The two were planning to host 35 attendees of the Alumni Association meeting in Washington, D.C., at a dinner party in Potomac, Md. But a “snow storm” forced a cancellation. In Rochester, five inches of snow is nothing. But a few inches of the white stuff in the capital forces the region to shut down.

After two hours of treacherous driving to Maryland, Cheever and Rodibaugh knew the dinner at the home of RIT Trustee Brian O’Shaughnessy would have to be canceled. O’Shaughnessy and the Alumni Association members were stuck in Washington.

So what to do with a menu of beef satay, wild mushroom ravioli, stuffed chicken dumplings, homemade canolis, sautéed green beans and more?

Rodibaugh and Cheever brainstormed with their boss, Kelly Redder, assistant vice president of alumni relations. The best option: Give the meals to a food pantry.

“We got back on the road with food in tow, said Rodibaugh, director of Alumni Relations chapter programming. “The beltway was at a dead stop so we took to the back roads and wandered our way to D.C. by using the Washington Monument and Potomac River as a guide. We arrived at Luther Place Memorial Church & Food Bank at about 5:45 and dropped off the food. They were very thankful and appreciative that we drove the food as far as we did. They said we dropped it off “just in time for dinner!”

Oh the irony of moving the January meeting from Rochester to D.C. to avoid bad weather.

“This is a wonderful example of RIT turning adversity into an advantage for disadvantaged people on a cold and snowy day,” said O’Shaughnessy.

Association members stranded in Washington eventually had dinner at a restaurant. Ironically, the homeless shelter was a block away from the hotel where the Association members were meeting.

“It’s just a great example of how well the office and our chief volunteers work together, especially in a crisis,” says Kelly Redder, assistant vice president of alumni relations.

Here’s a snapshot of the first day: Fans submitted 86 photos from around the campus. The RIT Fan Page started yesterday with 6,301 fans and grew to 6,466 fans in less than 24 hours.

Here’s how the Photo Challenge works: We are looking for the best photography of clubs, sports and other activities on campus. Anything RIT. First, become a fan of RIT’s main Facebook page. Next, upload a photo to the wall with a caption beginning with “Photo Challenge” to become eligible for a $50 gift certificate from Barnes & Noble @ RIT. On Feb. 5, the photo with the most “likes” by 4 p.m. will be our first weekly winner. The contest will run for several weeks.

We’re keeping the contest simple. The photos can be from any time period. It just has to be on the RIT campus (or even our international sites in Kosovo, Croatia or Dubai)

Let’s show off the Day 1 leaders:
#1 photo so far is Marshall Watson’s “Greek Row.”

Chasing Marshall is Mark Marcello with his “Pink Boom Lift.”

Kudos to Tyler Kindron. Looks like he submitted more than a dozen photos, many of cool sunsets, like one with a plane flying over campus.

My personal favorite is “Reflection of Building 1” by Leslie L. Gregg.

We have a full week to go, so keep the photos coming and get your friends to vote by becoming fans of RIT.

The Tigers are working with Zeta Tau Alpha sorority to raise money for cancer. Both teams will don pink jerseys that many of you have already seen around campus and that will be auctioned off in the fundraiser, while fans can also purchase pink T-shirts. T-shirts will be sold at all hockey home games during the weekend, and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. today through Friday at the Student Athletic Union for $8. One-hundred percent of all T-shirt sales will benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Tiger jerseys will be auctioned off online starting at noon today, and ending at 5 p.m. this Sunday. Bidding begins at $50 per jersey. Jersey proceeds will go to Rochester General Hospital’s Lipson Cancer Center. There are already rumors that bidding wars may ensue on several of the jerseys. What jersey will you bid on?

There are still some tickets remaining for Saturday’s men’s game, but it may sellout before Saturday, so get your tickets now. Hopefully, we can sellout the women’s game and pack Ritter Arena for the big game against Utica. Admission is free for the women’s game.

