Embrace the snow during RIT’s FreezeFest

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A. Sue Weisler

Students from RIT’s College Activities Board unveil the headliners for FreezeFest ’16, John Mulaney and Nick Kroll.

Flag football, an obstacle course challenge, an ice sculpture demonstration, miniature golf and drag queen bingo are all part of the seventh annual RIT FreezeFest, for students, faculty, staff to celebrate Rochester’s winter season.

The festival, today through Sunday, is one of the largest events on campus and the largest in the winter season.

“The goal of FreezeFest is to bring the RIT community together in new ways to celebrate Rochester’s cold and snowy months,” said Bill St. Jean, associate director for campus programs. “Since its inception in 2010, FreezeFest has brought students, friends, families and the RIT community together for an assortment of winter-themed programs and events.”

“Every year, it gets more creative and more fun,” said Hannah Abele, a fourth-year industrial design major from Harrisburg, Pa., and the events coordinator for the RIT College Activities Board. “It’s great to see the amount of people who look forward to it – they’ll come out not just for the giveaways (hats, coats, blankets, lip balm and more this year) but they are happy to get a chance to enjoy a unique event.”

One new feature this year is the One SpiRIT: Global Unification event held in the FreezeFest Ski Lodge in the Fireside Lounge from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Students will have the opportunity to interact with RIT students in Croatia, Dubai and Kosovo and watch short videos of singing or dancing from each campus; judges will determine the best performance.

Each campus will have live viewing parties and hosts, and students will be able to interact and ask questions.

“It’s an opportunity for RIT students to be united on all of our global campuses,” said Luke Auburn, senior communication specialist for RIT’s Human Resources Department. “Now we have an increasingly global presence, it can be difficult to interact with one another. Here, we’ll have the opportunity to interact in real time to show what our campuses are about and what life is like on the other side of the world.”

Students can post photos and follow news of the day by using #RITOneSpiRIT and visiting the RIT Global Unification Facebook page.

John Mulaney and Nick Kroll have been selected as the comedians who will perform Saturday evening.

Mulaney began working at Saturday Night Live in 2008 where he appeared as a “Weekend Update” correspondent. He stars in the sitcom Mulaney on the FOX network about a rising stand-up coming trying to take his career to the next level.

Kroll was creator and star of Comedy Central’s Kroll Show which ran for three years, and most recently has been working with his long-time friend, Mulaney, on an off-Broadway show, Oh, Hello.

Tickets for Mulaney and Kroll are $10 for students, $18 for RIT faculty and staff and $23 for the public, and available online or at the RIT box office.

Unless otherwise indicated, all FreezeFest events are free and sponsored by the College Activities Board. They include:

Today:

• 4 p.m. FreezeFest Open Mic, Fireside Lounge, Student Alumni Union. Sponsored by Mental Graffiti.
• 9 p.m. Animated film, Happy Feet, Ingle Auditorium, SAU.

Friday:

• All day: ice carving demonstration outside the SAU.
• 10:30 a.m. Yoga & Yogurt, Clark Gym. Sponsored by Student Wellness.
• Noon: FreezeFest Festivities, SAU Lobby.
• Noon: Society of Automotive Engineers Clean Snowmobile Unveiling, outside SAU. Sponsored by SAE Clean Snowmobile Team.
• Noon: FreezeFest Photo Booth, Student Development Center Lobby. Sponsored by National Technical Institute for the Deaf Student Congress.
• 1 p.m. FreezeFest Velco-Ball, wear Velcro suits and tag others with Velcro balls, field next to M Lot.
• 1:30 p.m. Commuter FreezeFest Frenzy #1, free swag and giveaways for commuters, Campus Center Lobby. Sponsored by Commuters@RIT.
• 8 p.m. Rock’n BINGO, Davis Room, SAU. Sponsored by Center for Campus Life.
• 8 p.m. Outside Jokes, Inside Show, Webb Auditorium. Sponsored by RIT’s Fowl Play Improv Club.
• 10 p.m. Chocolate on Ice, open skate, free skate rental with donation of a can of food for RIT FoodShare, Gene Polisseni Center. Sponsored by the Center for Residence Life & Center for Campus Life.

Saturday:

• 10 a.m. Winter Warrior, winter obstacle course to test strength, conditioning and teamwork, in the field next to M Lot. Registration required in advance or on the day of the event, $10 for a team of two, with proceeds to the Veterans Outreach Center of Rochester. Visit Facebook for more details. Sponsored by Phi Kappa Psi and Sigma Chi.
• Noon-2 p.m.: One SpiRIT Global Unification, live interaction with RIT students in Croatia, Dubai and Kosovo, video singing or dancing performances from RIT’s five global campuses. Free hot dogs, hot chocolate, s’mores, giveaways and more in the “FreezeFest Ski Lodge.” Fireside Lounge, SAU. Sponsored by the Center for Campus Life.
• Noon: FreezeFest Glow Golf, indoor mini golf, SAU 1829 Room. Sponsored by the Center for Campus Life.
• 1 p.m. Commuter FreezeFest Frenzy #2, free swag and giveaways for commuters, Fireside Lounge, SAU. Sponsored by Commuters@RIT.
• 2 p.m. FreezeFest Frosty Food Trucks, in M Lot. Free sample servings while supplies last.
• 2 p.m. FreezeFest Snow-Ball, outdoor bubble ball, field by M Lot.
• 5 p.m. Tango Lessons & Dance, Gosnell Atrium. Sponsored by RIT Tango Club.
• 7:05 p.m. Men’s Hockey, RIT vs. Niagara University, Gene Polisseni Center. Sponsored by RIT Intercollegiate Athletics. Free tickets for RIT students, available at the Polisseni Box office.
• 8 p.m. Comedians John Mulaney & Nick Kroll, Gordon Field House.

Sunday:

• 10 a.m. FreezeFest 5K Run/Walk, Grace Watson Hall. Sponsored by Residence Life.
• 1-4 p.m.: Snowbowl, epic winter flag football tournament to raise awareness for ASL research, Turf Field. Teams are co-ed, with a minimum of seven per team. Free, but registration required by emailing dmd9042@g.rit.edu. Sponsored by Phi Delta Theta.
• 7 p.m. Sexy Bingo, with drag queens, free, Student Development Center. Sponsored by Center for Women & Gender.