Simon School Admissions Blog

Record attendance at the Rochester International Jazz Festival

By: Tonya

This past Saturday wrapped up the eighth annual Rochester International Jazz Festival.  A nine-day music event that featured such headliners as: Smokey Robinson, SMV, Jake Shimabukuro, Carolyn Wonderland, the Dave Brubeck Quartet, Michael McDonald, Taj Mahal, and the Susan Tedeschi Band.  An estimated 133,000 people attended over the nine days, exceeding last year's 125,000 attendees.

I had the good fortune of attending Friday night's Taj Mahal and Susan Tedeschi Band performance at a sold out Eastman Theatre.  It was an incredible evening of jazz and blues.  Mayor Bob Duffy kicked off the evening by introducing Susan Tedeschi, a Grammy-nominated blues and soul artist, who amazed with her powerful voice and fearless stage presence.  After a brief intermission, Ursula Burns, the new CEO of Xerox Corporation, introduced Taj Mahal, a Grammy-award winning blues musician who has been singing and performing for over 40 years.  He entertained with his guitar and banjo and had the audience shouting and singing out responses such as "uh huh!" 

The hallmark of the festival is the variety and international flavor -  Columbia, Russia, Finland and the UK were just a few of the countries represented at the festival, with musicians coming from all over the world.  Among jazz enthusiasts, the Rochester International Jazz Festival is considered "top-shelf" and a "must-go" for all jazz fans.

Urban Adventure through the streets of Rochester

By Tony:

 An urban adventure race made a stop in Rochester this past May.  The High Trek Adventure race series is similar to the "Amazing Race" TV show and is staged in major cities across the country such as L.A., San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, NYC and over 20 others.

The race, described as "brains beat brawn", involves a team of 2 people solving 12 clues while running around the downtown Rochester landscape on a beautiful sunny day.

The clues led teams to many landmarks and districts across more than 6 miles of the city (on foot!).  Some notable spots included the Susan B. Anthony park(pictured below left), the High Falls district (pictured below right) with the start/finish line located in the popular East End district.

 

It was an exciting afternoon that continued after the race with all the teams and spectators meeting to share different stories and strategies.

If you are curious, you can Check-out the Rochester Results for the race (9th out of 40+ teams is not too bad!)

Rochester Named the 17th Best Walking City in the U.S.

By: Stefanie

According to Prevention Magazine, Rochester, NY has been named the 17th best place in the U.S. for walking.  This annual survey is conducted along with the American Podiatric Medical Association and Sperling's Best Places and was based on 19 factors including number of parks in the area, crime rates, and pedestrian accidents. 

Monroe County's Parks Department operates 21 parks covering nearly 12,000 acres.  My favorites include:

• Mendon Ponds - fantastic and lengthy trails with beautiful views of the ponds.  Also allows cross-country skiing in the winter;
• Highland Park - nice views of the city at the top of the reservoir, amazing variety of vegetation in the park itself but also inside the Lamberton Conservatory, and home to Rochester's annual Lilac Festival;
• Ellison Park - in addition to its nice hiking trails, Ellison is also known for its popular dog park
• Genesee Valley - mentioned in an earlier blog post for its golf course but which also has terrific open fields where our students are known to play cricket every weekend and which hosts our annual Simon Games sporting event.

Walking in Rochester isn't limited to parks though.  On any day of the week, but especially on the weekends, the path that runs along the Erie Canal (part of the NYS Canalway Trail System) is filled with walkers in addition to joggers and cyclists.  The Genesee Riverway Trail runs north-south along the Genesee River connecting the Erie Canal Trailway with Lake Ontario.  The wonderful benefit of this trail is that it passes directly through the University's River Campus so students living on-campus without a car can even have access to these lovely walkways.

And last, but definitely not least, nothing can beat a stroll along Park Avenue - preferably with an Abbot's Frozen Custard in hand!

So, put on your walking shoes and get moving!

