An eye on the past, and the future, at Meliora Weekend 2025

GO ’JACKETS: Yellowjackets football running back Cole Raux (right) is congratulated by teammate Benjamin Tripoli after scoring a touchdown in the second quarter of their game against St. John Fisher University. Rochester took home the win, 28-21, to improve to 3-0 for the season.

WE’VE GOT SPIRIT, YES WE DO: Malia Dickinson, Amanda Wang, and Yi Ren receive class swag at the annual Rochester Traditions giveaway.

OUT TO LAUNCH: On Thursday, Meliora Weekend kicked off with the launch of the For Ever Better campaign. The program itself started with YooJin Jang, an assistant professor of violin, playing the University’s Stradivarius violin, accompanied by students from the Eastman School of Music: Simon Cheng ’27E, ’27, violin; Kaylynn Li ’26E, ’26, violin; Mack Jones ’26E, viola; Clara Schultz ’27E, ’27, cello; Kellen Mikesell ’27E, violin; Claire Chien ’27E, ’27, violin; Vivienne Lucier ’27E, ’27, viola; Ariun-Enerel Gantumur ’27E, cello; and Gregory Galand ’27E, double bass.

LET IT SHINE: In homage to the annual candlelight ceremony for incoming students during Welcome Week, guests lit candles to illuminate the many ways their lives are interwoven with the University.

PITCH PERFECT: Members of Rochester a cappella groups, the Yellowjackets and Vocal Point, harmonize during a performance.

ALL THAT JAZZ: The Eastman School of Music Student and Alumni Jazz Combo performs onstage to a packed house as part of Friday evening’s slate of activities.

YOU CAN’T STOP THE BEAT: John Blackshear swaps his vice president for student life hat for his DJ headphones during a set for Meliora Weekend attendees.

PROPS TO YOU: No Rochester Tradition is complete without a spin on the 360-degree photo booth.

EXTRAORDINARY FEATS: Rush Rhees Library looms large in the background as a performance from the Strong Jugglers closes out Friday’s festivities.

HISTORY HAS ITS EYES ON YOU: New York Times bestselling author and historian Erik Larson (right), one of the weekend’s headliners, was interviewed by Steven Hahn ’73, winner of the Pulitzer Prize in history for his book A Nation Under Our Feet: Black Political Struggles in the Rural South from Slavery to the Great Migration.

“People refer to it as narrative history,” said Larson, addressing his writing—which has covered such moments in history as the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, Winston Churchill’s life during the Blitz in World War II, and the sinking of the RMS Lusitania. “I just refer to it as writing history in a way that can maybe be appreciated by more readers.”

SCIENCE AND FICTION: Keynote speaker Lisa Genova, a New York Times bestselling novelist and neuroscientist, discussed how we can take steps to promote brain health and prevent Alzheimer’s, no matter how old (or young) we are—including seven things you can do to keep your brain healthy today and tomorrow.

“For 98 to 99 percent of us, Alzheimer’s is caused by a combination of the genes that you inherited from your parents and how you live. Evidence today suggests that 45 percent of Alzheimer’s cases can be prevented through counterweights that we call modifiable risk factors. We think almost half of all Alzheimer’s cases can be prevented by how we live. That’s super exciting.”

THE MORE YOU NOAH: Prior to his set at the Eastman Theatre, Emmy Award–winning comedian, bestselling author, and former host of The Daily Show, Trevor Noah, met with e-board members of Rochester’s Student Activities Board.

LOOKING AHEAD: This year’s Rochester Symposium brought together Lynn Vavreck ’97 (PhD), David Nash ’81M (MD), Brian Mitchell ’81 (PhD), Heather Higginbottom ’94, and University President Sarah Mangelsdorf for a panel discussion on the future of American higher education and academic medicine.

BLOCK OF FAME: The Eastman School of Music knows how to throw a block party, as members of the University community took over Gibbs Street for live performances, food trucks, and more.

HONORING A LEGACY: This year’s Clare Dennison Lecture and Panel paid tribute to Loretta Ford’s legacy in nursing and healthcare. Hosted by School of Nursing Dean Lisa Kitko (far right), the panel featured Meredith Kells, Madeline Schmitt ’65N, ’70N (MS), and Eileen Sullivan-Marx ’80N (MS).

RESEARCH AND FIND: Stephen Dewhurst, vice president for research, was one of the three featured speakers at this year’s MED Talks. He shared his insights on why research matters— and the importance of presenting it in a way everyone can understand.

FORE EVER BETTER: Decorated golf carts showcased University spirit and pride among Rochester’s student groups.

CRASH INTO ME(LIORA): The Dave Matthews Tribute Band took the Meliora Village stage and regaled the crowd.

NO STRINGS ATTACHED: Rochester alumnus Abe Dewing ’93 joins the Dave Matthews Tribute Band on violin.

BEAM ME UP: University President Sarah Mangelsdorf adds her signature to the final beam that will be placed in the structure of Strong Memorial Hospital’s emergency department expansion during a ceremony at the School of Medicine and Dentistry. Scheduled for completion in 2027, the project will add more than 650,000 square feet of hospital space, tripling the size of the current emergency department—including a nine-story inpatient bed tower and more than 100 private inpatient rooms.