professor something different every Jack Christ’s leadership day. studies, Professor Joe “Today brings new challenges and experiences than Hatcher’s psychology class and Professor Colleen yesterday — and you can bet the same will be true for Byron’s chemistry lab (which I can’t believe I tomorrow,” she says. “I passed). have had the chance to “I was also able to travel the country working on political campaigns, meet expand my opportunities by lots of interesting people and going off-campus two times — once for Urban Studies work with some of the best in Chicago and then again political operatives in the for an unbelievable experibusiness. I have also made some great friends along the ence during my semester in Florence, Italy. I will way.” always be grateful for the She credits her Ripon education and unique education with expanding opportunities I received at her horizons and taking her Ripon College.” to where she is today.

2000s June 25-27, 2009 10th Reunion, Class of ’00 5th Reunion, Class of ’05 Austin Richmond Durham ’00 and Jaclyn Kenny Durham ’03 of New Berlin, Wis., have a daughter, Reagan Renee Durham, born April 10, 2008.

Austin is a marketing representative for Kemper Insurance, and Jaclyn is a kindergarten teacher at St. Anthony School in Milwaukee.

Nathan Evans ’00 and Kindra Schweitzer-Evans ’01 recently relocated to Birmingham, Ala. Kindra earned her master’s of business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in July 2008. Nate graduated with his doctorate in physiology in May 2008 from the University of Wisconsin Medical School.

Stephanie Hanson ’00 of Gordon, Wis., will teach English as a second language for Princess Cruises this summer, sailing in the Caribbean. In August, she plans to move to Indonesia to become an English Language Fellow for the U.S. State Department.

Erica Kempen ’00 married Bryan Shefchik, June 24, 2006. They live in Madison, Wis., where Erica works at US Bank on the square.

Charles Leroy Larson III ’00 of Wauwatosa, Wis., has been promoted to vice president of communications with the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League. Larson just completed his ninth season with the Admirals and previously held the title of senior director of communications for the team. His responsibilities include guiding the team’s media and community relations efforts and the maintaining the Admirals Web site.

Tracey Wiedmeyer ’00 of Pleasant Prairie, Wis., along with Ripon natives Bob Gillespie Jr. and Rich Scamehorn, has started a company, In Context Solutions, that creates software to allow consumer package goods companies (General Mills, Kraft, etc.) to test product changes (new packaging designs, etc.) in a virtual, 3D environment.

“The uses of this software are infinite, really,” Tracey says. “We’re talking to advertising and marketing companies, as well, to test advertising displays, store fixtures, product layout, and eventually we’ll talk directly to retailers, like Jewel, Super Valu, etc., to build out entire stores.” In Context Solutions recently placed 12th out of more than 340 competitors in the Rice University Business Plan Competition, the biggest in the world; and finished third in the business plan competition for University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

This lead to articles in Forbes magazine and the company’s selection as Forbes’ third profile company for its America’s Most Promising Companies.

In Context Solutions’ Web site is at www.incon textsolutions.net.

Dante A.C. Houston ’01 of Milwaukee has been elected president of the Ripon College Alumni Association’s Board of Directors. Nick Spaeth ’04 of Glendale, Wis., was elected the board’s vice president. They are the youngest officers ever for the board.

Vicky Nytes ’01 of Hot Springs, Mont., is teaching high school French and history, along with coaching track and field at Hot Springs High School.

Sean Riesenberg ’01 and Amanda Luttenberger Riesenberg ’03 of De Pere, Wis., have a daughter, Brooke Elizabeth Riesenberg, born March 8, 2008. Amanda is a certified group fitness instructor and now works as a fitness specialist with the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin.

She also is certified in kickboxing and zumba, and is a certified personal trainer.

Kristi Sigurslid ’01 of Lodi, Wis., married Chris Paskey, Aug. 30, 2008. Kristi teaches math and coaches Varsity girls’ basketball at Lodi High School.

Heather Braund ’03 of Madison, Wis., is a study coordinator at a Madison pharmaceutical company.

Gina Compitello ’03 of Tucson, Ariz., received a master’s degree in French in June 2006 from the University of Oregon. In June 2008, she received her master’s degree in arts and cultural management with honors from the Université Lumière Lyon 2 in Lyon, France. During her final semester there, she worked with the Arfi, a free-jazz collective, to set up a series of cinema concerts in six regional parks celebrating their unique heritage.

The concerts were presented during the 2008 European Cultural Heritage Weekend. She is now an operations associate with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra.

