Action-packed weekend for Brick City Homecoming

‌

Astronaut Mark Kelly and former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords will speak as the Student Government Horton Distinguished Speakers at 2 p.m. Oct. 12 at RIT.

UPDATE: 11 a.m. Oct. 1: The impov show with comedians Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood is sold out.

UPDATE: 4 p.m. Sept. 30: The RIT men’s hockey game against Michigan is sold out.

Tickets are available to the general public for the many highlights of Rochester Institute of Technology’s Brick City Homecoming & Family Weekend.

Astronaut Mark Kelly and former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords will speak as the Student Government Horton Distinguished Speakers at 2 p.m. Oct. 12 in RIT’s Gordon Field House and Activities Center. The couple’s speech, titled “Endeavor to Succeed,” will explore goals, perseverance and managing difficult situations. Tickets are $10 for RIT students, $15 for RIT faculty/staff/alumni/parents and $25 for general public. Tickets are available at the RIT University Arenas website.

On Jan. 8, 2011, a gunman opened fire at an event in Tucson, Ariz., and Giffords was shot in the head. Giffords survived, returning to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives less than seven months after her injury. In their best-selling memoir, Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope, Kelly and Giffords share their story of hope and resilience.

Other highlights of the weekend include:

• The RIT men’s hockey team will open the 2013-2014 regular season against Colgate at 7 p.m. Oct. 10 at Ritter Arena. Tickets are $5 for RIT students, $8 for RIT faculty/staff/alumni/parents and $10 for general public. Tickets are available at RIT University Arenas website.
• Comedians Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood from the Emmy-nominated show Whose Line Is It Anyway? will host an improvisational show from 8 to 10 p.m. Oct. 10 in RIT’s Clark Gymnasium. Tickets are $15 for RIT students, $30 for RIT faculty/staff/alumni/parents/guests and $40 for general public. Tickets are available at RIT University Arenas website.
• Daymond John, founder of fashion brand FUBU and an investor on ABC’s reality television show Shark Tank, will speak from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 11 in Ingle Auditorium, Student Alumni Union. John’s talk, titled “The Brand Within: Branding Yourself from Birth to the Boardroom,” is part of the Saunders College of Business Gasser Lecture Series. Tickets are $5 for RIT students, $15 for RIT faculty/staff/alumni/parents/guests and $25 for general public. Tickets are available at RIT University Arenas website.
• The RIT women’s hockey team, playing its second season at the Division I level, will host Vermont at 7 p.m. Oct. 11 at Ritter Arena. The women’s hockey team will host Vermont again at 3 p.m. Oct. 12 at Ritter Arena. Tickets are free for RIT students, $4 for RIT faculty/staff/alumni/parents and $5 for general public. Tickets are available at RIT University Arenas website.
• The Presidents’ Alumni Ball allows RIT alumni, along with classmates, family and friends, to join RIT President Bill Destler and Alumni Association President Ricardo Venegas ’92 for an evening of celebration. The reception begins at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 11, followed by a three-course dinner with wine, dancing, Vegas-style games and live music by The Gap Mangione New Big Band at RIT’s Gordon Field House. Tickets are $100 per person and are available through RIT’s Brick City Homecoming Office.
• The men’s hockey homecoming game versus Michigan will be held at 7 p.m. Oct. 12 at Blue Cross Arena. Tickets are $6 for RIT students, $13 for RIT faculty/staff/alumni/parents and $15 for general public. This year marks the first time that reserved seating is in effect for the game at Blue Cross Arena. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster (outlet, online or charge by phone at 800-745-3000).
• The Brick City 5K Fun Walk and Run will take people on a last lap around campus at 10 a.m. Oct. 13, starting and ending at Grace Watson Hall. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and is free for RIT students. Registration will be $10 for all other participants through Sept. 30, $15 Oct. 10–12 and $20 the day of the event.

Tickets for RIT students/faculty/staff/alumni can be purchased in person at the Gordon Field House Box Office with valid RIT ID.