Cornelliana ‘Waffle Stompers’ and Mini Fridges: What You Brought to the Hill Stories You May Like Move-In ’24 in Photos: The Hill Welcomes Our Newest Cornellians The Swim Test: A (Wet) Rite of Passage for Undergrads Remember Arriving on Campus? Now, Move-In Is a Major Event We asked for memories of how you feathered your Cornell nests—and learned that some favorites endure through decades Editor's note: Most of the images accompanying this feature were discovered on long-unseen slides, dating from the 1960s–80s, in the University Archives; Cornellians is showcasing many of them in a series of recent and upcoming stories. By Joe Wilensky Suzanne Tougas Snedeker ’78 vividly recalls the vehicle that brought her to campus in fall 1974: her father’s 1963 Ford Galaxie 500, whose trunk was “immense.” It transported the belongings destined for her room in U-Hall 4, including a desk lamp, clock radio, and electric typewriter. The items were cleverly packed into two long, narrow boxes that could then be stored underneath her bed. But, she says, even more memorable was what her dad sent her shortly after she moved in. Since her dining plan included only 10 meals a week, he fashioned a small stand to hold her toaster oven, with a curtained storage area underneath for nonperishables. And—balking at the cost of renting a dorm fridge—her dad bought her one. It was, she says, “a beautiful, cube-shaped, Italian-made Avanti refrigerator that I still have.” ProvidedKatherine Kerr ’96 says of her freshman dorm-room desk: “The stereo and CDs were the most important things.” With a new crop of students settling into their lives on the Hill, Cornellians asked alumni to share what essential items they brought to campus—whether as wide-eyed first-years or seasoned upperclassmen. Naturally, some commonly cited objects were specific to the era. (We’re looking at you, 8-tracks and slide rules.) But some universal responses echoed through the generations: music players (regardless of media); productivity tools (be they typewriters, word processors, or laptops); fans; bikes; photos of family and friends; and—unsurprisingly—outerwear to cope with the Ithaca weather. “My Panasonic stereo set and electric Smith Corona typewriter were non-negotiables!” says Paula Griffin Davis ’76. “And of course a box of LPs: Brandenburg concertos were wonderful to have in the background for writing papers, as Beethoven was much too distracting.” As some alumni noted, students in earlier eras had little guidance about what to bring—or even much help to haul it in their dorms. But eventually, a formal system took root. My Panasonic stereo set and electric Smith Corona typewriter were non-negotiables! Paula Griffin Davis ’76 “If you have the least doubt as to whether or not you should bring something with you, bring it,” implored an early ’70s edition of the Cornell Desk Book, published by the New Student Orientation Committee. “If you find you have no room for it, send it back with your parents, throw it out, or mail it to a needy person somewhere.” The guide went on to list the must-haves that can “change a dorm room from a cell to a home”: “A small rug, extension cords, large flat wall hooks, picture wire, electric blankets, extra pillows, radios, hi-fi’s, squirt guns, a small refrigerator if you’re rich, typewriters, lots of walking shoes, lots of clothes, and as many pairs of underwear and socks as possible—no one likes the inside of a laundromat.” Taking that sort of advice to heart, Michelle Sens Novo ’79 recalls packing “every square inch” of her ’74 hatchback Buick Apollo for her yearly moves to Ithaca. As she laments in hindsight: “Everything was so bulky in the ’70s!” Everything was so bulky in the ’70s! Michelle Sens Novo ’79 Among the load: a stereo system (complete with “knee-high speakers”), two boxes of albums, a manual typewriter, a portable TV, transistor and clock radios, area rugs, a desk lamp, some textbooks, two trunks of winter clothes, bedding, wall decor, and houseplants. “The only room left in the car was the driver’s seat,” she admits, “and I was lucky if I could see out my rearview mirror.” For some alumni, the move to campus constituted a bit of a culture shock—as they absorbed how much (or how relatively little) their peers had brought along. When Alexandra Swiecicki Fairfield ’79, PhD ’85, matriculated on the Hill, her father helped her settle into Dickson with just a suitcase of clothes, a backpack of books, and a single box. The latter, she says, “contained my worldly possessions: a small carpet, two sets of linens, and a very illegal hot plate.” She remembers being astounded to see her classmates laden with housewares and myriad other items—and came to understand that her spartan approach was inherited from her parents, who had been refugees in post-World War II Europe. “But I realized their bare-bones experience was not my reality,” she says. “As the semester began, I spent weekends acquiring those items that eventually turned my room into a comfy ‘home away from home.’” Read on for a sampling of memories—enough, perhaps, to fill a ’70s station wagon. And