Michael S. Fitzgerald Jr. ’03 of Arlington, Va., recently took a job with the Department of State/Foreign Service.

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tember 2007 from Loyola University in Chicago, Ill. She received her social work license in March 2009. She currently is marketing director for Dayton Residential Care Facility.

Diane Broske Kopping ’04 of Berlin Wis., married Josh Kopping, July 24, 2004. They have two daughters, Sophia Rose Kopping, born Oct. 23, 2005, and Emma Kate Kopping, born Nov. 10, 2008. Diane is a manager at Kmart in Ripon.

Timothy James Haney ’03

Joe Lullo ’04

Luke S. Hagel ’03 and Jennifer Nee Hagel ’03 of West Allis, Wis., have a daughter, Shaelyn Kathryn Hagel, born March 7, 2009.

Timothy James Haney ’03 of Eugene, Ore., graduated in June with a doctorate in sociology from the University of Oregon. He has accepted a position as assistant professor of sociology at Mount Royal College in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. His wife, Sara Wichlacz Haney ’04, has finished her fifth year of teaching and her third at Oak Hill School in Eugene, Ore. Toni Dahlin Knorr ’03 of Eden Prairie, Minn., started in December 2008 as donor relations coordinator with the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation. She organizes and plans large-scale fund-raising events, consisting primarily of a golf tournament, wine dinner, and gala.

April Marlewski ’03 of 0xford, Wis., is employed

by University Housing, Residential Life, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She recently taught a First-Year Seminar class, including the topics of liberal arts, social justice issues and firstyear experience.

Jeremy Martinson ’03 married Julia Rose Watson, Sept. 8, 2007 at the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, Wis., where they met in 2004. They live in New London, and Jeremy works part time as a pet care specialist at PetSmart in Appleton.

Liz Matelski ’03 of Chicago, Ill., successfully defended her dissertation proposal in March at Loyola University in Chicago and is finishing her doctorate in American history. She recently was awarded an Advanced Doctoral Fellowship and will continue to work on her dissertation, “The Color(s) of Perfection: The Feminine Body, Beauty Ideals and Identity in Postwar America, 1945-1970.”

Mitch Smith ’03 of Middleton, Wis., recently was promoted to senior informatics analyst at the Univeristy of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison.

Joe Lullo ’04 of Saint Paul, Minn., has been accepted into the master’s of fine arts program in acting at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

He plans to start in the program in the fall of 2009 and also will teach an introduction to acting class. “I’m really excited about the opportunity, and I have to thank the strong theatre department at Ripon for developing my skills as a theatre artist,” Joe says.

Sarah Reck ’04 of Wheeling, Ill., graduated in May with her doctorate in school psychology from Illinois State University. Next year, she will be the intervention specialist/school psychologist at Braeside Elementary School in Highland Park, Ill. Nick Spaeth ’04 of Glendale, Wis., has been elected vice president of the Ripon College Alumni Board of Directors, and Dante A.C. Houston ’01 of Milwaukee has been elected the president. They are the youngest officers ever for the board. Spaeth started as director of admissions at Lakeland College in Sheboygan June 1.

He previously was the assistant director of admissions at Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee.

Paul Russell Stinson ’04 of Neenah, Wis., is a center supervisor at Biolife Plasma Services in Oshkosh.

Tracy Bicknell ’05 of West Bend, Wis., is director of product development for Stacy Adams shoe company in Milwaukee. She also is attending Cardinal Stritch University full time pursuing her master’s of business administration, and expects to graduate in January 2010.

Michelle M. Burton ’05 of Baraboo, Wis., is the lead data specialist for a grant-funded project at the Logan Museum of Anthropology at Beloit College.

Carly Corsun ’05 of Joinville-le-Pont, France, married Jean-Philippe Machanoritch in July 2007. She now works as an English trainer in the communications industry.

Shannon A. Doran ’04 of Evergreen Park, Ill., is a music teacher with the Hazel Crest (Ill.) School District 152-1/2.

Michelle L. Erickson ’05 of Cambridge, Wis., has been teaching for three years at Cambridge Elementary School, one year in kindergarten and two years in second grade. She also is the junior varsity volleyball coach and the varsity softball coach. She will begin a graduate program in reading this fall at Cardinal Stritch University while she continues to teach full time.

Christine A. Gibson ’04 of Madison, Wis., married Ryan Peterson, Sept. 9, 2006. She earned her master’s of social work degree in Sep-

Jessica Jones ’05 of Brookline, Mass., is a tax associate for Ernst & Young LLP in Boston. She also is taking the CPA exam.

