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November 20, 2009

• Rustic residents - update on school break transportation
  

  Our office just received an important correction from RIT Transportation office regarding this link that we had sent you earlier:
  RIT Fall/Winter Break Schedule (No Service 11/26,11/27, 11/28)
  http://facilities.rit.edu/pats/transportation/schedules/fall/break09.pdf

  They just realized that link does not contain the codes to explain that any times with an “R” in front of them indicates that the bus is coming from Rustic Village and can be caught there about 15 minutes prior to that “Gleason Circle” arrival time.

  You can, in fact find all this information on their normal link to the orange colored schedule:
  http://facilities.rit.edu/pats/transportation/schedules/fall/ritcampusfall09.pdf

  Just be sure that you are using the “Break Service” times on the first page which is titled:
  “RIT Weekend Service (Saturday & Sunday) and RIT Holiday/Break Service”
  Note: the “Special Travel Codes“ are located on the right side of the second page:

  R Bus Operates to or from Rustic Village.
  Weekday Buses: Buses traveling to RIT leave Rustic Village at 7:12 AM, 7:14 AM, 12:25 PM and 6:35 PM. Buses traveling from RIT arrive at Rustic Village at 2:05 PM, 7:05 PM, and 10:35 PM.   (these do not apply during break week, use the times below)
  Weekend/Holiday Buses: Buses traveling to RIT leave Rustic Village at 9:50 AM and 4:10 PM. Buses traveling from RIT arrive at Rustic Village at 4:27 PM and 10:33 PM.
  

November 19, 2009

• Important Updates from International Student Services for all international students:

  Remember that the residence halls (and RIT apartments) stay open, but offices are closed on Thursday (Thanksgiving Day holiday) and Friday (Nov. 26-27) and you’ll need to go outside of RIT for food on Nov. 26th through 28th. 

  We’ve gathered some more information for you below about food and transportation options during next week’s school break.  We also hope you will take advantage of this time off to explore around the area a bit.  A good website to find ideas is:
  http://www.visitrochester.com/
  And to stay active on campus during the break, the Student Life Center break schedule is here:
  http://www.rit.edu/studentaffairs/ciar/facilities_schedules_break.php
  
  Travelling Outside Rochester?
  Whenever you leave Rochester, please carry your immigration documents with you (passport, I-94, I-20  or DS-2019).  If you are leaving the US, make sure you have a travel signature from our office on page three of your I-20 (signed anytime between August 15, 2009 and now).  If you are on a J-1 visa, please make sure your DS-2019 has a signature less than 12 months old.

  Dining Services break schedule is here:   http://finweb.rit.edu/diningservices/thanksgiving0910.pdf   

  Transportation:
  Break schedule for RIT Shuttle (including Wegmans, etc) is here:    RIT Fall/Winter Break Schedule (No Service 11/26,11/27, 11/28)

  RIT will also run the Green Line bus on a break schedule:  RIT Green Line Shuttle Break Schedule   which begins at Rustic Village at 6:55am and also serves RIT Inn, Racquet Club, UC West, Riverknoll, and Marketplace Mall, but does not operate on Thursday 11/26.

  Of course, there is also the RTS Route 24 bus, but that also follows a holiday schedule on Thursday 11/26.

  
  ** Off- Campus Food Options around Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 2009 **
  

  Wegmans 650 Hylan Dr. Rochester, NY 14623
  Open Thanksgiving, but closing at 5pm that night, Thursday, November 26 and re-opens 7am on November 27th (open 24 hrs/day after that)

  Nearby restaurants:

  Baxter’s Restaurant  (inside the Radisson Hotel)
  175 Jefferson Rd. (you can walk there from campus)
  Open Thanksgiving 11:00am – 5:00pm
  (Advance reservations recommended 475-1910)

  RIT Inn & Conference Center – Petals (casual restaurant)
  Closed Thanksgiving Day.
  Normal days Breakfast: 6:30am - 10:00am; Lunch: 11:00am - 3:00pm; Dinner: 4:00pm - 10:00pm

  Tandoor of India  (In Jefferson Plaza, across from the South Town plaza on Jefferson Road)
  Open Thanksgiving!         11:30am – 3:00pm  and 5:00pm – 8:30pm