add your own in the comments! “A laundry box. There were no laundry facilities in the newly built freshman dorm, so we had to pack it up and mail it home for Mom to wash and mail back.” — Caroline Mulford Owens ’53 “A mini rack stereo system with dual cassette deck and CD player; hilariously large desktop computer (IBM 386SX); window fan; and skis (for Greek Peak and Libe Slope).” — Andy Yang ’95 Stories You May Like Move-In ’24 in Photos: The Hill Welcomes Our Newest Cornellians The Swim Test: A (Wet) Rite of Passage for Undergrads “We were told to bring a plastic beach pail full of toiletries, since we had to carry our stuff back and forth to the bathroom from our rooms daily. Also, a big back pillow with arms to study on the bed, and at least one or two gowns for fraternity/sorority formals.” — Karen Wilk Rubin ’78 A word processor was essential! Scott Lyons ’97 “My 33rpm record player and Dionne Warwick collection; madras bedspread; purple throw rug; leather boots (I discovered L.L. Bean after the first snowstorm); vintage fur coat; hair grooming supplies (went natural the second year). All in a trunk, transported by bus to Ithaca.” — Stephanie Bell Hill ’71, BFA ’72 “I arrived with my bicycle, a trunk filled with wool sweaters, and a ‘hot pot,’ for making ramen and soup. I remember having to register my bike with the City of Ithaca. I still have that bike (a 1983 Motobecane) with its registration sticker and Cap’n Crunch reflector from a box of cereal in the dining hall!” — Susan Ellis Koch ’88 “I brought a turntable, speakers, a tuner/amp, and an 8-track player I’d had since eighth grade—along with a stack of tapes (Neil Young’s Harvest and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s 4 Way Street are the only ones I remember).” — Dawn Cassie ’78 “I received a letter from my freshman roommate, describing what she was bringing for our room in Sheldon Court. Between the two of us we brought milk crates to store clothes, two portable stereos (mine with a CD player—very new then!), a paper lantern, netting to go over her bed, candles, my Snoopy telephone, tarot cards, a typewriter, and lots of stationery and stamps.” — Jennifer Leeds ’91 “My Laura Ashley comforter and a Georgia O’Keeffe poster for Mary Donlon Hall. Tina Hu ’92, MEng ’96, was my roommate, and we wrote letters to decide who brought what.” — Kelly O’Brien Fairley ’92 “What a female freshman brought in fall 1965: manual typewriter, toiletries, clothes. Not even a hair dryer.” — Ann Sullivan ’69 My beloved box fan. Shaun D’Souza ’03 “My microfridge! I used it all four years. My dorm and suitemates used it for late-night snacks.” — Lyndsie Collis ’14 “I was grateful to have: umbrella (for rain, snow, and ‘Ithacation’); electric teapot (so many simple beverages and foods can be created using boiling water!); and paper towels for cooking, drying off, cleaning, and hundreds of other uses!” — Lorri Lofvers ’78 “My room in Founders Hall was completely furnished, including maid service. I only brought my clothes and trusty slide rule.” — Chas Hunt ’68 “The air-popper popcorn maker with the metal tray for melting butter—that was a hit. I had a single in Dickson and other girls word come over. Also popular was my phone with a speakerphone and built-in answering machine.” — Kathleen Dillon Carroll ’85, MBA ’86 “Every semester, I brought a plug-in kettle to boil water and make tea.” — Maria Gorodetskaya ’05, BArch ’09 “There were two items essential to Cornell survival, particularly in winter. First, we all packed a pair of what we affectionately called ‘waffle stompers,’ so named for the deep tread. We women wore these ankle-high boots to trudge through a snow-covered campus. Second was an olive green or navy blue parka, with faux fur-trimmed hood, from the Army/Navy store. The height of fashion!” — Kathryn Gabinet-Kroo ’75 “I drove directly from Fort Knox, KY, after my two years of compulsory service. I had very little with me: uniforms and fatigues with black field boots, a couple of pairs of jeans, and some other civilian clothes.” — Kevin O’Grady, MPA ’76 “I packed a hot plate and one dish, bowl, fork, spoon, plate, etc. Mom suggested I take two of each utensil. I wondered why. Her response was that maybe I would invite a friend who would bring their plate over.” — Richard Stein ’75, DVM ’79 “I brought my clothes, a clock radio, a red raincoat, some towels, and not much else. I used the raincoat a lot that fall.” — Joanne Wilson Wietgrefe ’54 “I brought only what fit in the trunk of my father’s car. I recall prioritizing a dictionary, typewriter, and picture cube with snapshots of my friends and family. All were destroyed when my Stewart Avenue rooming house burned down over Christmas vacation. I remember rushing home after finals, leaving my dirty laundry behind—and later feeling some small consolation that I hadn’t wasted time washing and folding it before it went up in flames.” — David Freed ’75 All photos courtesy of Rare and Manuscript Collections, unless indicated. Published August 30, 2024 What do you remember bringing to Cornell? Comments Joaquin