In addition, the women’s team will be signing autographs between games on Saturday in the stands at Ritter Arena. In addition, there will also be a tailgate party, at the RITz Sports Zone with specials on pink lemonade and pink brownies. In addition, Matt Valerio will be playing live music. If you have not had a chance to see Matt play, I suggest you do on Saturday. He is a good friend of mine, and more importantly, a very talented musician.

Both games will feature a ceremonial puck drop by Dr. Destler, involving Dr. Lori Medeiros, medical director of the Rochester General Hospital Breast Cancer Center, and the captains of the respective teams.

It promises to be a memorable weekend at RIT, so come on out a support a great cause.

For those of you that don’t know, the Orange Hair Challenge was begun by Dr. Destler, who is a HUGE basketball fan, to try and get more fans at home basketball games.

Now in its third season, the challenge is if RIT students and fans fill the bleachers at Clark Gymnasium for the men and women’s basketball games, Dr. Destler will dye his hair orange at half time of the men’s game.

The first year versus Ithaca was a rousing success! The fans came out in full force. By halftime of the women’s game the stands were half full, by the start of the men’s game the place was close to capacity. The students were raucous and loud led by the chants of the men’s lacrosse team.

I was at court-side and couldn’t remember seeing that many fans in the stands for a RIT basketball game. The day was a success right up to the point when a Bomber drained a three-pointer with time running out to give the Bombers the win.

But it wasn’t quite enough for Dr. D to dye his whole head. He compromised and dyed half his head for the fans.

Last year wasn’t quite as good of a turnout. The challenge was held on a Sunday and didn’t quite get the fan support Dr. Destler was looking for, so no dye job.

The men’s game did not disappoint as Nate Korinchak nailed a half-court shot at the buzzer repaying Ithaca for the previous year’s loss.

This year’s game is on a Friday. The women’s game tips off at 6 p.m.—Happy Hour for many of the fans—followed by the men’s game at 8 p.m.

T-shirts will be handed out by the event sponsor, RIT’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee.

Come cheer on the Tigers and make Dr. Destler dye his hair orange!

This year Rochester School for the Deaf joins the regional competition line up. David Monahan, a graduate mechanical engineering student in the Kate Gleason College of Engineering, will mentor the team. Adult mentors of robotics team often were on teams in their high school years. This is true of Monahan who brings skills, experience and enthusiasm to this FIRST venture.

“My high school had a team; I thought it might be cool to do this,” he says. “I joined and had no idea what I was getting myself into.” Since that time, he has participated on teams and volunteered at regional events in Rochester and Philadelphia. He’s taken on the challenge of helping develop a new team to the Rochester regional and thinks that the youngsters at Rochester School for the Deaf are ready to put into action their many ideas in the next six weeks—the time they must assemble the robot kit they received last Saturday into a formidable robot for the competition in March.

“The team is curious and they don’t know what they are getting into – just like I was not too long ago,” he says. “They are excited and are starting to get their hands dirty.” They are currently discovering what it is like to work in a machine shop, a new experience for many of the younger students. That’s where the mentors come in, Monahan explained.

Bausch & Lomb, one of the team supporters, will provide engineers to help build the team’s robot. All B&L employees are hearing, Monahan says. There are inherent challenges in this new working relationship for both the deaf students and hearing mentors, but Monahan says that he’s encouraged the students to ask lots of questions “because the mentors have so much knowledge and experience.”

They will also have the advantage of having interpreters present at all meetings to build the robot. And the interpreters also bring an equally interesting layer to the communications challenges.

“There are professional, experienced interpreters participating with the team and there are some apprentice interpreters,” says Kate Leipold, instructor in the mechanical engineering department (shown, with Monahan). The new interpreters are learning to master both American Sign Language and to interpret complex subject matter, in this case engineering design.

