illustration of the numeral "161" in red on a turquoise background with whimsical icons of Cornell University-related items, swag, activities, and places covering the numerals

The ‘161 Things Every Cornellian Should Do’—Updated for 2026!

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For the University's 161st anniversary year, we revisited the iconic list of Big Red experiences. How many of these have you done?

By Cornellians staff

Illustration by Ashley Osburn

As most Cornellians know, there are 161 steps to the top of McGraw Tower. More than three decades ago—in the March 1995 issue, to be exact—Cornell Alumni Magazine riffed on that iconic factoid to conceive a list of activities that its editors deemed essential to the Big Red student experience.

“Truth Number One: There is no such thing as a typical Cornellian,” the story began. “Truth Number Two: There is no such thing as a typical Cornell experience. Truth Number Three: There are at least 161 things all students should do while they’re at Cornell.”

The print magazine—which ceased publication in mid-2021 after more than a century, and of which Cornellians is the successor—went on to chronicle eight-score-and-one activities.

They range from the obvious (“Learn the first two verses of the ‘Alma Mater’”) to the silly (“Try to go a whole semester without doing laundry”) to the lightly profound (“Go to a service for a religion you know nothing about”).

In many ways, the list (you can download a PDF here) is timeless; in others—say, Number 79, “Learn how to use the Internet”—it’s charmingly dated.

In many ways, the original list is timeless; in others—say, Number 79, “Learn how to use the Internet”—it’s charmingly dated.

Coming out in a more anything-goes era, there are a few things that are unsanctioned or even potentially hazardous (traying down the Slope; skinny-dipping in a gorge; overindulgence in adult beverages), but which made the list with a wink and a nod.

And there are poignant references to now-departed Big Red icons, including President Frank H.T. Rhodes, beloved poetry professor Archie Ammons, and Bob Petrillose, legendary proprietor of the Hot Truck.

A decade after CAM published its list, the Daily Sun came out with its own version. It has been updated periodically—most recently in spring 2025—and features a number of items that are, shall we say, a tad less safe for work.

(In fact, it gets right out front with that: Number 1 prescribes carnal congress in the library stacks.)

To mark the University’s sesquicentennial in 2015, CAM revisited its then-20-year-old list, offering an updated version by contributing editor Brad Herzog ’90.

A decade after CAM published its list, the Daily Sun came out with its own version—which features a number of items that are, shall we say, a tad less safe for work.

Among its notable additions: “Sing ‘Puff the Magic Dragon’ in front of the house (343 State St.) where it was written”; “Binge watch every episode of ‘The Office’ in which Andy Bernard mentions Cornell”; and “Spend a day without using your cell phone. Wonder how your parents ever did it.”

Now here we are in 2026, which happens to be the 161st anniversary of Cornell’s founding.

With the newest crop of students arriving on the Hill—and Cornellians approaching its own five-year anniversary this fall—we decided the time was right to revisit the 161 Things list, especially after the University received such enthusiastic responses to its 2026 Charter Day queries on Facebook and LinkedIn seeking suggestions for updating it.

The following contains elements of the versions that preceded it, along with numerous newcomers—some gleaned from another recent call-out to alumni.

And for the first time—in part, to help us get our minds around the list’s sheer volume—we divided the experiences into categories.

How many of these did you do as a student? What essential experiences do you think are missing? Let us know in the comments below!

Traditions

1. Meet Touchdown the Bear, in each of his outfits.

2. Study in the A.D. White Reading Room.

3. Attend the Dragon Day parade.

4. Miss the Dragon Day parade because you have a class—or better yet, an exam—at the same time.

5. Take the Wines class.

two-color illustration of Touchdown the Big Red Bear wearing a red Cornell sweatshirt and waving on a blue circular background

6. Chalk messages on the sidewalk.

7. Have the time of your life—safely!—on Slope Day.

8. Take an exam in Barton Hall.

9. Look up an old photo of Davy Hoy and T. F. ("Tee Fee") Crane. Finally figure out who you’ve been giving your regards to all this time.