Brie B. Terrell ’03 of St. Louis, Mo., is a physician assistant in an orthopedics office in Alton, Ill.

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Jessica Owens ’05 of Alexandria, Va., works for the Office of Presidential Libraries at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Logan Shoemaker ’05 of Chicago, Ill., received her master’s degree in education from Northwestern University in August 2006. She teaches Spanish in Oak Park, Ill. Ashleigh Keith Smith ’05 of Hohenwald, Tenn., is an elephant caregiver at The Elephant Sanctuary.

Andrew Kitslaar ’06 of Gettysburg, Pa., graduated May 9, 2009, from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College with a master’s in education with a concentration on higher education administration, focused on institutional advancement. He began a position as an associate director of major gifts at Haverford College in Haverford, Pa., July 1. The position includes traveling 50 percent of the time in the territory of the Midwest and Texas (with a few trips to Philadelphia and New York City) to visit prospects with the capability of giving Haverford $100,000 to $1 million-plus gifts.

Victor R. Magnus ’06 of Princeton, Wis., is a military instructor with the National Guard at Fort McCoy. Nekia Mena ’06 and Kevin A. Goyert ’07 of Milwaukee were married May 30, 2009.

Nekia teaches first grade at Salam School in Milwaukee, and Kevin is an investment associate with Northern Trust Bank.

Aaron Bartell ’07 and Stephanie Klomsten ’07 were married Aug. 9, 2008. They live in East Lansing, Mich. Aaron is in law school at Michigan State University, and Stephanie completed her master’s degree in sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Katie Braun ’07 of Racine, Wis., is a county case manager for mental health with the Kenosha Human Development Services.

Lindsey Kreye ’07 of Bloomington, Minn., is a substitute teacher in school districts around the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Adam Krueger ’07 of Boston, Mass., is the production associate at the Huntington Theatre Company.

Tyler Otto ’07 of Larsen, Wis., is a traveling sales representative for Acoustic Ceiling Products (ACP) based out of Neenah, Wis., and travels throughout the Midwest representing ACP and their products to many major corporations.

Danielle Paiz ’07 of Corpus Christi, Texas, was promoted to district director for the Coastal Bend Chapter of the Muscular Dystrophy Association in Texas where she is conducting campaigns projected to raise more than half a million dollars for MDA this year alone.

Jason Q. Tang ’07 of Milwaukee graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in May with a master’s degree in accounting. He will start work in the audit department of Grant Thornton in October.

Megan R. Calder ’08 of Durango, Colo., is a residence director in Student Housing and Conference Services at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo.

Kendall L. Guimond ’08 of Milwaukee is a public relations intern with Cramer Krasselt Public Relations-Milwaukee, a division of Cramer Krasselt, the third largest independent ad agency in the country, based out of Chicago.

Joseph J. Hentz ’08 of Appleton, Wis., is an outreach specialist with the Greater Fox Cities Area Habitat for Humanity in Menasha.

Alison Marie Krings ’08 of Franklin, Wis., and Dustin Church of New Berlin, Wis., have a daughter, Bailey Marie Church, born March 24, 2009.

Dana Michelle Moore ’08 of Fond du Lac, Wis., is a physical therapy aide in acute care at Meriter Hospital in Madison, Wis. She plans to start graduate school for physical therapy in the fall of 2010.

Lt. Kyle Scott Unger ’08 of Fort Rucker, Ala., is in the U.S. Army Flight School. He will be flying the TH-67 helicopter this summer and plans to fly UH-60 Blackhawks afterward.

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

Lewis A. Walter ’30 of Madison, Wis., died Feb. 7, 2009. At Ripon, he was a member of the Omega Sigma Chi fraternity and received an ROTC officer commission. He was a member of Partners in the Legacy. He earned a doctorate in organic chemistry from the University of Wisconsin and practiced medicinal chemistry research for 40 years at the university, Maltbie Laboratories and Schering Plough. He held more than 30 U.S. patents and made this country’s first effective sulfa antibiotic. Lewis was a member of the American Chemical Society for 73 years, the Presbyterian Church of Madison and the Summit and Madison Old Guards. He wrote the Madison Eagle’s “50 Years Ago” column as a volunteer for the Historical Society and was an Eagle indexer for the Madison Public Library. Lewis was a master bridge player and loved fishing, chemistry, trees and fixing things. Survivors include two daughters, Mary A. Walter ’64 and Alice C. Walter ’71.