Barallat, Class of 1985 3 Sep, 2024 Portable TV, winter clothing, golf clubs and horse riding gear. All the rest: car, bike, furniture, bedding, etc bought it used in Ithaca. Reply Steven Ludsin, Class of 1970 3 Sep, 2024 I remembered my extensive wardrobe since I worked in a Clothing Store in Passaic, New Jersey which enabled me to get discounts for my Byford V Neck sweaters and Gant Shirts to stay warm. I also remember feeling lost without a car which was not encouraged, but the cold weather reminded me I needed my wheels. My father blessed me with my mother’s Pontiac Grand Prix. Reply Carol Wiley Bossard, Class of 1964 3 Sep, 2024 Dorms were furnished very well while I was at Cornell — especially Balch. So I brought very little; my radio, my clothes and a few books for light reading. Reply Marco Di Capua, Class of 1965 3 Sep, 2024 Class of ‘65 came as a foreign student from Ecuador to Mennen Hall. Brought only the clothes that would fit within the 44-pound luggage allowance for airline travel. I did bring a lightweight Swiss made portable Hermes typewriter. I purchased a laundry rack that my fellow dormers ridiculed and some contraption for stretching to dry chinos. My family then sent a small foot trunk with winter clothes: sweaters. I did purchase a toggle coat for the winter. Jacket. I did purchase a toggle coat Reply Barbara Redden Leamer, Class of 1957 3 Sep, 2024 I traveled to Ithaca on the train, the Lackawanna “Phoebe Snow”, with several other incoming freshmen —a nice way to get acquainted. I did not bring much other than clothing, to Dickson 5. I roomed in a triple. One of my roommates was Olga Duntuch from Sao Paulo, Brazil. I wrote her a letter ahead of time, but since I didn’t know to send it airmail, she didn’t get it until her mother sent it on to her well into the fall semester! Reply Nancy Levine Castro, Class of 1965 15 Sep, 2024 A guitar, an LP record player, a portable manual typewriter and an immersion heater for coffee in addition to skirts and sweaters. Slacks were only allowed when the temperature was below freezing . My window sill in Dickson 5 kept my Tetra Pak milk and fetal pig for Biology 101 lab (not fresh) chilled. Reply Jenn Baker, Class of 1990 4 Oct, 2024 A brand new long wool coat , every Springsteen Album I owned , my electric typewriter, clock radio and hot pot- and my umbrella which was inverted and trashed within two weeks by the Ithaca weather! Reply T.G. Hedberg, Class of 1977 17 Sep, 2024 Columbia Graphophone (1914 vintage, found in an abandoned house on the way to Ithaca) my pet snake Anderson, two extra terraria for collections, a trusty Underwood #5 typewriter, the usual clothing and a cassette recorder for those morning lectures I particularly needed to take good notes on. Reply Lucrezia Herman, Class of 1976 18 Sep, 2024 Two suitcases of clothing (which did *not* include either hiking boots or a decent winter coat – finally acquired over Thanksgiving break), a pack of Corrasable typing paper and my Olivetti Lettera 32 typewriter (that shade of blue is still a favorite), a clock radio, a dictionary and a thesaurus, some toiletries, a collage made by a friend, and a poster of trees. That was it. Nothing else would fit in a small roof-rack-less Toyota filled with 4 people and a dog. Reply Leila Joyner Smith, Class of 1965 21 Sep, 2024 Sweaters, skirts and knee socks. a pink (courtesy of my father)Smith-Corona manual typewriter, a record player and lots of classical LP’s. In June, packed up books, bed clothes etc, in a trunk which the University stored and picked up from Dickson 5 and delivered to Risley Hall in September. Reply Shelley Winkler, Class of 1976 4 Oct, 2024 These comments bring back great memories! Fall 1972 essentials….hot water kettle, Army Navy jacket with faux fur around hood (not all that warm), overalls worn forever, that little pail for carrying toiletries to the bathroom…..Wonderful moment was when my parents relented and shipped a new Sony teak stereo system on a Greyhound bus from NE PA to Ithaca….I fell asleep to albums playing and cherished it for the next 2 decades — still have the albums! (Sold the Sony just a couple years ago.) May I just say that jeans freeze to your legs when you wear them in winter Ithacation, creating frozen legs. For decades I had dreams that I was heading back to Ithaca in the fall and couldn’t figure out which attic I had stored my stuff in over the summer! A stuff equivalent of a test dream (had those, too, for a little bit 😅)? Anyone else? Reply Susan Anderson, Class of 1961 4 Oct, 2024 Very little in those days. Manual typewriter, 2 suitcases, bedspread and blanket, some crackers! —Susan Goodspeed Anderson, Class of ’61 Reply Stuart Steck, Class of 1986 5 Oct, 2024 I brought my cello, hockey equipment, and an Smith Corona Typewriter — all of which were well used over my four years at Cornell. 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 On ‘Undercover Boss,’ a Hotelie Gets His Hands Dirty—Literally Ask the Expert Just Starting Out in Your Career? Dyson Prof Has Advice! Alumni Alum’s Bakery with a Hollywood Following Hits a Sweet Spot