Monahan, being an experienced FIRST participant, has been working with his team to find the best way to communicate to robot drivers and alliance members, especially those who do not sign. The school-district team has brainstormed using computers, videocams or even new hand signals that all can recognize, he says, and will just have to wait to see their solutions at the same time they roll out their new robot at the March competition.

FIRST Robotics has become a part of many national organizations intent on inspiring young people to get involved in the creativity of science and technology. Most recently the organization announced working relationships with the Society of Women Engineers, Time Warner Cable and its Connect a Million Minds program and the Gearing Up Project.

Dean Kamen announced the 2010 game, Breakaway at the recent FIRST Robotics Kick Off. More than 500 participants from the Finger Lakes Region heard his remarks and picked up their robot kits.

We left RIT at 11:30 a.m. New Year’s Eve and arrived back at Rochester Airport just before 4:30 p.m. Sunday. In between, RIT dropped a pair of games to Minnesota State, one of the top teams in the WCHA, 6-1 on Friday, and 3-0 on Saturday. Here are mostly the non-hockey highlights of the trip.

• Nearly losing my watch going through security in Rochester, after leaving it in my bin. (thankfully, security had the watch, which would have started the trip on an ominous note)

• Having baggage handlers take mine and assistant coach Dave Insalaco’s carry-on luggage and tell us they had to stow them under the plane because the plane was too small, then hearing them say we may not receive the luggage until midnight.

• Delayed for 20 minutes, then going from Rochester to Detroit in a puddle jumper reminiscent of the movie Major League, when the Cleveland Indians traveled on their raggedy plane.

• Associate Coach Brian Hills razzing Dave and myself that we would be buying new clothes for the trip since our bags would not be getting to Minneapolis on time.

• Getting off the plane in Detroit and having our carry-on luggage safely waiting for us, then sprinting across the C, B, then A terminals of the large airport, Home Alone style, to reach our connecting flight to Minneapolis, which I’m convinced was delayed purposely, so we could board the plane.

• Waiting for our bags in Minneapolis and finding out Brian’s bag, along with a few others were not getting to Minneapolis until 11 p.m. or so (karma gods, haha). Brian and Dave rented a van and met us in Mankato after midnight.

• Watching the final 10 minutes of the United States/Canada World Junior Championship Hockey game with a bunch of rabid Canadians (our players), who erupted after Canada erased a late 4-2 deficit to win in a shootout, 5-4.

• Ringing in New Year’s (eastern time) with the lights out, lying in bed on the phone with family back home.

• Fast asleep to ring in New Year’s (central time).

• Realizing that our hotel was connected directly to the Verizon Wireless Center, a two-minute walk from my room to the arena (more places should do this, obviously). That was the best part about the trip, knowing you did not have to step outside to brave the elements. Apparently, two hotels on both sides of the Verizon Center decided this was a good idea to attract customers when they were at the arena. Genius move!!

• Walking to a grocery store on Friday morning to get lip balm and seeing the temperature read -17 with a wind chill of -38. My legs were nearly frozen after the quick walk.

• Watching the Winter Classic in my room on a flat screen television with High Definition.

• The Verizon Wireless Center. A nice template if we were to build our own arena with 5,000 seats, plenty of room for luxury boxes, good sight lines, and an excellent atmosphere, even with students on break (both games drew over 3,000 fans). Since it is a few miles from the Minnesota State campus, they are able to sell beer, and interestingly enough, mixed drinks. Never seen that at a college game before.

• Sitting through a video session on Friday night after the 6-1 loss for over an hour. Never fun to watch video with coaches after a blowout loss.

• Flying through Detroit airport on Sunday, once again trying to hit our connecting plane, this time to Rochester with even less time. This time, we boarded without even waiting, and thought we had hit the jackpot and would be back in Rochester by 2:30 p.m. We were on the plane, boarded, and into safety instructions, when the pilot came on and instructed we leave the plane, so they could replace a tire. That set us back nearly two hours, but fortunately, we braved the elements, got to Rochester safely, and landed to 14 degrees and a fair amount of snow.

