Tiger's Tale: Alumni Tale - June 2020
Tiger's Tale
June 2020
A personal reflection from Keith B. Jenkins regarding George Floyd
I look at my wife, son, and daughter, thankful for another day with them. It remains difficult to capture the emotional impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on our family as my children adjust to daily life apart from friends and family beyond our immediate family. And now, both my wife and I feel drained as we explain, again, why the lessons we teach them daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly still matter so much. Racism has not been eradicated. Police brutality and the most recent manifestations of lynching still exist. And every day we still awaken committed to trying to make a difference—via our spheres of influence through family, friends, workplace, church, neighborhood, city and country—that will make this world better for “all” of its inhabitants.
The key is that, “We are here.”
But George Floyd is no longer here. Nor Breonna Taylor, Michael Lorenzo Dean, Eric Reason, Christopher McCorvey, Christopher Whitfield, Atatiana Jefferson, Dominique Clayton, Pamela Turner and countless others, including Eric Garner, John Crawford, III and Michael Brown. Partners, children, family, friends, their communities and the world have all been robbed of their contributions and impact.
Yet, we are here. Know that for those of us who remain, we see you and share in the deep loss that we are all feeling this season.
Read Dr. Munson’s and Dr. Jenkins’ previous message to the RIT community
Keith B. Jenkins
Vice President and Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion
Rochester Institute of Technology
Tigers Helping Tigers
Join us for a celebration of Tiger talent and creativity and support RIT students during this time of unprecedented challenges. Tigers Helping Tigers: An Event to Move Students Forward will stream live on Thursday, June 25, at 7 p.m. Enjoy performances from over a dozen RIT and NTID student groups and individuals—including music, dance, comedy and more! Mark your calendars now. This will be a night of Tiger entertainment you won’t want to miss!
RIT students organized bonus graduation ceremony via Minecraft
Electronic Gaming Society (EGS) held a virtual Minecraft commencement ceremony for the class of 2020. Minecraft users participated in the ceremony in-game. Viewers who don’t have the game can view the event on Twitch, YouTube and Mixer.
Alumni Attitudinal Survey
Your opinion matters—we would like to know how we can make your experience as an RIT alum better. Your input is an important part of our planning. Please help us better understand what you expect of us by completing this survey. Keep an eye on your inbox; this will be arriving soon.
In Case You Missed It
Ritchie's Temporary Home
Many of you have noticed that the Tiger statue isn’t in its normal spot. It’s being moved to a temporary location near Global Village because crews need to do utility work on the future site of the Innovative Maker and Learning Complex.
Alumna Chloe Coleman becomes first female RIT graduate to win Pulitzer Prize
Chloe Coleman BFA ’13, an award-winning photo editor with The Washington Post since 2014, helped the newspaper staff win the top prize in Explanatory Reporting.