James H. Barbour ’32 of Green Lake, Wis., died April 10, 2009. He was born Nov. 5, 1910, in Walleston, Mass. The family moved to Wisconsin in 1913, settling in Ripon by 1922. Jim graduated from Ripon College where his father, Dr. Harris M. Barbour, was a professor for many years. At Ripon, James was a member of the Merriman Phi Kappa Pi fraternity, participated in athletics and majored in chemistry, physics and mathematics at

Ripon. He received a doctorate in pharmacology and a degree in medicine from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was an anesthesiologist until retiring in 1997. Survivors include one son; a sister, Jane Barbour Lockwood ’34 of Keene, N.H.; and a brother-in-law, Lawrence Vandervelde ’42 of Green Lake, Wis. Dorothea “Dottie” M. Himmler ’35 of Highland Park, Ill., died Aug. 5, 2008. Dottie majored in Spanish at Ripon and earned a degree in Spanish from Northern Illinois University. She also earned two advanced degrees there. She taught at Woodstock High School for many years until she retired June 4, 1975.

Frances “Frannie” Sischo Altheimer ’43 of Florissant, Mo., died March 19, 2009. In high school, she was the first female to win the Wisconsin state oratory championship. At Ripon, Frannie studied biology and zoology and was a member of Alpha Gamma Theta and student government. She taught for nearly 30 years in the Ferguson-Florissant School District. She was on the Alumni Board of Ripon College from 1983 to 1989 and served as class agent for more than 60 years. Survivors include one son; two daughters; and a grandson, George Harrison Johnson ’00.

Kenneth W. Behrend ’45 of Pittsburgh, Pa., died Jan. 19, 2009. He was born Oct. 12, 1924. At Ripon, he majored in chemistry and biology and was a member of Alpha Phi Omega. He left after three semesters to join the Army and was a veteran of World War II. He earned a juris doctorate degree in 1950, practiced law and founded the law firm of Behrend and Ernsberger in 1966. He was a member of Masonic Lodge 45; an elder of Shadyside Presbyterian Church; a member of many civic and charitable boards; and a national championship duckpin bowler. Survivors include his wife, Elizabeth, 202 Lytton Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213; one son and three daughters.

Beverly Eick Gussler ’47 of Anaheim, Calif., formerly of Appleton, Wis., died May 11, 2009.

She was born Oct. 19, 1924, in West Allis, Wis. At Ripon, she received a degree in English and economics. She received her teacher’s certificate from Oshkosh State Teachers College. She taught school briefly in Marion, Wis., before moving to Montebello, Calif., in 1952 and teaching in the Montebello, Whittier and Paramount United school districts. After retiring, she and her husband, Gus, moved back to Wisconsin and owned a health food store in Appleton called JOKAPACO. They returned to southern California in 1988. She was a member of Zion Lutheran Church, Anaheim, a lifelong member of the National Association of University Women, the NRA and a volunteer with the League of Women Voters. Beverly enjoyed flying for United Airlines and was a member of Clipped Wings, a service organization for retired stewardesses. She also attended several annual reunions for the USS Laws, in honor of her husband’s naval service. Survivors include one son and two daughters.

John Franklin Kitchell ’47 of The Colony, Texas, died March 2, 2008. He was born Jan. 31, 1921. At Ripon, he received a degree in sociol-

ogy, participated in athletics and was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He worked for many years for Wausau Insurance Company before starting his own business, The Kitchell Agency.

He retired in 1997 and moved to Texas. Survivors include his wife, Elinor Bryan Kitchell ’43, 6004 Mayes Place, The Colony, TX 75056; and one daughter.

John R. Hoffmann ’48 of Rochester, Minn., died June 2, 2008. He was an active member of the Waukesha Masonic Lodge and the Wisconsin Scottish Rite, as well as the Tripoli Shrine Temple.

He also was a life member of the Milwaukee chapter of the DAV, Post Polio Group of Southeast Wisconsin, Ripon College Alumni Association and was a Ripon College Partners in the Legacy Charter Member and the M.I. Hummel Club. Survivors include one daughter.

