Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season to all our RIT/NTID parents and families and all good things in the new year!

We also extend congratulations to our students for completing fall semester! We are proud of their hard work and dedication. Encourage your students to take time to celebrate their accomplishments, whether big or small. Now is the time to rest and enjoy a well-deserved break.

RIT/NTID is proud to recognize and celebrate students and alums who competed and represented Team USA at the 2025 Deaflympics in Tokyo, Japan, November 15-26, 2025. Athletes and coaches who participated included:

Current students

Alums

This achievement is an extraordinary honor for our students and alums who continue to demonstrate their dedication, discipline, excellence, and Deaf pride on the world stage.

RIT/NTID students, staff, faculty, and alums attended the annual RIT ASL Hockey events on Friday, December 5, in the Gene Polisseni Center, to celebrate Deaf culture. Attendees cheered the RIT Tigers as the women’s team faced the Delaware Blue Hens and the men’s team faced the Canisius Golden Griffins.

The games featured performance of National Anthem in American Sign Language, demonstration of the Tiger fight song between the first and second periods, and video of players signing common hockey terminology. NTID President Caroline Solmon had the opportunity to do the ceremonial puck drop at both games.

The NTID Alumni Relations Office also hosted an ASL Hockey gathering at the Student Hall for Exploration and Development (SHED), where community members came together, mingled, and enjoyed some tailgate fare between the two games. 

RIT will host its ninth annual “Let Freedom Ring,” event, honoring the life of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., on Friday, January 16, 2026, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. in Ingle Auditorium in the Student Alumni Union.

The keynote speaker is Nickesia Gordon, associate professor in the RIT School of Communication, whose research focuses on communication and gender, race and nationality as well as communication for social change. She will discuss how love is a key component of Dr. King’s philosophy of freedom and non-violence. A reception will follow the keynote address.

This event is for the RIT community only. Please encourage your students register and attend to learn about MLK’s inspiring work for justice and equality.

RIT will host its 44^th annual “Expressions of King’s Legacy” event 12 to 2 p.m. on Thursday, January 29, 2026, in the Gordon Field House and Activities Center. This event celebrates the life and impact of Dr. Martin Lurther King Jr., bringing the community together for inspiring dialogue on justice and equality.

Dr. Eddie Glaude Jr., scholar, political commentator and author of the New York Times bestseller "Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own," will deliver the keynote address. Glaude is the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor and former chair of the Department of African American Studies at Princeton University.

This event is free and open to the public. Students and community members who plan to attend must register.

The university will close beginning at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, December 24, 2025, and will reopen on Monday, January 5, 2026.

The RIT Department of Public Safety will remain open 24/7 and can be reached at 585-475-3333 or via text at 585-205-8333. For emergencies, please call 911. Students can also use the TigerSafe app to quickly contact Public Safety and access campus safety resources.

If students plan to stay in Rochester during the winter break, visit the winter break guide website for information about campus programs, services, dining, travel information, and things to do in the Rochester area.

From January 25 through February 7, 2026, RIT hosts FreezeFest, a week-long winter festival designed to embrace and celebrate the winter season with fun events, programs, and activities on and off campus, including hot cocoa tastings, ice staking, entertainment, and more.

Encourage your students to grab their gloves and gather with friends for this time-honored RIT winter tradition. From entertainment to food, free swag to activities, there’s something for everyone at FreezeFest.

Visit the website to learn more.

To stay in touch with other parents and up to date on current events, join our Facebook group for parents of deaf and hard-of-hearing and interpreting students at RIT/NTID! More resources are available on the NTID Parents and Families page. Other resources also are available on the RIT Parents and Families page.

For any questions, feel free to reach out to Loriann Macko, Director of NTID Alumni and Constituent Relations, at Loriann.Macko@rit.edu.

rit.edu/ntid

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