“Dispatch from the Domestic Interior,” a poem by Associate Professor of English Megan Gannon, was included in the art exhibition “Claiming Space: A New Century of Visionary Women” at the Museum of Wisconsin Art in West Bend. The exhibit ran July 24 through Oct. 3, 2021. “Claiming Space” celebrated MOWA’s 60th anniversary and its visionary […]
Kurt Dietrich, professor emeritus of music and former Barbara Baldwin DeFrees Chair in the Performing Arts at Ripon College, will discuss his work on the history of jazz in Wisconsin Thursday, Nov. 18, for the Ripon Historical Society. The program will begin at 7 p.m. in the historical society museum, 508 Watson St. It is […]
Paul Dietrich has been described as “an apt bandleader, an exception composer, and a superlative performer” (All About Jazz) and “a skilled composer” (JazzTrail) and his music has been praised as “stunningly beautiful” (Audiophile Audition) and “captivating” (Chicago Jazz Magazine).
A composer, trumpet player and educator based in the Midwest, Dietrich has led the Paul Dietrich Quintet since 2012 and the Paul Dietrich Jazz Ensemble since 2016. The Chicago-based Quintet has released two albums: Focus (2017, ears&eyes) and We Always Get There (2014, Blujazz). The Paul Dietrich Jazz Ensemble’s 2019 album Forward features guest artist and world-renowned drummer Clarence Penn (Dave Douglas, Maria Schneider) alongside many of the Midwest’s best jazz musicians.
As a composer, Dietrich has completed over a dozen commissions for schools and organizations including the Isthmus Jazz Festival, Lawrence University’s Jazz Weekend, Ripon College, Madison College, the Mount Horeb Middle School Jazz Festival, and various high schools throughout Wisconsin. He is a two-time recipient of the Greater Madison Jazz Consortium’s Artistic Development Grant.
Paul holds a Bachelor’s degree in trumpet and jazz studies from Lawrence University and a Master’s degree in Jazz Studies from DePaul University. As an educator, Paul has directed the Jazz Ensemble at Ripon College since 2021, and served as co-trumpet instructor with his wife, Jessica Jensen, while filling in for his former teacher, John Daniel, at Lawrence University in 2021. Previously, Paul taught at Prairie Music & Arts in Sun Prairie, WI, and directed the jazz ensemble at Madison East High School.
Student members of the Momentum Leadership Fellows Program completed a service project in South Woods on the morning of Oct. 30. With the help of Professor Emeritus of Biology George “Skip” Wittler and representatives of the South Woods Park Association, the students assisted with clearing the woods of three invasive plant species. “Among other things, […]
Wisconsin’s Own Library Open House will be held from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13, at Ripon College. The event is sponsored by the General Federation of Women’s Clubs of Wisconsin. The event showcases the Wisconsin’s Own Library collection of books and poetry by Wisconsin authors and illustrators, housed at Ripon College’s Lane Library, 300 W. […]
The Ripon College choirs will present their fall concert Sunday, Nov. 7. The concert will begin at 3:15 p.m. in Demmer Recital Hall, C.J. Rodman Center for the Arts. All are welcome to attend, and masks are required to be worn. Paul Thompson, assistant professor of music, is the conductor and Deb MacKenzie, visiting instructor […]
“Art, Activism & Intersectionality: An Exhibit of Contemporary Posters” will open Nov. 5 in Caestecker Gallery, C.J. Rodman Center for the Arts, on the Ripon College campus. A lecture and opening will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The exhibit will continue through Dec. 10 and is free and open to the public. Masks […]
Internationally recognized disability advocate Judith Heumann will be a special guest Nov. 10 for Ripon College’s Center for Politics and the People. Her talk, “Judy Heumann: Our Fight for Disability Rights,” will be presented virtually via Zoom at 6:30 p.m. Central Standard Time. Registration can be accessed at ripon.edu/rights. Her story was featured in the […]
Karlyn Schumacher ’15, assistant librarian-access services, wrote a blog post titled “Starting from Scratch: OER at a Small Liberal Arts College” for OER and Beyond, posted Oct. 6, 2021. The blog post about open educational resources can be accessed here.
“Redistricting and its Impact on Voting” will be a ZOOM webinar presented Wednesday, Nov. 3, by the Center for Politics and the People of Ripon College and the League of Women Voters of the Ripon Area. The webinar will run from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. Access is available at ripon.edu/voting. A post-event recording will be […]
“Considering their NFL teams, it’s even farther from Green Bay to Washington, D.C., than you think,” an opinion piece by President Zach Messitte, appeared Oct. 22, 2021, in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper. Ahead of Sunday’s game between the Green Bay Packers and the Washington Football Team, Messitte laments the downward spiral of his hometown […]
Mark Franzen ’83 of Paradise Valley, Arizona, will chair the search committee in the process to select the next president of Ripon College. President Zach Messitte has announced that he will leave his position at the end of the fall semester. Franzen has been a member of the Ripon College Board of Trustees since 2011 […]
Guest recitalists Demondrae Thurman, euphonium, and Kathryn Fouse, piano, will perform in the Chamber Music and Jazz at Ripon series Friday, Oct. 22, at Ripon College. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Demmer Recital Hall, C.J. Rodman Center for the Arts. It will be free and open to the public. Per Ripon College […]
Ripon College is expanding its Local Commitment Award outreach to two additional counties in Wisconsin — Outagamie County and Brown County. Two years ago, Ripon College launched its Local Commitment Award, offering financial assistance of up to $34,000 per year to students who graduated from high school in the four counties immediately surrounding the campus. […]
Director Emeritus Robert Amsden discussed an upcoming Ripon College theatre production Monday on Hometown Broadcasting and The Wave – 93.1FM & 1600AM. A recording of the radio interview can be heard here. The production of Zoe Kazan’s play “After the Blast” will be presented Oct. 14-17 by the Ripon College Department of Theatre. Performances begin […]
Casey Gott ’14 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was featured on the website of Milwaukee’s Hunger Task Force on Monday, Oct. 11. “Hunger Task Force honors Indigenous Peoples’ Day: Casey Gott reflects on family heritage” describes Gott’s heritage as a member of the Sapotaweyak Cree Nation, her work as a staff member of the Hunger Task Force […]
Research from a 2020 paper on dog empathy, “A shoulder to cry on: Heart rate variability and empathetic behavioral responses to crying and laughing in dogs,” written by Associate Professor of Psychology Julia Meyers-Manor, was cited in an article published Oct. 1 on nationalgeographic.com. The article, “Yes, dogs can ‘catch’ their owners’ emotions,” discusses research […]
“Refugee Children at the Border,” a Zoom talk, will be presented Thursday, Oct. 14, as part of Latin Heritage Month at Ripon College. Presented by the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, the program will run from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The Zoom ID is 256 018 4018. The speaker will be Enrique Morones, a longtime […]
Authors of the book News Hole: The Demise of Local Journalism and Political Engagement will speak Wednesday, Oct. 13, at Ripon College. The free talk by Jennifer Lawless and Danny Hayes will be presented by the Center for Politics and the People. It will begin at 6:30 p.m. Central Time via a Zoom webinar. Registration […]
Zoe Kazan’s play “After the Blast” will be presented Oct. 14-17 by the Ripon College Department of Theatre. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 14, through Saturday, Oct. 16, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 17, in Benstead Theatre, C.J. Rodman Center for the Arts, on Union Street. Tickets are free, but reservations are […]