Around Rochester: Golfing in Monroe County

By: Stefanie

Spring has arrived and you know what that means... golf season!  After the long winter months, Rochesterians literally can not wait to get out on the golf courses.  According to the Greater Rochester Visitor Association, "Rochester is said to have more golf holes per capita than any other northeastern city in America; and within the Greater Rochester area, more rounds of golf are played per capita than in many cities twice its size".  It is incredible that we have 82 courses in and around Rochester (within a 45-minute drive), including 20 private country clubs, 35 semi-private clubs and 27 public/resort courses.

Without a private club membership, I usually frequent the public courses.  However, these are still solid courses and very affordable too.  I often play at Genesee Valley Park which is only 5 minutes from campus and is super cheap ($16 for 18 holes during the week and $17 for 18 holes on the weekend - where can you beat that?).  Riverton Golf Club is another great public course - and a tough one at that - which is close to campus and also where the Simon Golf Club has had a student/staff/faculty tournament.

The following golf courses are certainly not public courses, but ones where some lucky students have accompanied Simon professors to play a round.  The famous Oak Hill Country Club has been home to The PGA Championship and The US Open.  The Country Club of Rochester, the city's first private golf course, also has an impressive course and grounds which include swimming, tennis, and skating.

After a few months of not swinging the club, getting out to a driving range can be beneficial to your game.  Big Oak and Genesee Valley are a couple good places and golf lessons are readily available and affordable. 

So whether you are an avid golf fan and player, or have never swung a club before, Rochester's golf courses definitely welcome you!

Discover Rochester/Discover Simon Networking Reception

By: Crissi

In today’s challenging job market, Simon’s Career Management Center is doing everything it can to position our Class of 2009 graduates for success.  This week we turned our eyes to our own city to look for great MBA level job prospects at the Discover Rochester/Discover Simon Networking Reception.  Simon students met with over 30 different employers representing a myriad of opportunities in region such as biotechnology, R&D, telecommunications, investment and financial services, consulting, and not-for-profit to name a few.  Some employers represented local branches of international corporations and others were regional businesses looking for fresh talent.

There was a great turn out for the event, and I am sure it was valuable to business leaders and students alike. With unemployment at a 26 year low in the U.S., here at Simon we are rethinking how to best help our students succeed in their job search.

A Great Night Out In Rochester!

By: Jackie

As you have seen us write in blogs before, we are very lucky in Rochester to be surrounded by such a great artistic, cultural, and musical community.  Even though Rochester is a mid-sized city, there is always something great to do and a real variety to choose from...

On Valentine's Day, I had the pleasure of attending the Valentine's Weekend Concert given by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra at the Eastman Theatre (proudly a part of the University of Rochester!) which included selections from Romeo & Juliet and Carmen (very fitting for this occasion) as well as a concert by the Grammy award winning, Los Angeles Guitar Quartet.  It was a great night out! 

I think that now I have gotten "hooked" on the RPO and I am already going back this weekend to attend "That's Amore!" where acclaimed tenor Tonio DiPaolo will sing popular songs from Italian composers and favorite opera arias will be performed! In addition to that, I am going to go see a Broadway musical tonight, Jersey Boys presented by the Rochester Broadway Theatre League, which will be at the Auditorium Theatre-- there really is never a shortage of things to do and ways to get out and enjoy this great city!

Another great thing to note, is that University of Rochester students regularly have reduced ticket prices available to them-- this is surely one of the great things to take advantage of as a student here! 

Around Rochester: Ice Skating at Manhattan Square Park

By: Stefanie

Since Rochester is a four season climate, Rochesterians must embrace winter and make the most of it.  One fun and inexpensive activity to get you outdoors - that's an alternative to the more expensive (and personally more dangerous!) downhill skiing - is ice skating.

There are a few indoor rinks, but I had the chance recently to check out the outdoor rink at Manhattan Square Park.  Run by the City of Rochester, this rink re-opened this year with an expanded warming shelter (where you change into your skates, get rentals, etc) with a new heated floor and fireplace, a 30% larger rink, new rental skates, and a new lighting and sound system.

The atmosphere is wonderful - perfect for going with a special someone, the family, or a group of friends.  I went at night so the air was crisp and it was a calm and peaceful to skate under the stars.  The rink is large enough for beginners to skate around the perimeter leaving the middle for more advanced skaters to do their turns and spins. Once you have had your fill of skating, you can walk to one of the East Avenue area cafes (such as Java Joe's or Spot Coffee) to warm up with a hot chocolate or a latte.