Earl R. “Blacky” Zamzow ’50 of Whitefish Bay, Wis., died May 25, 2009. At Ripon, he majored in physical education and was a member of the Theta Chi fraternity, played football and received his ROTC commission. He was named to the Athletic Hall of Fame in 1981, was a Red Hawks Booster and a Partner in the Legacy. He had worked as a high school biology teacher, track and football coach, U.S. Army Reserve officer and investments counselor. He was inducted into the Wisconsin Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1995. Surviving are two sons. His wife, Bernice “Be” Gardner Zamzow ’53, died in 2008. The couple established the Zamzow Family Scholarship Fund at Ripon to assist future generations of Ripon students.

James Mendyke Sr. ’51 of Plover, Wis., died April 3, 2009. He was born June 14, 1929, in Buffalo, N.Y., and moved to the Stevens Point area as a child. At Ripon, he excelled in football and basketball, and was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and majored in mathematics and economics. He entered the Army in 1951 with a ROTC commission from Ripon. He earned the Combat Infantry Badge, the Bronze Star Medal, the Korean Service Medal, Three Bronze Stars and the United Nations Service Medal. He was honorably discharged as a 1st Lt. of the Infantry. He began his career with Hardware Mutual, which became Sentry Insurance. During his sales career he earned the company’s Leaders Award 27 times (22 as a top performer). He retired in 1993. He was a member of the Stevens Point Elks Club, American Legion Post No. 6, Eske Lodge, and was a president of the Stevens Point Country Club. Survivors include his wife, Joan, 1564 Okray Ave., Plover, WI 54481; two sons, including James J. Mendyke Jr. ’83; and four daughters.

Shirley Medow Gunn ’55 of Bella Vista, Ark., died Oct. 2, 2008. At Ripon, she studied psychology and was a member of Kappa Delta sorority.

She worked as a flight attendant for Trans World Airlines; in human relations for the Raytheon Corp. in Boston, Mass., Sandia Corp. in Livermore, Calif., and Albuquerque, N.M., and Shepherd Machinery Co. in Whittier, Calif. In Tulsa, Okla., she owned and managed “Young World,” a children’s dance studio and preschool for 18 years, and then was a moving consultant for 14 years with Winter Moving and Storage Inc. in Bella Vista, Ark. She was a member of St. Bernard Catholic Church, St. Bernard’s Women’s Club and

SPRING 2009 39

Bella Vista Woman’s Golf Club. She enjoyed golf, reading, playing bridge and traveling. Survivors include one son; one daughter; and a niece, Angelique J. Medow ’94.

Carol Meyer Marsh ’58 of New Castle, Penn., died Aug. 21, 2008. She was born April 2, 1937, in Bloomington, Ill. She was a 1954 graduate of Ripon High School and attended Ripon College, where she participated in music, theatre and Kappa Theta. She studied English and speech communication before receiving a bachelor’s degree from the University of WisconsinWhitewater in 1958. She later received a master’s degree and doctorate in education from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. She taught in the Youngstown School District, retiring in 1988. She was a member of Trinity Episcopal Church and enjoyed traveling, including all of the United States and Canada, Mexico, England, Ireland, Greece, Italy and Israel. She also enjoyed singing, reading, swimming, camping and her dogs. She had lived in many parts of the United States throughout her life. Survivors include one daughter and one stepdaughter.

Michael L. Watson Sr. ’60 of Hartford, Wis., died April 12, 2009. As a Ripon native, he swam the length of Big Green Lake, was an active sailor and Eagle Scout, attended the Boy Scout National Jamboree, served in the U.S. Army and the Army National Guard. At Ripon, he majored in speech communication and was a member of Ripon College’s only undefeated, untied football team. He was also a member of the Merriman/Phi Kappa Pi fraternity. A true lover of the outdoors, he once hitchhiked to Yellowstone National Park. He was a retired sales manager for FoamCast. Survivors include his wife, Marty, 862 Wheelock Ave., No. 4, Hartford, WI 53027; three sons and one daughter.

Augustus “Gus” Carver Jr. ’61 of Edwards, Ill., died June 22, 2009. He was born Jan. 26, 1929, in Charleston, W.Va. He attended Ripon College and ran his family’s farm, Old Orchard, until he later bought and farmed the historic Sunnyside farm. He served in the U.S. Army in Germany where he was a tank mechanic. He also worked as a salesman. When Rislone, the company he represented, sponsored an Indy racecar driven by Bobby Unser, he traveled the racing circuit and became friends with many drivers and crews. He was a member of the board of directors of Math Corp. of Green Lake, Wis., for many years. Gus loved to be outdoors, hunting and the Green Bay Packers.

Survivors include two daughters.

