<p>Rochester on paper seems like a great place for my D, and we liked the campus. However, on our recent visit, the info session was rather lackluster and the tour guide not particularly enthusiastic. Afterwards, as we were discussing what was missing, she said she didn't hear anything about events that draw the campus together, or traditions that make the university unique or special. Can any students or parents fill us in on this?</p>
<p>There was a recent thread about Meliora Weekend. Other than that, there are a bunch of other event days, like Dandelion Day. (You saw Dandelion Square, right?) There’s the Boar’s Head Dinner - not kidding, look it up - Yellowjacket Day and others. Less organized are things like tunnel painting. The one to the old gym / performance space can be insanely painted, though that’s not the main one for this. My reaction as a parent is there are a lot of these things, including days of service. </p>
<p>My impression as a parent is that UR is a very active community. I know I’m partly biased because my kid loves it there and is involved in many things, more than most it seems, but it is typical for kids to be involved there. There are concerts - the singing groups are very popular - and clubs for everything. These clubs are active. Sports are part of the experience not a separate thing for athletes who live in their own world. </p>
<p>My theory is UR is small enough so you can recognize essentially everyone but large enough that you don’t know everyone. This means social circles overlap, so you can move from your cognitive sciences friends to the juggling club to something else. A larger school feels more impersonal and that puts up walls. A smaller school can’t be as diverse.</p>
<p>Thanks. Yes, we saw Dandelion square, but did not hear a lot about events. Some of the other schools we have toured (U Chicago, Carleton, Swarthmore, Dickinson) made a much bigger deal about traditions, and what makes them unique. I will have her search for Yellowjacket Day and Dandelion Day to see what she can find out on her own. I wanted her to like it, but the school did not do a good job selling itself to her. The admissions rep spent a lot of time stressing the importance of showing interest - to students already there on a campus visit and tour.</p>
<p>There are 4 large “Celebratory Weekends” at the University of Rochester. These events occur annually and are generally well-run / super fun!</p>
<p>Yellowjacket Weekend: The first weekend after classes begin in September.<br>
Highlights - Comedian comes to campus, Campus Activities Fair (all 248 clubs set up shop around the quad and encourage freshman to sign up), Convocation address on Dandelion Square, Soccer games (usually a big turn-out!), etc…</p>
<p>Yellowjacket weekend is the unofficial “school spirit” weekend. This was probably my favorite as a Rochester student.</p>
<p>Meliora Weekend: Mid/late October</p>
<p>Meliora Weekend is a juggernaut. Alumni, parents, and current students will have a lot to choose from during this 3-day affair. In years past, we’ve had President Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Stephen Colbert, Anderson Cooper, Lewis Black, Colin Powell, etc. as keynote speakers. The a cappella concerts always sell out. Campus is buzzing with activity… [Meliora</a> Weekend 2011 - Home - University of Rochester](<a href=“http://www.rochester.edu/melioraweekend/]Meliora”>http://www.rochester.edu/melioraweekend/) </p>
<p>Winterfest Weekend: Beginning of February</p>
<p>This weekend continues to make the most progress. The quad is lit with lights, horse-drawn sleigh rides are offered, Siberian Huskies and bonfires can be found all over the place! It’s definitely a time to embrace the winter weather and a time to have fun! My favorite events during Winterfest are always the Varsity Basketball games (always full to capacity) and the UR Idol contest. </p>
<p>Check out last year’s Winterfest lineup here: [University</a> of Rochester : College of Arts, Sciences, Engineering : Wilson Commons Student Activities Office](<a href=“http://sa.rochester.edu/sao/ccw/winterfest/]University”>http://sa.rochester.edu/sao/ccw/winterfest/) </p>
<p>Finally, Spring Showtime: April</p>
<p>Campus performances are at an all time high before finals approach. [University</a> of Rochester : College of Arts, Sciences, Engineering : Wilson Commons Student Activities Office](<a href=“http://sa.rochester.edu/sao/ccw/spring_showtime/]University”>http://sa.rochester.edu/sao/ccw/spring_showtime/) </p>
<p>Dandelion Day before finals, the Boar’s Head Dinner as mentioned above, and the Rush Rhees Scare Fair round out my favorite campus traditions.</p>
<p>Yellowjacket weekend is a lot of fun, per my kid.</p>
<p>Every school has its traditions and you learn them as a student. Go to the top of Rush Rhees library, etc.</p>
<p>Speaking of Yellowjackets, did anyone watch them on the Sing-off Monday?</p>
<p>Thanks again! We did google and check out Rochester on Wikipedia (Dandelion Day aka drunk day!) lergmom, she doesn’t want to wait to learn about traditions as a student - to her this is an important part of choosing a community in which to spend 4 years. I think it is a great school and will remain with her top choices, particularly as she has some interest in athletics.</p>
