Photo Spotlights

The 11th annual Rochester Fringe Festival concludes this weekend, with nearly 20 free performances and exhibits from RIT students, faculty, staff, and retirees. Here, jazz ensemble Midnight Waves performs. Shows include a cappella groups; Dangerous Signs (American Sign Language, poetry, song, and dance); steel drums; Japanese drumming; dance; kazooing; belly dancing; and a drag show. Free shuttle buses available for RIT students.

NTID partnered with the Rochester Red Wings baseball team for the third annual Deaf Culture Night at Frontier Field, held Sept. 16. The game against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs included a “silent inning”; “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “God Bless America” performed in American Sign Language by NTID’s traveling performance troupe Sunshine 2.0; and sign language interpreters throughout the stadium, along with other planned activities, such as post-game fireworks.

Third-year students Alex Silva Joseph, Aisha Khalid, and Zoe Zapata celebrated the kickoff of Hispanic Heritage Month with Fiesta en la Plaza at Global Village on Sept. 15. The event featured giveaways, dancing, food, and performances by local Latinx drag queens. Hispanic Heritage Month is Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. 

The RIT Women’s Council Glass Pumpkin Sale began on Sept. 12. Pumpkins can be purchased in person at Shop One, and specialty pumpkins are available online.

Professor Hinda Mandell, director of the journalism program, explained to students the power of free speech through clothing, buttons, patches, and other wearables during an RIT 365 class, Piece/Peace Work. The class was organized by Cha Ron Sattler-LeBlanc from the Academic Success Center.

The RIT Arnold Air Society hosted a 9/11 Remembrance Vigil on Sept. 12. Henrietta's fire trucks hoisted a large U.S. flag, and 2,977 small flags were planted in the grass to mark each life lost in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

Fresh Check Day activities filled the Campus Center Breezeway Sept. 7. The event is a mental health and suicide prevention program featuring interactive tables, messaging, giveaways and support from various campus groups.

Susan Houde-Walter, the new director of the Chester F. Carlson Center of Imaging Science, was introduced to the RIT community during a special ceremony on Wednesday, Sept. 7. 

RIT is working with The Raymond Corporation, a Toyota Material Handling Group company, to develop a complex, “smart” warehouse system for the national company. Here, Joseph Yahner, director of new product development for Raymond Corp., participates in a demonstration of the robotic systems being developed.

Students return to campus after their summer break and reconnect with friends. Classes began August 22.

The annual Lighting The Way ceremony and walk began in the Fireside Lounge to welcome new students who identify as women or non-binary. Lanterns waited to be picked up outside the Student Alumni Union.

RIT hosted a welcome ceremony at Liberty Hill for new students joining RIT through the Destler/Johnson Rochester City Scholars (RCS) and Mark and Maureen Davitt Graduate Education Endowed Scholarship programs. The 22 new Destler/Johnson RCS students come from eight public and charter schools located in the City of Rochester and will major in programs ranging from computer science to physics to international business. The three new Davitt Scholars will pursue graduate degrees in criminal justice, business (MBA), and metals and jewelry design.