The House of General Science is a venerated social, academic, and professional organization dedicated to fostering its member’s love of science and science related fields. We have people from a wide variety of majors, not just the hard sciences and accept people from all majors. Some of the many subjects that our members study include engineering, physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, and graphic design. However, all of our members have one thing in common: a love of science, and that is what brings us all together. If you would like to talk to members and get to know more about the house, reach out to us on our social media or at hogspresident@gmail.com
The social committee organizes a wide array of social events of various sizes. Our events encompass everything from sports such as basketball, to relaxing activities such as movie nights and game nights. Our community interacts with other Special Interest Houses through events including potlucks, trips to Lasertron (a local laser-tag facility), and other inter-SIH events on campus. Some of our larger events include: an annual apple-picking trip, biannual trips to Letchworth State Park, and War Pigs, of course, a game created by HoGS modelled after capture the flag. The social committee maintains an active environment in our community and gives members opportunities to hang out on a variety of scales.
Game Night is common HoGS social event. From video games to board games, HoGS will do practically anything to compete or play together.
Four Square is a HoGS favorite! On sunny Rochester days, we break out the kickball and chalk and start a Four Square game. It's a great way to be active and enjoy spending time outside.
Like any college student, HoGS members love to watch movies and tv shows. Oftentimes, we come together to watch classic hits, comical shows, or anything people are interested in!
HoGS has a large variety of resources at the disposal of its members. Our social lounge includes a flat screen plasma TV, a nerf blaster arsenal, and a sink! Additionally, members will often provide their own appliances, such as tea kettles, to be used by the rest of the floor or host food nights in the lounge. HoGS Experimental Learning Lounge (H.E.L.L.) is equipped with a variety of tools available for all members to use in both academic and personal projects. There are numerous resources like tools and projects materials along with a 3-D printer for members to use. T-Lounge is equipped with a whiteboard, tables and couches for members and their friends to work together on projects. T-Lounge is also home to our textbook library, which includes both reference books and textbooks that can be borrowed for whole semesters. This library grows in size and variety every year. Additionally we have a storage closet on floor which holds projects, board games, additional nerf blasters, and other floor resources for ease of access.
Social Lounge is the location of most social events on floor. Decorated for seasonal holidays and home to the HoGS sink, Social Lounge is the perfect spot for sitting and socializing. There is a large flat screen tv and many couches, making this one of the best spaces to sit on floor!
T-Lounge is home to HoGSMind, textbook library, and 3-D Printer. Set in the middle of floor, T-Lounge is the one-stop shop for technology and academic needs. All members are welcome to use the materials in T-Lounge, making it an ideal location for work and fun.
The HoGS Experimental Learning Lounge or H.E.L.L. for short is the workshop space on floor. H.E.L.L. is home to the HoGS tool wall and many of our House materials. It's a great space to work on projects and homework, and has a beautiful view down the Quarter-Mile.
The House of General Science has a long history of developing interesting and innovative projects to sate our desire to learn and create. We have a wide range of projects including: a radio telescope, a high voltage electrical harmonic system, a Larger than Life Piano, and many others. One of the biggest events of the year for HoGS is Imagine RIT, and we develop projects throughout the semester to display during the festival. We regularly bring numerous projects to the festival and work with College of Science to provide funds for our members projects. In addition, we attend events like the Rochester Maker Faire and the Brick City Science Fair throughout the year to display projects. We welcome project ideas from any field and are always excited to help develop them!
The Trebuchet was a former project that was able to launch items a large distance. It was quite popular and quite a large display!
The Larger than Life Piano is a legacy project which has been built upon in HoGS for almost a decade. Starting as a concept of playing piano keys with feet, Larger than Life Piano has become an ongoing iniative for yearly improvement.
Sparky was an electrical demonstration created in 2021. Originally made from microwave scraps, Sparky evolved into an amazing electrical demonstration. Sparky has come in many forms but continues to wow audiences of children and adults alike.
The House of General Science is more than just a special interest house, it is a community. We fundraise for important causes as an entire floor and we have a ton of fun doing it. Every year our annual livestream for ExtraLife raises thousands of dollars for Golisano Children's Hospital. We participate as a team in the annual Mud-Tug event, where the proceeds are all donated to charity. Additionally, we have community service events throughout the semester to encourage members to give back to the community and help good causes. All of these events are designed to give back to the community, while bonding as a Special Interest House.
As a part of community service iniatives, HoGS participates in the RIT CHAIRity event. This most recent chair was created by Penny Jankowski and is absolutely amazing!
One of our biggest community service efforts is through our yearly charity stream with the ExtraLife organization. We stream a variety of video games to fundraise for Golisano Children's Hospital.
The House of General Science parpicipates in many traditional and fun events that bring us together. Here are some highlights of some of our favorite events that happen every year!
Every year, HoGS visits Letchworth to enjoy food, nature, and socializing. It's a great way to get off campus and see some of the beautiful scenery of Upstate New York!
Since apples are universally loved, HoGS visits the local apple farm to have a good time and enjoy good quality apples, apple donuts, apple cider, and honey sticks.
A traditional HoGS event, we battle each other in a capture the flag style game across dormside with Nerf blasters. This event has also been used to raise money for charity.
A common event in HoGS, family dinner brings all our members together to enjoy company and food. From the celebratory Gracie's Trains to the annexation of Salsarita's, HoGS Family Dinners are always a great way to spend time with one another and socialize!
To help familiarize new students with the offerings on campus, members are able use their dining dollars to buy a variety of items from dining locations on campus within a budget. Then they are challenged to mix them together to create the best-tasting creation!
HoGS doesn't let a holiday go with out being celebrated! We have a costume contest, do pumpkin carving, enjoy food, and of course a Haunted House competition!
The House of General Science is an active community. There are often new things going on at HoGS, and we strive to make our impact on the RIT student body heard. See what is coming up in the House!
Every year, HoGS works on several projects for the Imagine festival, an annual RIT event where students and organizations come together to present the awesome projects they've made over the year. Last year, our projects included: the Larger-Than-Life Piano, Mission to the Moon, Space Program, Science Playground, and Chemistry Garden! Join us April 27, 2024 at the next Imagine RIT!
If you have any questions about our organization, please contact us at
hogspresident@gmail.com. You should also follow us on our many social media sites!
Are you an incoming freshman interested in joining?
Please apply to the House of General Science in your RIT Housing Contract.
Colby B Residence Hall
Rochester Institute of Technology