<p>My kid has a good friend in the group. They had a good time. I thought they suffered from having so many voices it was difficult to produce dynamic effects (soft versus loud). They’re having a fund-raising concert for their African charity work at Eastman’s theatre. </p>
<p>Other singing groups are very popular. </p>
<p>I want to emphasize a point: UR students are highly involved in campus groups. My kid is in a dance performance group, does juggling, and is on the boards of 2 other student groups. These are mostly different circles of friends and acquaintances. That’s not uncommon. Athletes don’t only do sports. Scientists don’t only do science. </p>
<p>I’ve also been thinking about “traditions”. I went to a prep school and an Ivy school. At my high school, we stepped around this large, inscribed paving stone in an archway because in ye olde days upper classmen might make you clean it with your toothbrush - if you weren’t popular, I suppose, and even then it was probably a myth. I can’t think of many big traditions in my college other than events that are now mostly illegal - like the team beer speed drinking competition (which was, I have to say, amazing fun). There is an intramural trophy and homecoming and of course the big game but mostly it was stories about the place that made the sense of tradition. In that regard, I think UR could do better. George Eastman was an extraordinary man but I doubt most UR kids know that much about him other than the word Kodak. I doubt they know what he invented or how the slogan “You push the button, We do the rest” changed the world. At my school, we’d all know that when he was old and sick, he left a note saying, “My work is done. Why wait?” and shot himself in the heart, careful not to make a big mess. (You can see the note at George Eastman House.)</p>
<p>For example, the library at UR is exquisite, one of the nicest, most beautiful college libraries in the US. There are some good stories about it, but it isn’t mythologized. UR is, perhaps because it is in Eastman’s image, somewhat more practical about itself. Maybe the best story is actually about the music school; Eastman wanted to attract a couple of French engineers to work at his company so he built a theatre. It may not be true but good stories don’t need to be true to be part of the fabric.</p>
<p>I find one of the most interesting historical stories is the one about Susan B. Anthony’s work to get women admitted to the university. When I asked our tour guide about when women were first admitted, he happily launched into the story. Now there is a dorm named after her.</p>
<p>Just a guess, but as UR’s profile rises it will become more interested in the preservation and passing on of those bits of tradition. One way you make prestige is by story. The hallowed halls. The ivy covered walls. I lived in a newish dorm at my college and yet the historical grounding of the school was so deep we all knew how it was meant to evoke a Tuscan hill village and the architect’s history and details like the wasteful nature of wonderful heated floors - which are long gone. UR isn’t there, IMHO, in its head yet, isn’t fully aware of the importance of transmitting the past as part of the institution.</p>
<p>The only concern about the campus is the amount of attacks, violence and burgleries they have. they also have many unreported crimes because they do not occur on campus but very close to campus such as the walk bridge over the Genesee. My daughter decided to go else where than the U of R because of the high crime rate nearby. I am glad she decided this on her own. I would not have thought to look into this by just taking a campus tour.</p>
<p>My guess is this is the same person who used to post stuff like this but using a different name. First post ever is in a forum to which he or she has no connection at all, doesn’t go there, says kid didn’t go there. </p>
<p>If you want to understand crime around campus, there are threads about this. I use crime reports.com for crime information. UR doesn’t have a material safety problem.</p>
<p>D spent four years at UR and felt safe. Took bus downtown to Eastman, and felt safe. Lived senior year at Riverview, loved it, crossed footbridge every day, and felt safe.</p>
<p>If you go wondering off in strange neighborhoods in any US city, you take your chances. Rochester is no exception.</p>
<p>Nephew is now a soph there–feels safe as well.</p>
<p>Son is a HS senior, has applied to UR. There was one school in particular he crossed off his list over the area “not feeling right”. Obviously didn’t get that vibe at UR.</p>
<p>Rochester is a city. As such, it is prone to crime, just like any other city. Having some street smarts helps.</p>
<p>My d, also living in Riverview, had the same experience as MADad’s daughter. She didn’t know anyone who had been a victim of a crime in 4 years at Rochester. However, two of her friends were victims of (property) crimes while studying in Rome.</p>
<p>Again, this is the same person who was unhappy at UR and started posting negative things. Look at the name. This is the person’s only post in any forum. This kind of thing pops up in many forums, much less here than in others.</p>
<p>I like how safetyfirst’s daughter looks into the crime rate but she/he did not and the daughter made the decision.</p>