  China Buffet  (In Jefferson Plaza, across from the South Town plaza on Jefferson Road)
  Open Thanksgiving!   12:00noon – 8:00pm

  Restaurants at Park Point

  Lovin' Cup Music Bistro
  585-292-9940  (Closed Thanksgiving Day, but open before and after)

  TC Riley's Irish Pub
  585-424-7180  (Closed Thanksgiving Day, but open before and after)

  King David's Restaurant
  585-424-7482  (Closed Thanksgiving Day, but open before and after)

  Paradiso Pizza
  585-272-7490  (Closed Thanksgiving Day, but open before and after)

  Wok With You
  585-427-8383 (Closed Thanksgiving Day, but open before and after)

  And here is a site to search for other restaurants:  http://myrochester.com/dining/

  Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
  
  The ISS staff
  

November 16, 2009

• Remember that the residence halls stay open during the upcoming break, but offices are closed on Thursday (Thanksgiving Day holiday) and Friday (Nov. 26-27) and you’ll need to go outside of RIT for food on Nov. 26th through 28th.  Dining Services break schedule is here:  http://finweb.rit.edu/diningservices/thanksgiving0910.pdf   
  I’ll be sending you some information on nearby stores & restaurants open during that time, but for now, here’s some basic information about transportation:

  Break schedule for RIT Shuttle (including Wegmans, etc) is here:    RIT Fall/Winter Break Schedule (No Service 11/26,11/27, 11/28)

  RIT will also run the Green Line bus on a break schedule:  RIT Green Line Shuttle Break Schedule   which begins at Rustic Village at 6:55am and also serves RIT Inn, Racquet Club, UC West, Riverknoll, and Marketplace Mall, but does not operate on Thursday 11/26.

  Of course, there is also the RTS Route 24 bus, but that also follows a holiday schedule on Thursday 11/26.

  Clubs &  MSOs:
  In the winter quarter, I hope you’ll consider getting involved with a student club or Major Student Organization (MSO).
  You can find them all listed here:

  http://campuslife.rit.edu/main/clubs/find

  http://campuslife.rit.edu/main/clubs/mso

  Any students interested in connecting with the Vietnamese Student Association should email: VSAatRIT@gmail.com

September 30, 2009

• October 13th Waiver Deadline for Student Health Insurance
  
  All international students must have adequate health insurance.  If you wish to remain enrolled in the RIT International Student Health Insurance (provided by Aetna and administered by University Health Plans) you do not need to take any action.  A $390 charge is automatically placed onto your bill in the fall and spring quarters (for 6 month of coverage each time).  More information on the insurance plan may be found here:  http://www.universityhealthplans.com/brochures/brochure.cgi?school_id=10

  If you do not see such a charge on your RIT account, but you want insurance coverage, please contact ISS Staff Assistant, Terry Eckerson.

  If you do not want to keep the RIT insurance, then the deadline for you to request a waiver of the $390 charge (for International Student Health Insurance) that was placed onto your Student Financial account is 4 PM on Tuesday, October 13, 2009.

  To waive your insurance, you must a waiver form and bring it along with proof of your own insurance to International Student Services (building 4, room 2300) by the deadline of
  4 PM on Tuesday October 13, 2009.

  Again, you only need to take action if you want to waive (cancel) your RIT Student Health Insurance.

September 18, 2009

• Important Notice for all international students new to RIT this quarter

  A few of you may soon receive an email regarding the results of your Tuberculosis screening that happened around orientation.

  (Please note that our office does not have any access to your health records, which are maintained only by the RIT Student Health Center and the Monroe County Health Department.)

  The email will either come from the Student Health Center, or from this coordinator at the County Health Dept:
  
  Mary Younge, RN, CIC
  Outreach Services Coordinator
  Communicable Disease Prevention and Control
  111 Westfall Rd, Room 150
  Rochester, NY 14692
  585 - 753-5019
  myounge@monroecounty.gov

  You must comply with the request in the email to take the bus to the Health Department for a chest X-ray on the scheduled day.  There is not a cost to you for the bus or x-ray unless you fail to go that day.  You would then be required to provide your own transportation and to fund your x-ray costs.