10. Request a song to be played by the Chimes.

11. Walk to class in the snow (uphill, both ways).

Academics

12. Study at every library.

13. Fail a prelim; realize that life goes on.

14. Ace the next prelim; save your grade.

15. Be a test subject for research being conducted on campus.

16. Take a course in the first semester that it’s ever been offered.

three-color illustration of a stack of four books on a dark blue background

17. Pull an all-nighter, then fall asleep in class the next day.

18. Satisfy your PE requirement—then keep taking classes because they’re awesome.

19. Take a course that meets in Bailey Hall.

20. Take at least one class in every school or college.

21. Ace at least one course.

22. Sleep through your alarm—for a 1:25 p.m. class.

23. Take a course pass/fail. Work harder than ever, as the prospect of failure looms before you.

24. Forget how add-drop works and have to keep a class you wanted to drop; wind up loving it.

25. Check out an actual, physical book from a library.

26. A year later, remember to return the book.

The Great Outdoors

27. Take a walk in the Botanic Gardens and ring the big bell at the Newman Arboretum overlook.

28. Go hiking at a state park or on the Finger Lakes Trail.

29. Sunbathe at Flat Rock.

30. Go birding at Sapsucker Woods; stop in at the visitor center and check out the “feeder cam.”

two-color illustration of an icon representing a waterfall on an orange-red background

31. Enjoy the local bounty at you-pick farms.

32. Take a Cayuga Lake boat cruise.

33. Ski at Greek Peak.

34. Rent equipment from Cornell Outdoor Education.

35. Kayak or canoe on Beebe Lake.

36. Use the Lab of Ornithology’s Merlin app to identify a bird.

37. Go for a long walk in heavy snowfall.

38. Rappel, zipline, and climb a replica McGraw Tower at the Hoffman Challenge Course.

In the Community

39. Go to Porchfest, Apple Fest, Ithaca Festival—all of the fests.

40. Learn how to pronounce “Taughannock.”

41. Stroll from the Sun to Pluto on the Sagan Planet Walk, a 1-to-5 billion scale model of the Solar System.

42. Go to the Ithaca Farmers Market. Eat, sit by the water, then eat more.

43. Spend a summer in Ithaca and learn why locals endure the winters.

two-color illustration of a green "Ithaca is Gorges" t-shirt on a yellow background

44. Walk the Cascadilla Gorge Trail from Collegetown to Downtown Ithaca; procure a tasty snack, then hike back up.

45. Go shopping on the Ithaca Commons.

46. Cycle up Buffalo Street (and not on an e-bike!). Enjoy the ride back down.

47. Drive the entire perimeter—about 85 miles—of Cayuga Lake. Stop often.

48. Volunteer for a local organization, even just once a year.

49. Take the Campus-to-Campus bus to NYC and explore the city.

50. While you’re in NYC, take the Roosevelt Island tram to Cornell Tech.

51. Buy a book—or 20—at Ithaca’s legendary Friends of the Library sale.

52. Get an Ithaca is Gorges T-shirt; get bored with it and buy a variation (Ithaca is Cold; Ithaca is Gangsta).

Arts & Culture

53. View the Johnson Museum’s illuminated Cosmos exhibit by night.

54. Descend to the lowest level of Olin to view an exhibit in the Rare and Manuscript Collections of Kroch Library.

55. Go to a student theater production at the Schwartz Center.

56. Visit the ROTC museum in Barton Hall.

two-color illustration of comedy-tragedy theater masks on a green background

57. Drive through a blinding snowstorm to see a concert in Syracuse or Buffalo. Think a lot about snow tires on the way home.

58. Rock out at a Cornell Concert Commission show.

59. See a movie at Cornell Cinema.

60. Dress up for a screening of the Rocky Horror Picture Show at Risley.

61. View a foreign film at Cinemapolis; get into an argument with your friends about whether it was brilliant or terrible.

