Ripon College is a diamond in the rough for liberal arts colleges in rural Wisconsin. From random occurrences throughout the residence halls to an overflowing cemetery next door, the college is full of surprises.
The Ripon College squirrel, famous for knowing all the lore on campus, said they know about things that have been hidden on campus. A lot of the hidden things are spooky; however, there are some marvelous quirks about our alma mater.
“I have been here longer than any of these pesky students ever have. Everybody sees me and speaks of me, but no one stops to talk to me and get to know me. If they did, maybe they’d learn that there is something hidden on this campus that only I and the geriatric folk know of,” Squirrel said.
It must be the case that there is something old hidden on this campus, and there are now glimpses of that.
Have you noticed the dug-up pile of dirt outside Mapes on the lawn? Nobody knows how it got there. All that is known about this pile is that it was not there when students left for winter break, but it was there when students returned. Many speculate the origins of this mysterious dirt, but due to the college’s nature, it can only mean one thing: hidden treasure.
The College Days uncovered an anonymous tip in the archives dated from 2001, which reveals that somewhere, on campus, treasure was hidden by the founders of Ripon College, and that whoever finds it will be rich beyond anyone’s wildest imagination.
However, there was nothing more on the tip other than a few illegible words that say, “Founders hide treasure”. This tip and the giant hole in the quads can only mean one thing: someone is about to be filthy rich.
When there’s a hidden treasure, a map is sure to exist. Someone on campus must have found the map hidden in their dorm or in one of the original academic buildings. The map must have led the student to the quad lawn where the treasure is likely buried.
When all the students had left for winter break, the student came back to campus and started digging in the middle of the night, where they believed no one would suspect. The snow played a key role in covering up the gaping hole, making it hard for others to notice what was going on. The student likely continued this process throughout the entire break, in hopes of finding Fort Knox.
However, the student found the map at a bad time. During the harsh Wisconsin winters, the ground is so hardened that a drill would struggle to break through. So while this student’s effort was mighty based on the huge pile they left, it seems they were unsuccessful in finding the treasure. The student must have filled the whole back up to avoid others from catching wind of what was going on.
Nonetheless, one thing is for certain: someone is bound to get filthy rich. Whoever that is, they’d better get to digging quickly before it becomes a race for the ages. Whether it’s demons, haunted cemeteries, eerie prairies, or hidden treasures, Ripon College is never a dull time. And especially on a certain day in April…