Harry F. “Rick” Diedrich Jr. ’65 of Ripon, Wis., died April 21, 2009. He was born Aug. 7, 1943, in Ripon. At Ripon, Rick was a member of Sigma Nu, participated in athletics, was commissioned in the ROTC and received a degree in economics.

He received his master’s of business administration from Indiana State University in 1967. Rick worked for Century 21 Properties Unlimited and the Diedrich Insurance Agency in Ripon, and served his country in the U.S. Army. He enjoyed playing golf and racquetball. Survivors include his partner, Sherry Huseboe of Ripon; one son and two daughters; cousins, including John C.

40 RIPON MAGAZINE

Diedrich ’62, John “Jack” Shaw ’62, Carol Diedrich Cooley ’58 and Lund Cooley ’87; and a nephew, Adam Shaw ’95.

Colin Steffen Smith ’65 of Santa Barbara, Calif., died June 21, 2009. He was born Aug. 19, 1941, in Racine, Wis. He graduated from Ripon with degrees in economics and math. He was a member of the Lambda Delta Alpha fraternity and served on the Alumni Board from 1977 to 1981.

He spent 30 years working in Chicago as a commodities broker and member of the Chicago Board of Trade. He had homes in Scottsdale and Carpinteria. While living in Scottsdale, Colin was instrumental in starting a wind farm located in Clovis, N.M. He moved to Santa Barbara in 2002. Survivors include his wife, Jill Fortmeier Smith ’66, 807 Cima Linda Lane, Santa Barbara, CA 93108; and one stepson.

William C. Beaman ’70 of Apple Valley, Minn., died May 26, 2008. He was born May 8, 1948, in

Berlin, Wis. At Ripon, he majored in physical education and was a member of Merriman Phi Kappa Pi. He worked as a physical education teacher. Survivors include one son and one daughter; and a nephew, Nicholas Beaman ’11.

David Van Vlissingen ’76 of Lake Forest, Ill., died Feb. 2, 2009. He was president of Index Inc. Survivors include his wife, Lindy, 597 Rosemary Road, Lake Forest, IL 60045; one son and two daughters.

Anne Murphy Slowik ’88 of Fox River Grove, Ill., died June 5, 2009. She was born March 26, 1966 in Chicago. From Ripon, she received a degree in economics and business management and was a member of Alpha Delta Pi. She was a trust officer with Northern Trust Co., volunteered at Countryside Elementary School and attended St. Anne Church. Survivors include her husband, Colin Slowik, 9234 Tiffany Lane, Fox River Grove, IL 60021; two sons and one daughter.

The Last Word the last word A Fitting, but Misspelled Tribute I was reading up on the recent events in the Winter 2009 Ripon Magazine (always wonderfully put together, by the way). As I got to the obituaries I was very sad to see that my former guitar teacher had passed away in March.

He was such a wonderful guy — always patient with us and so passionate about his work.

However, I noticed that his name was misspelled. It was spelled Comb, but it’s actually Combe. I don’t know if you make corrections in the next edition or if you’d run it again with the correct spelling, but I thought I’d let you know. He was a great guy, and I felt like I should let someone know!

Thank you, Amanda Guay ’05 Green Lake, Wis.

Slapped in the Face A brief perusal of the statistics of contributors to worthy institutions (colleges, churches, conservation organizations, etc.) reveals an interesting fact.

Giving by persons who are conservative (Republican, believe in free (pri-

vate) enterprise, are religious and capitalism) give several times over those who are liberal (Democrats, Socialists, progressive, believe in big government, etc.). This preponderance in giving is true both in number of people giving and the amount of money given.

The long praising article in the Ripon [Alumni] Magazine of the journey of students and faculty to the President’s Inauguration is a direct slap in the face of those who give financially.

Liberalism (Progressivism, Socialism) spells the decline of those things which have made the U.S.A. great: private enterprise, entrepreneurism, limited government, capitalism. Look to the Soviet Union and to Europe to confirm this point.

I have supported Ripon for over 40 years and am part of [Partners in the] Legacy. From this time on I shall support Hillsdale College in Michigan which believes in supporting the ideals of those who support it.

Thank you, Jack Sneesby ’47 South Milwaukee, Wis.

TRADITION NEVER GRADUATES nor does our need for your support.

Thank you for your continued commitment to Ripon College.

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

Axel Owen ’09 of Winthrop Harbor, Ill., celebrates commencement with a special furry friend. Read the commencement recap as well as a feature Jim Koepnick photo about alumni and their dogs inside this issue.