62. Attend an art exhibit opening on campus.

63. Go to a Japanese drumming concert by Cornell’s Yamatai.

64. Request an item for viewing in the Kroch Library reading room.

65. Go to an a cappella concert, then be inspired to audition for a singing group.

66. Stream the original 1978 Superman film and feel proud that the Man of Steel was an alum (Christopher Reeve ’74).

67. Go see a student improv show. Wonder if you have a future in comedy. Decide that you probably don’t.

Personal Growth

68. Stay up all night arguing about the existence of God.

69. Fall helplessly in love. Get dumped. Be devastated. Recover.

70. Study a foreign language, even if it’s not required for your major.

71. Discuss with, and learn from, someone who holds polar opposite beliefs from your own.

72. Text your parents and tell them you love them.

two-color illustration of an illuminated yellow light bulb on a blue background

73. Read a thought-provoking novel by a Cornell alum or prof.

74. Exit a classroom feeling like you’re brilliant.

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75. Exit a classroom feeling like you’re … not so brilliant.

76. Take a class that has absolutely nothing to do with your major.

77. Contemplate switching majors.

78. Attend a service for a religion other than your own.

79. Travel abroad—for a year, a semester, or just a vacation.

80. Go to Clubfest. Join a group that’s a bit out of your comfort zone.

81. Attend a lecture by a visiting academic, in a field you’re not studying.

82. Visit your favorite campus spots and reflect on the memories you’ve already made there.

Exploring the Hill

83. Watch the sunset on the Slope. (Do this as often as possible.)

84. Go ghost-hunting for Alice Statler and Prudence Risley in their namesake buildings.

85. Watch the Bill Nye ’77 Solar Noon Clock atop Rhodes Hall light up, then check the time on the Engineering Quad sundial.

86. Walk around Beebe Lake—ideally, hand in hand with that special someone.

four-color illustration of Libe Slope, showing the edge of a picnic blanket, the Slope and trees, and a sunset and blue sky in the distance on an orange-red background

87. Have a picnic on the Slope.

88. Visit the Johnson Museum; take in the best view on campus from the fifth floor.

89. Sit quietly and alone in Sage Chapel. Admire the stained glass windows.

90. Go stargazing at Fuertes Observatory.

91. Brag about the big brains at Cornell. Prove it by showing a visitor Mr. Rulloff’s specimen in Uris Hall’s Brain Collection.

92. Scrutinize the caricatures of professors carved into the beams of the Straight’s Memorial Room.

93. Leave your phone behind and take a two-hour walk around campus. Drink it all in.

94. Choose a name from the war memorial in Anabel Taylor. Go learn more about their story.

95. Visit Ezra’s sarcophagus in the Sage Chapel crypt, and thank him for founding Cornell.

Food & Drink

96. Eat at every dining hall at least once.

97. Go to the Dairy Bar for ice cream.

98. Take a short trip to Purity for ice cream. Then take a longer trip to Cayuga Creamery (all the ice creams!).

99. Buy produce on the Ag Quad from Dilmun Hill student farm.

100. Grab a bagel from CTB.

three-color illustration of a "Cornell Dairy" branded ice cream cone on a green background

101. Eat an apple from the vending machine in the Mann Library lobby.

102. Dine at the famed Moosewood Restaurant.

103. Have a Greek salad at Souvlaki House in Collegetown.

104. Take a date to Establishment, the bistro run by Hotelies in their restaurant management course.

105. Have coffee at the Temple of Zeus. Think deep thoughts.

106. Get a late-night snack from Louie’s Lunch.

107. Eat a Hot Truck sandwich from Shortstop Deli.

108. Attend an on-campus event just for the free food.

109. Go to a local restaurant and sample a cuisine you’ve never tried before.

110. Order Insomnia Cookies after midnight.

Student Life

111. Furnish your entire dorm room or apartment with items from the Project ReCollect (formerly Dump & Run) sale; in the spring, donate it all back.

112. Find a hidden nap spot somewhere on campus.

113. Volunteer as a model in the annual Cornell Fashion Collective Runway Show. Own the catwalk.

five-color illustration of a backpack, water bottle, laptop and a book or notebook on a yellow circular background

