The display board at the Cornellians booth at Homecoming 2022. Lindsay France/Cornell University

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What Does Cornell Mean to You—In Five Words or Less?

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At Homecoming, we invited alumni and students to ponder that question. Beyond our wildest expectations, they delivered

By Beth Saulnier

Sum up your feelings about your alma mater—in a mere five words or fewer. Sounds like an impossible task, right? Well … what if we bribed you with tote bags, pens, and candy?

Homecoming 2022 marked Cornellians’ first-ever appearance at the beloved annual event, held in and around Schoellkopf—our publication having launched less than a year earlier, in October 2021.

At our table within the fun-packed Fan Festival, we invited the happy hordes of alumni and current students to take up Sharpie and Post-It note, and ponder their Big Red experiences.

People filling out post-it notes at a table at Homecoming — Revelers flocked to the *Cornellians* booth. *(Noël Heaney/Cornell University)*

We titled it “Cornell, on the One Hand: What Does Cornell Mean to You, in 5 Words or Less?”

(And yes: we know that’s not strictly grammatical—but it’s punchier.)

Once the willing scribes completed their oeuvres, we added the notes to our display board—which swiftly became a gloriously crammed, neon-hued paean to Cornellian spirit.

Best years of my life!

My happy place.

Something new every day.

Everyone is welcome!

Passers-by beheld it—and some of them even got a little choked up.

A chance to pursue passions!

Surprises of all types.

Inspiration, aspiration, perspiration, excellence, family.

Greatness in everything!

Unlocking your potential.

Friendship, research, diversity.

Youth.

In total, more than 400 people participated in our thought exercise—so many that we ran out of Post-Its.

(As for our signature tote bag, whose supplies ran dry far earlier: it became Homecoming’s hottest—and most practical—accessory.)

Among those hundreds of entries, there were some common themes.

Dozens of people used variations on “friends,” “community,” “home,” “family,” or “dream.” “Grow,” “future,” and “love” made frequent appearances.

A community of caring individuals.

My place to grow.

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Good friends and good hockey.

Fulfilling a dream.

New career, new friends—Ithaca!

An illustration of the words: love, home, family, beautiful, challenging, friendship, diversity, future, growth, gorges, cold, fun, hilly, hard, new, opportunities, community, passions, exploring, red, community, dreams, best, happiness, people — Some of the most commonly used terms, weighted by frequency. *(Cornell University)*

Of course, Cornellians are wise, and they tell it like it is. No surprise, then, that some of the chillier realities of life and scholarship in Upstate New York made their appearance: “cold,” “hard,” “work,” “challenging,” “hilly.”

(And, naturally: “prelims.”)

Sleep deprivation.

Cornell classes are hard.

Coffee, prelims, Okenshields.

Hard work, blood, sweat, tears.

Good pizza, cold weather.

Inspiration aspiration perspiration excellence family

Dreams!! Opportunities adventures knowledge friends

New connections and meaningful opportunities

freedom community opportunity friendship growth

Cornell collaborations can create community!

About a dozen people went with the classic, if unoriginal, “Go Big Red!”

(Did you really mean it, or did you just want the tote bag? Either way, we’re glad you stopped by.)

And then there was this poignant scrap of paper, eloquent in its simplicity:

“Cornell,” it observed, “that says it all.”

Top: Photo by Lindsay France/Cornell University.

Published October 5, 2022