  If you have any questions after you receive the email, you should contact Mary (above) or:
  Alice Cutaiar
  Assistant Director of Clinical Services
  1164 August Center, RIT
  aacshc@rit.edu

  Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

September 17, 2009

• Dandiya
  OASIS (Organization for the Alliance of Students from the Indian Sub-Continent) is proud to invite you to its annual festive event, Dandiya, taking place on September 19, 2009 at 6:30 PM in the Clark Gym (bldg. 3).  As expected, there will be lots of traditional dancing, native music and authentic food. At this event, everyone can pickup and participate in the popular traditional Indian dance. As a cultural organization, OASIS aims to keep bringing the rich cultural diversity of the Indian Subcontinent to RIT community, and with Dandiya it hope to continue to do so.

Tickets are $5 in advance, or $6 at the door.  You can also buy a $10 student package that includes Dandiya sticks, one serving of food, & one drink (saves $3)

Today is the final day to buy advance tickets in SAU lobby.

September 15, 2009

• Rustic Village Travel Options
  Because many students live in Rustic Village, ISS has pulled together some information that may be helpful to in getting back and forth to campus.  Please note, however, that RIT is not able to provide a full time free shuttle to Rustic, which is only one of many off-campus apartment complexes.  The very high costs of providing shuttle buses for RIT owned apartments (such as RIT Inn or Racquet Club) are partially funded from rental revenue from the students in those complexes.  RIT does not receive funds from Rustic Village.

  All buses I’m talking about below leave from RIT “Gleason Circle”, which is south of the Library (building 5).

  RIT’s Parking and Transportation Department has the most up to date schedules on their website here:http://facilities.rit.edu/pats/transportation/bus.html

  1) RIT Campus Shuttle  (Free with RIT ID)
  This orange schedule has four free rides from Rustic (7:12 AM, 7:14 AM, 12:25 PM, 6:35 PM) to RIT, and also four free rides from RIT (12:50 PM, 1:50 PM, 6:50 PM, 10:20 PM) to Rustic.  Refer to the section called Special Travel Codes.  Those rides take about 15 minutes. These rides are a courtesy as the buses come from their off-campus depot to service the campus shuttle loop.
  
  2) RIT Inn / Racquet Club/ Late Evening & Weekend Shuttles (Free with RIT ID)
  This white paper schedule has four early evening times when the “RIT Inn Express” goes from RIT Gleason Circle to the Marketplace Mall (weekdays) at 5:50 PM, 6:35 PM, 7:50 PM, 8:35 PM.  From Marketplace Mall, you can then catch an N24 bus to Rustic for $1.
  
  This white paper schedule also has a section called “Off-Campus Late Evening Shuttle Monday-Friday” that goes from RIT Gleason Circle to the Marketplace Mall at 8:41 PM and 9:34 PM.  From Marketplace Mall, you can then catch an N24 bus to Rustic for $1.

On Saturday and Sunday this white paper schedule is called the “Green Line” and makes 13 trips between RIT and Marketplace.

3) RTS Route 24  (cost is $1, this is a city bus, not hired by RIT) This bus is fully managed by RTS, not RIT.  However, on weekdays it makes 11 trips from Rustic to RIT, and 11 from RIT to Rustic. On Saturday, there are 4 trips and 3 on Sunday between Rustic and RIT.

Biking to campus from Rustic (Not recommended during winter)
On good weather days, if you want to bike to campus (about 4 miles), here is a route will allow you to avoid biking on the dangerous West Henrietta Road:

From Rustic, continue westward on Crittenden Road, crossing over West Henrietta and go about a mile more on Crittenden.  You will see “Mortimer Ave” on your left.  About one hundred feet past that is the entrance to the “Lehigh Valley Trail.”  Turn left and follow that trail southward about 1 mile, until it exits onto Brighton-Henrietta Town Line Road (very close to the U-Haul dealer).  Turn right on the sidewalk, and you will soon see the intersection of Jefferson Road and John Street.  Cross here at the light.  Continue south on John Street (nice wide sidewalk here) and enter campus at Perkin’s Road on your right.  Head west to campus center.

*Always wear a helmet and use lights and bright clothing if biking at night.*