114. Meet some adorable animals at the Vet College’s annual open house.

115. Host your own radio show on WVBR.

116. Skate at Lynah Rink. Imagine the crowd cheering you on as a Big Red hockey star.

117. Attend a Holi celebration on the Arts Quad and get colorful.

118. Fall asleep in a library; panic that someone posted a pic on social media of you drooling with your mouth open.

119. Write a story, opinion piece, or letter in the Daily Sun.

120. Live in a Collegetown apartment—and not the fancy high-rise kind, either.

121. Serve as an Orientation leader and help welcome the newest Cornellians.

122. Yell, bleary eyed, at people in the dorm corridor making noise at 3 a.m. Apologize the next day.

123. Join an intramural sports team. Take it too seriously and get matching uniforms.

124. See how long you can go without doing laundry.

Big Red Spirit

125. Learn the first two verses of the “Alma Mater” by heart. For extra credit, learn the other four.

126. Master the Lynah Faithful chants.

127. Watch the Big Red Marching Band in action.

128. Stand with a group of friends, arms around each other, and sing the “Alma Mater.”

two-color illustration of a Cornell pennant on a blue circle background

129. Go to the Harvard hockey game. (Do not throw fish—we're serious, now!)

130. Find a boisterous group of Homecoming tailgaters who are at least a generation older than you. Join them.

131. Take a selfie with famed “Cornell Connector” Tony Chen ’12.

132. Buy your parents Cornell sweatshirts, with money you earned yourself.

133. Attend the biennial Sy Katz ’31 Parade—a.k.a. the "shortest parade with the longest history"—in Midtown Manhattan.

134. Go to a game for a sport that isn’t hockey.

135. Work as a Reunion clerk and meet alumni; compare notes about student life then and now.

136. Read a story on the Cornellians site—and leave a comment.

Being Social

137. Meet someone new during Orientation. Exchange contact information and never see each other again.

138. Warmly greet the people serving your food at the dining halls. Always.

139. Join at least one student group, club, or association.

two-color illustration of two hands making the "heart" shape sign with a smaller red heart in the space on a turquoise background

140. Go bowling at Helen Newman.

141. Spend at least one spring break somewhere warm.

142. Road trip!

143. Make a snow sculpture on a quad with your friends, then take a selfie with it.

144. Meet the University president.

145. Get entangled in a long-distance relationship with someone at another college—one that’s close enough to drive to, but far enough away to make you both crazy.

146. Kiss someone on the Suspension Bridge (with consent!).

147. Senior spring, rent a limo with your besties and go on a Finger Lakes wine tour. And a beer tour. And a cider tour. But only one at a time.

148. Pet a Cornell Companions dog (or llama).

149. Join an impromptu snowball fight—in late April.

Quintessentially Cornell

150. Take AMST 2001, and learn some Cornell history from Corey Ryan Earle ’07.

151. Confuse a non-Cornell friend or relative by using the term “prelim.”

152. Dress for 70° weather. Regret your choices as you walk home in the freezing cold that night.

153. Try to find the Cornell references in books by Kurt Vonnegut ’44 and Thomas Pynchon ’59.

154. See famed red-tailed hawks Big Red and Arthur with your own eyes.

two-color illustration of McGraw Tower and the clock on a blue background

155. Explain to your Midwestern relatives that you don’t attend Cornell College.

156. Quote Andy Bernard from “The Office” (or have him quoted to you).

157. After your first semester, impress your friends back home with your mighty calves.

158. Get caught in a torrential downpour, and learn the meteorological meaning of “Ithacation.”

159. Overhear a tourist saying “It looks like Hogwarts” about any part of campus.

160. Visit Prof. Carl Sagan’s grave in Ithaca’s Lake View Cemetery.

161. And of course ... climb the 161 steps to the top of McGraw Tower and enjoy a Chimes concert!

Published August 14, 2026

How many of these did you do as a student? What essential experiences do you think are missing?

Comments

  1. Vitaliy Darovskikh
    14 Aug, 2026

    Love this!

    Reply
    • Jerry K Jensen, Class of 1969
      26 Aug, 2026

      72 – going back to being a student from 1965 and 1970, and later for reunions and visits. BTW, I founded Cornell Cinema, so do I get extra credit for seeing hundreds of films?