So if you are looking for something different to do on a weeknight or a weekend this winter, head down to Manhattan Square Park.  But don't wait!  The rink will only be open through March 21st (weather permitting).  The entrance fee is $4 for adults, $2 for youths (17 and under), and families will pay a maximum of $12.  Rentals, if needed, are an additional $3 and an ID is required. Happy skating!

Winterfest and Winter Carnival Weekends

By: Crissi

 Over the last two weekends, the University of Rochester has embraced the snowy weather and hosted Winterfest Weekend and Winter Carnival Weekend.  Here at the University of Rochester indoor events included and Iron Chef Challenge, hosting Comedian B.J. Novak from The Office and even an indoor ice-skating rink was created.  Outside in the snow, there was even more to experience from ice sculpture carving demonstrations, horse drawn wagon rides along the river, visiting with sled dogs, and roasting marshmallows over an open fire to enjoy s’mores.  To the right is an ice sculpture of Rush Rhees Library with the UR Mascot atop.

  

Simon hosted its own four-day Winter Carnival the weekend before Mid Terms to loosen up the students and bring the community together.  Thursday, February 5^th the GBC hosted a Happy Hour with dinner at a local bar and restaurant; Friday, after studying of course, Simon took over a outdoor ice-skating rink for some late night fun; Saturday was a Ski Trip to Hunt Hollow Resort where students, staff and faculty of all skill levels hit the slopes with skis, snowboards and snow shoes; and Sunday held the annual Polar Plunge, a charity event which Simon always has a participating team.  The winters in Rochester might be cold, but there are plenty of things to do. 

 

Mr. Potato Head Arrives in Rochester

  BY: Tonya

As a parent, I feel so fortunate to live within 20 minutes driving distance to the Strong National Museum of Play in downtown Rochester.  Strong is recognized as one of the nation's top museums for families and children and is home to the National Toy Hall of Fame.  My children love visiting the museum, so much so that we purchased a family membership for the year.  The membership entitles us to unlimited general admission for the year - a great deal since my children want to go all the time!

This weekend, Strong welcomed their newest exhibit, The Adventures of Mr. Potato Head.  The exhibit allows children to take an "outer-space journey to a jungle safari, archeological dig, and undersea trek."  These "adventures" are designed to provide children with engaging learning experiences that will assist them in developing school readiness, literacy, problem-solving, mathematics, science, and social studies skills. 

For me, walking through the National Toy Hall of Fame is a blast from the past!  The halls are lined with glass cases of the world's largest collection of toys, dolls, and games.  It brings back such memories to see my old Donny & Marie dolls and my first Easy Bake oven!  There are more than 70,000 toys to see here!

The folks at Strong will tell you that "toys are among the most important human artifacts, they are learning tools that foster imagination, creativity, and critical thinking."  As a parent I agree.  This is a great way to spend a day in Rochester!

Around Rochester: Rochester Philharmonic Gala Holiday Pops

By: Stefanie

What a privilege it is to live in a culturally rich city such as Rochester.  We are home to one of the nation's premier orchestras - the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (or RPO for short).  Founded in 1922 by George Eastman, the orchestra calls the beautiful Eastman Theatre home and is a must-do when visiting or living in Rochester. 

On December 19th, I went to a matinee performance of their annual Gala Holiday Pops event.  It was my first time attending this particular show and I was excited for what was to come as I heard great things.  I was not disappointed.  Led by RPO's highly acclaimed principal pops conductor, Jeff Tyzik, the musicians took us on a winter wonderland adventure of Christmas classics such as Do You Hear What I Hear?, The Little Drummer Boy, Let It Snow, We Three Kings, and Ave Maria as well as original score by Mr. Tyzik.  The audience, many all decked out in their holiday best, were also treated to vocals in some songs provided by New York Voices and The Festival High School Chorale - including a beautifully sung version of the Chanukah song, S'vivon.  The afternoon was capped off by a very energized full orchestra and choir rendition of the Gospel Hallelujah.

This was a wonderfully entertaining and festive show and I will definitely be making it an annual part of my holiday season celebration!