Storytime with Corey What’s the Most Iconic Cornell Tradition? Eight Contenders Remain! Slope Day, hockey games, food trucks, and Dairy Bar ice cream are among the quarterfinalists in the battle for Big Red greatness Editor’s note: The bracket is currently in its final round, and the poll at the bottom of this post is closed. Here’s the ballot for the final, running until 8 a.m. EDT on Monday, April 22! By Corey Ryan Earle ’07 From our 32 contenders in week one, we have now narrowed down the field to just eight iconic Cornell traditions. Last week, more than 1,100 voters made some tough decisions and gave the boot to several of the Big Red’s most unique experiences. In an extremely close matchup, “Watching the sunset on Libe Slope” defeated “Singing the Alma Mater with your arms around your friends” by only 21 votes! In fact, music has been eliminated from the bracket entirely, with the last two tuneful options losing. “Hanging out with friends on Slope Day” beat “Climbing to the top of McGraw Tower for a Chimes concert,” 65% to 35%, and “Savoring a late-night snack at Louie’s Lunch (or Hot Truck)” overcame “Seeing a world-renowned speaker or performance at Barton Hall,” 69% to 31%. Weather events performed surprisingly well, with “Dressing completely wrong for the Ithaca weather” outpacing “Strolling around Beebe Lake,” 53% to 47%, and “Trudging to class through the snow” conquering “Passing the swim test,” 64% to 36%. In the battle of deliciousness, ice cream vanquished alcohol, with “Eating ice cream at the Dairy Bar” winning over “Sipping a glass in Intro to Wines,” 61% to 39%. In the battle of deliciousness, ice cream vanquished alcohol, with “Eating ice cream at the Dairy Bar” winning over “Sipping a glass in Intro to Wines.” But the most one-sided matchup was hockey vs. dragons in a week that saw the Cornell community celebrating both of them. “Cheering for Big Red hockey at Lynah Rink” trounced “Marching in the Dragon Day parade,” 79% to 21%—in the same week that Cornell Big Red men’s hockey advanced to and lost in the NCAA regional finals, with the games played on the day before and after the traditional Dragon Day celebration on campus. Our next four match-ups are below, helping identify the final four iconic Cornell traditions. Who will advance? You decide. Puff! The dragon fell to Big Red hockey by a wide margin. (Cornell University) As a reminder, here are the basics: • Voting occurs weekly in a series of matchups until we reach the championship final, with championship voting opening on April 15. • The third bracket of four pairs is below, and you can download the full bracket here: Corey’s March Madness Bracket 2024: Round 3 • Round Three voting runs from now until 8 a.m. EDT on Monday, April 8. • Look for the results—and the next round of match-ups—that afternoon! Corey’s March Madness: Cornell Traditions, Round 3Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.1)Hanging out with friends on Slope DayCheering for Big Red hockey at Lynah Rink2)Watching the sunset on Libe SlopeEating ice cream at the Dairy Bar3)Trudging to class through the snowSavoring a late-night snack at Louie’s Lunch (or Hot Truck)4)Dressing completely wrong for the Ithaca weatherCommiserating—or celebrating—with a friend at a Collegetown barSubmit Published April 1, 2024 Comments Allen 1 Apr, 2024 Thank you Corey! CU March (April) Madness! Reply Rich Newman, Class of 1968 2 Apr, 2024 No comment Reply Bill Howell, Class of 1969 7 Apr, 2024 Hello Rich, loyal Phi Sig brother, as were your brothers. Ready to watch the eclipse ? Reply Jeffrey L Cornett, Class of 1972 2 Apr, 2024 I remember waiting in line in Barton Hall to sign up for classes. That’s also where the crew team recruited tall guys (and short ones) to come try out for crew. Reply Robert Blair Rice, Class of 1973 7 Apr, 2024 I remember it well and I remember you. I was a lightweight when you were driving the heavies! Reply Cindy Duke 2 Apr, 2024 Can’t remember which bar it was, but this place held weekly hamster races. Way too much fun, especially after a couple rounds of refreshments! Also, playing Broomstick Polo as the pre-game and half-time “entertainment” for the regular polo games. Note: It was a very low-scoring game. Reply John Dwyer, Class of 1964 2 Apr, 2024 I remember failing the prelim,don’t recall the ace the next part. Reply Kshama Malavalli, Class of 2022 3 Apr, 2024 Some things really are universal… Reply Kenyon Erickson, Class of 1981 2 Apr, 2024 Fall Tonic!!! Reply Ian Wright, Class of 1994 4 Apr, 2024 Just crown Hockey now (this should have been the final with Slope Day)! Are there any bars left in Collegetown? Same problem with Hot Truck (Louie’s always seemed a distant second option)… Dairy Bar is more of a 21st Century tradition and sunsets are spectacular everywhere (except when it’s “Ithacating”). Reply Chuck Pearson, Class of 1969 7 Apr, 2024 I frequently had an ice cream sundae for lunch at the Dairy Bar in the late 60s. Reply Kim Fisher, Class of 2006 2 Apr, 2024 Don’t make me choose between Slope Day and hockey! Reply Mike Craine, Class of 1994 4 Apr, 2024 You can’t put hockey and Slope Day in the same bracket… That’s not fair!! Reply Bruce Kirsch, Class of 1970 7 Apr, 2024 I remember the many cold nights being able to stand inside the Truck waiting for my MBC on garlic bread. Reply Judith Harvey, Class of 1966 7 Apr, 2024 Many of us did not have the money for Louie’s or College Town in the days of cash. Maybe an ice cream once a week – which was definitely there in the 1960’s and before. Interesting that someone else remembers how we women were reduced to play broomstick ice hockey and broomstick polo as ‘entertainment’ at the men’s competitions in the pre-Title IX era. Reply RICHARD GIBSON, Class of 1968 7 Apr, 2024 Meeting at Jim’s Chapter House after studying or any other reason. Reply Carolyn Rogers, Class of 1959 7 Apr, 2024 How about young co-eds being asked to ‘watch the submarine races’ ploy? Reply Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ Other stories You may like Alumni Acclaimed Horror Writer Forges Bright Paths Through Dark Worlds Ask the Expert Keeping Pets Safe During the Dog Days of Summer Quizzes & Puzzles Cornellian Crossword: ‘Ithaca Is … Summer!’