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The College Days

A portfolio of articles from my college newspaper, College Days (September 2024 - Present)

SAND WASPS REMOVAL FROM QUADS VOLLEYBALL COURT

The Quads volleyball court has a new look this fall after the college removed its existing sand and replaced it with 61.5 tons of new sand.
The decision came after concerns about sand wasps nesting in the court during the summer, as well as reports of broken glass and other contaminants in the sand.
John Tobin, grounds manager at Ripon College, said the wasp issue became more noticeable during the summer months, when the court is used less frequently.
“It seemed to be more of a problem during th...

ENGINEERING PROFESSOR PLACED ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE

This story has been edited as Ripon College responded after initial publication. 
Professor Ying Lei “is temporarily on a paid leave,” according to an email sent to 53 Ripon College students on Sept. 23. 
Professor Hang Li, co-Director of the Engineering Program, stated that Ying Lei would not be present for the time being and “we have to suspend the normal class lectures for EGR 110, EGR 330 and EGR 291 for now. We will definitely resume our study when she is back.”
Hang Li and Ying Lei joined...

CAESTECKER GALLERY TO OPEN SEASON WITH DERRICK BUISCH EXHIBITION

The Caestecker Gallery will open its exhibition season Sept. 11 with “Mixed Signals (New Paintings +),” an exhibition featuring work by artist and University of Wisconsin–Madison Professor of Art Derrick Buisch. 
Buisch will give an artist talk at 6 p.m., followed by a reception in the gallery. 
Known for paintings that combine whimsical imagery with references to pop culture and ambiguous objects, Buisch brings decades of painting experience and exhibition history to the gallery. He has served...

‘PAINFUL, BUT IN THE BEST INTEREST’: RIPON COLLEGE PRESIDENT EXPLAINS PROGRAM CUTS

Ripon College will eliminate its anthropology and French and Francophone studies programs while investing in accounting, criminal justice and other academic areas the administration believes will better attract future students. 
In an interview with the College Days, President Victoria Folse said the changes stem from Ripon’s strategic focus on enrollment and an academic program review completed earlier this year. The decision was announced via email to the students on July 29 titled “Exciting C...
Ric Damm

BREAKING NEWS: CHRIS SCHUMACHER RETIRING

As notifications chimed in at 9 a.m., audible gasps were heard in classrooms and boardrooms around Ripon College. The college community had just learned that Vice President and Director of Athletics Chris Schumacher will retire on June 1, 2026. 
The news was announced via email Friday morning and then posted to the college’s website shortly thereafter. According to the press release, Schumacher succeeded Ryan Kane in June 2023 and has led the addition of the Esports Team, women’s flag football,...
Emma Johnson

COLLEGE EMAIL ADDRESSES IMPACTED BY THIRD-PARTY DATA BREACHES

Recently, several college email addresses may have been located in recent data breaches involving external, third-party services.
These breaches are not related to the college’s internal systems but stem from accounts created on external platforms using institutional email addresses. For context, an example of this would be a student using their ripon.edu email and creating an account with an outside organization.The data taken from these companies includes but is not limited to physical address...
Ric Damm

Taking a Different Route

As students returned to campus nearly five months ago, many returning upperclassmen quickly recognized a point of contention. 
As the Admissions Office rolled out a new tour to prospective students (high school juniors and seniors), several students noted that the new tour fails to highlight the Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) and Student Support Services (SSS) in Bartlett Hall, instead opting to fill the allotted one-hour time period with a visit to the newly designed and built E-Sport...
Ric Damm

Closure of Private Liberal Arts School Displays Ripon College’s Strengths

With the recent announcement that Ripon College will open its doors to Northland College students for 100% of the closing college credits, Ripon College is among a cohort of smaller, more populated liberal arts colleges that are moving to protect themselves from closure. Despite the trends of liberal arts schools closing in the nation, experts, however, see signs that Ripon College is better positioned to weather the current situation than some of its peers.
The private liberal arts college, Nor...
Lane Library

Largest gift commitment in college history awarded to Ripon from Merriman Alumni

Officially announced on the college website on Nov. 13, Ripon officials issued a statement regarding the “transformational” 20 million dollar donation from a group of anonymous Merriman, also known as the Phi Kappa Pi, alumni. 
Of the 20 million dollars, 5 million dollars is to be set aside for the rebuilding and reconstruction of the former Merriman Fraternity House. With the house razed in 2021 under previous Ripon President Zach Messitte, the rebuilding of the Merriman house now holds a treme...
Rickie Bailey

Ripon College students give thoughts on Harris Campaign visiting Ripon College

As news spread overnight on Ripon College campus that it appears Vice President Kamala Harris will be visiting Thursday afternoon, students’ reactions have varied in positivity and anticipated engagement with the event. 
Although campus officials and the Harris campaign aren’t confirming her visit, multiple signs point to the Democratic nominee’s attendance at Thursday’s event. While the email does not directly state that Vice President and Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris would be in...

Appleton Post-Crescent (USA-Today)

A portfolio of my articles from my summer internship (June-August 2026)

The Perrin Institution

.A portfolio of my internship writing (2025).

The Powell Tribune

A portfolio of my work from my internship (2023)

The Prowl

Featured selection of my high school newspaper writing (2021-2024).