What does it take to build Brick City?

Cindee Gray

Several years ago, there was considerable discussion about building and strengthening relationships among the RIT community— students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni and friends. Traditions were scarce and opportunities for casual interaction almost few and far between. RIT was about to celebrate its 30th anniversary of the Henrietta campus and what better time to kick off a new tradition that would create just such an opportunity. Thus was born the concept of Brick City Festival.

When building anything, one must start with a blueprint. The president appointed an ad hoc committee representing every RIT division, governance group and students to develop an event that would engage the RIT community to both celebrate our anniversary and establish a new tradition. The event would bring alumni and families back to campus to reunite with students, faculty and staff and to share in a weekend of camaraderie, education and entertainment that would serve to strengthen relationships among the RIT community.

This ad hoc committee laid the foundation by combining Family Weekend, Alumni Weekend, The Fall Student Weekend and Regatta into a major campus celebration, establishing the name through a campus consensus. The implementation team, led

by Alumni Relations, Government and Community Relations, and Center for Campus Life, also included representatives of all the colleges, service departments and students. Together, this team built the framework and substance of the first Brick City Festival in 1998.

As with anything, once the project is complete there is usually a glitch to fix, or as time goes on, improvements to make. Brick City Festival is no exception. Each of the last six years, participant surveys have provided feedback for improvements in marketing, suggestions for new programming, and have helped to grow the attendance to more than 3,000 participants this year—our largest attendance to date. Additional evidence of success comes from parents who not only attend as a freshman parent, but return year after year. The surveys have also revealed that this weekend continues to accomplish our goal—to strengthen relationships and to establish traditions that make us all proud to be members of the RIT community. Brick City Festival has become a valued tradition that is building momentum each year, and the 2003 Brick City Festival was the best ever.

It takes many people to plan and implement an event of this quality and magnitude. Responsibility for Brick City Festival now resides with Government and Community Relations, though there is still a strong collaboration with Alumni Relations and Center for Campus Life who continue to play a major role in planning and implementing the alumni and student activities for the weekend as well as the College Activities Board and Student Government, which also contribute to the weekend activities. The entire team should be commended for a job well done.

There are too many individuals and departments to mention, but special thanks are in order for Tara Rosa, Brick City Festival Coordinator, and Rob Grow and Catherine Bement, for Reunions and Alumni Weekend planning. Programming for Brick City Festival has grown and expanded each year, and thanks to the committed team of college representatives, service staff, deans, faculty, alumni and volunteers the 2003 event was the best ever. It was apparent that everyone takes great pride in this Brick City that we built together.

If there was an example of something that is moving from “good to great”, then Brick City Festival certainly qualifies.

So what does it take to build Brick City? It takes a great deal of creativity, planning and hard work. It takes a committed team that continues to improve the event and many alumni, parents and students who offer suggestions and actively participate in the weekend. It takes the smallest child at “Big Art on Campus,” Vice President Mary-Beth Cooper as “Ritchie the Tiger,” Karaoke in the RITz Sports Zone, the alumni participating in athletic reunion games, the 50 Year Golden Circle Alumni and the entire RIT Community to build Brick City.