      Reply
    • Ronald, Class of 2005
      27 Aug, 2026

      Hello, Ronald Avila, A&S ’05. I am surprised how little the international culture at Cornell University is represented in this list. For example, I would add under the Arts & Culture section, participated in a performance with Teatrotaller, Cornell’s and maybe even the entire Ivy League’s FIRST student-run student-led and student-produced theater group. Under the guidance of Professor Debra Castillo, may she rest in peace, the group was founded, was nurtured, and grew rather quickly, performing in such international locations outside of Ithaca such as Israel, Mexico City, and others. Of course, I’m biased because I am an alumnus of Teatrotaller. Let’s see if any clever Cornellians can find my footprints in Debbie Castillo’s little theater workshop that grew into a world-class producing entity.

      Reply
    • Arthur Lasko, Class of 1971
      28 Aug, 2026

      Climb the fence at night and steal apples from the Cornell orchard. Not that I’d know anything about that.

      Reply
  2. Mario Villanueva, Class of 1998
    18 Aug, 2026

    Did very few of these personally especially anything having to do with the outdoors!

    Reply
  3. Kim Fisher, Class of 2006
    18 Aug, 2026

    My housemates and I took the list very seriously (whichever list was in effect from 2004-2006). We printed it out, made columns with our initials, and checked off whenever we completed one! None of us did them all, but we definitely made some good progress.

    Reply
  4. Gale E. Wolfe, Class of 1977
    25 Aug, 2026

    Wonderful trip down memory lane! Loved this! Also learned about some things that I didn’t know about….gotta check those out!

    Reply
  5. Marie Cerino, Class of 1970
    25 Aug, 2026

    27. When we graduated in 1970 quite a few
    of these were not even possible.

    Reply
    • Michaline Spina, Class of 1979
      26 Aug, 2026

      I was also thinking that!
      Michaline Spina ‘79

      Reply
  6. David W Russell, Class of 1974
    25 Aug, 2026

    Wish we had a list back in my day, so many of the things on the list are worth doing, but never thought of doing them.

    I’d add, “Have a dream or nightmare that you didn’t attend a class and have no idea where the final exam takes place run around campus trying to figure it out.”

    Reply
  7. Laura Winter Falk, Class of 1987
    25 Aug, 2026

    I’ve done 111 of these, but over the 44 total years that I have lived in Ithaca 😂

    Reply
  8. Diana Christopulos, Class of 1970
    25 Aug, 2026

    Did a surprising number of these… and many did not yet exist.

    Reply
  9. Barbara Osgood, Class of 1956
    25 Aug, 2026

    Sadly, much of this list was compiled for newer graduates. Many of the listed features didn’t even exist when I was either an undergraduate or a doctoral student. Being an old alum is a painful experience. Some changes are welcome, many are not. I will never recover from the change from Libe Tower to McGraw Tower. How did that happen? And what about breaks for coffee and bridge in the Ivy Room? And the women’s glee club? Skating on Beebe Lake? Some things are just sacred in my memory. Does Cornell still believe in history and tradition?

    Reply
  10. Jill Fields, Class of 1988
    25 Aug, 2026

    I did #132 and recently my 99 year old father texted me a picture of him FINALLY wearing his Cornell sweatshirt that I gave him in 1986!

    Reply
  11. Brinda Govindan, Class of 1964
    25 Aug, 2026

    How is traying down Libe Slope not on here?! Classic freshman year memory.

    Reply
    • Robin Sacco, Class of 1994
      26 Aug, 2026

      Or down Buffalo street in a snow storm/blizzard?

      Reply
    • Karen Lim, Class of 1994
      27 Aug, 2026

      Maybe because the dining halls don’t use trays anymore? But I did see students sledding down the slope nevertheless.

      Reply
  12. Kathy Weinberg, Class of 1974
    28 Aug, 2026

    Great list! But you missed some outdoor experiences involving waterfalls: the gorge trail at Taughannock Falls, the very short walk to Ithaca Falls (it’s so cool to have a waterfall right downtown!), lower Buttermilk, and the amazing gorge walk down to Lucifer Falls from upper Treman. Then there’s Watkins Glen SP for those with cars.

    Reply
  13. William Martin, Class of 1975
    9 Sep, 2026

    Did 64 of them. I worked at Bob’s Hot Truck on Stewart Ave for parts of all 4 years and at our 5th year reunion. If that counts 65. I have a lot of things to do when I visit Ithaca.

    Reply

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