Overall, an eventful, but uneventful weekend. Unfortunately, the outcome was not what we wanted, but the team could get back on the right track this weekend at home against Holy Cross. Dan Ringwald may be gearing himself up for a nice pro career after this season, hopefully a long rest of the season with a trip to the NCAA’s of course.

As these lists often do, our list inspired much good-natured debate. But this much is indisputable: it was quite a decade.

10. Five Ph.D. programs added to the RIT curriculum: Microsystems engineering (2002), computing and information sciences (2005), color science (2007), astrophysical sciences and technology (2008) and sustainability (2008) joined imaging science (1988) to boost RIT’s number of doctoral programs to six.

9. Enrollment nears 17,000: Undergraduate applications to RIT grew to nearly 16,000 and graduate applications grew to almost 5,000 to help RIT’s student body total 16,773 in the fall of 2009.

8. President Clinton speaks at Commencement: Former President Bill Clinton delivered the Commencement keynote address in 2007. Clinton urged graduates to “change the world.”

7. RIT forms strategic alliance with Rochester General Health System: RIT became the health system’s official academic affiliate and RGHS became the university’s official medical center, adding capabilities and providing opportunities for both institutions.

6. The B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences becomes RIT’s eighth college: RIT’s newest college was the first in the country to combine computing and information sciences education. Its launch was aided by a $14 million gift from Paychex founder and RIT Trustee B. Thomas Golisano.

5. Imagine RIT: Innovation and Creativity Festival debuts: Imagine RIT has become the university’s signature event, enabling RIT students, faculty and staff to show off their innovative and creative talents to the world. The 2008 festival drew more than 17,000 visitors, while the 2009 festival drew more than 25,000.

4. Campaign for RIT eclipses goal: The university’s eight-year comprehensive fundraising campaign tallied $309 million, paving the way for RIT’s tremendous growth.

3. Men’s hockey goes Division I: RIT moved its nationally recognized hockey program to Division I’s Atlantic Hockey Association. The Tigers won the league’s regular season title in its first season.

2. Changing of the Guard—Bill Destler becomes RIT’s ninth president as Al Simone retires: Destler arrives seeking to build on Simone’s accomplishments and transform RIT into the nation’s first “innovation university.”

1. $309 million investment in campus expansion/improvements: More than one-million gross square feet of additions and renovations were made to the RIT campus, including the creation of the $25 million Gordon Field House and Activities Center, which added a new dimension to the RIT community.

Did we miss something? Are our rankings off-base? Weigh in below!

The New Year’s Day “American Spirit” segment, titled “The Golden Rule” and reported by Jim Axelrod, related the story of John Helmstetter, whose family has worked a farm near Cumberland, Md., for three generations. Last July, his picturesque barn burned to the ground. This was a tragedy for farmer John, but the loss was deeply felt by steam railroad enthusiasts as well. The rail fans frequently hop aboard vintage trains for photo excursions to Helmstetter’s Curve on the Western Maryland Railroad. One such fan is Carl Franz ’65 (imaging science).

Franz launched a campaign “to do something to bring back what we once had, and recreate what was lost.” The goal was $10,000, but ultimately more than $41,000 was raised on the farmer’s behalf. Then, the story explains, a legion of local Amish men spent three days raising a new red barn on the site where the old one had stood for more than a century. The John Helmstetter Farm Fund Web site provides a bit more information.

David Page ’65 (imaging science) turned us on to this very moving story. Page and Franz were classmates and he recognized his old friend, although RIT was not mentioned in the CBS piece.

For another story guaranteed to make you feel good, please check out the piece about George McGee ’71 (business administration) on the Alumni News Web site. Rita Micciche in the Office of Alumni Relations brought McGee to our attention when he filed a class note about a recent event. For the past several years, McGee has been helping to support a family in Kenya. He traveled to Africa last fall to meet his long-distance friend.

McGee called the experience “life-changing.” At the very least, it shows that even when times seem tough, each of us has the potential of making the world a little better for someone else.

Anyway, it’s a brand new year, a whole new decade. Let’s hope for more good news.

Today, look for those empty newsstands to be filled with our latest edition. Our cover story takes a glimpse inside the world of the amazing men and women of RIT’s Computer Science House whose fantastic inventions—created in addition to carrying full academic course loads—are truly mind-boggling. Who are these students and what makes them tick?

We also examine the research of two RIT professors who are using their compassion and expertise to make a difference in the world outside of RIT. Bill Middleton, professor and chair of the Department of Material Culture Sciences, is using spectral imaging technology to unlock the secrets of an ancient Mexican empire. And Tony Vodacek, imaging science associate professor, is coordinating a conference in Rwanda to study the potential dangers lurking beneath Lake Kivu that will undoubtedly affect the livelihood of the region’s inhabitants.

And, I absolutely love this story—it’s about “green” beer. Sounds refreshing, huh? Although I’m not a beer drinker myself, I think it’s fascinating that a group of RIT packaging science students are developing sustainable beer-bottling alternatives to make recycling processes more cost effective while creating optimal conditions making bottled beer just as flavorful as beer in a glass bottle. Pretty cool.

As you read this, we’ve already started preparations to make Athenaeum’s March/April issue just as dynamic as the last three. As always, we welcome your thoughts and story suggestions: athena@rit.edu. Happy Holidays!

• Every seat is on top of the action. (If it’s ever decided to expand Ritter, or to build a new arena—either might be justified—I hope that RIT doesn’t go too big and wind up losing the intimacy of Ritter.)

• Bright lights and cool temperature—the latter is a plus, I believe, as it adds to the ambiance. (Heck, it’s warmer in Blue Cross Arena than it is in my living room—and that’s just not right!)

• Sellout (or near-sellout), high-energy crowds for nearly every game

• The pep band!

• Exciting action

My only ‘pet peeves’ (what would a blog post be without some ranting and raving?) are the following (well known to those who sit near me during games):

• Why can’t the referees be miked (just like the professionals)? While I’ve gotten better, I—and many casual fans, I’m sure—don’t know all the signals. The technology is available—why not use it?

• Tigers, please wear your orange jerseys at home!

And my biggest ‘pet peeve’:

• Ritter audio. I am not referring to Rocky (who does an stellar job), but, rather, to the poor use of song snippets (in my opinion). Setting aside, for a moment, that I much prefer hearing the pep band, and maybe it’s just me, but I find it almost unbearable the way song snippets are used during Tigers games. My advice:

• Stick to playing song “hooks” (typically the refrain)

• For heaven’s sake, don’t cut them off so abruptly! (I find this especially irksome because I know—as an old radio guy—that it is incredibly easy to create five or 10-second “hooks” that quickly fade up and out.)

• Also, by the way, new music has been recorded this decade. Though “YMCA” and other moldy oldies might be occasional crowd pleasers (but annoying to some)…try this old radio pearl of wisdom: play the hits!

Even at my age, I occasionally catch the weekly countdown shows on the top-40 stations—and I could pick out hooks from a dozen contemporary songs that would sound GREAT during hockey games. Just for starters:

• Tigers score? “Party in the U.S.A.” or “I Gotta Feeling” (“tonight’s gonna be a good, good night”)
• Opponent headed to the penalty box? “Evacuate the Dancefloor”
• Annoying media timeouts or other delays? “Fireflies” (“planet Earth turns slowly”)
• And, how great would “Empire State of Mind” sound, no matter the situation?

Even in defeat, though, Saturday night’s game against Niagara was fun to watch, and all in all, despite my quibbles, games in “The Ritter” are always a good, good time. So, kudos to RIT Athletics for putting on a great show every time!

RIT’s Corner Crew