The Glories of a Big Red Sunset—Showcased on Instagram

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The brainchild of a current undergrad, the account celebrates East Hill’s eye-poppingly vibrant evening skies, in all seasons

By Joe Wilensky

The cornellsunset Instagram account, which features a colorful feed of gorgeous East Hill eye candy, was created by a student who’d spent his first semester longing for the real-life view.

Due to the pandemic, Julián Jaramillo ’24 studied remotely from his home in Plano, Texas, in fall 2020—and remembers seeing many social media posts by Cornellians watching Ithaca sunsets with their friends.

“When I did come to campus in spring of 2021,” the urban and regional studies major recalls, “I very much had the mindset of ‘I’m not going to miss a single sunset; I’m going to appreciate each and every one of them.’”

McGraw Tower at Cornell University at sunset.

He made up for lost time, viewing nearly every sunset that semester (weather permitting), mostly from the classic perch atop the Slope.

And he took a lot of pictures—initially planning to save them all for a massive Insta post at the end of the academic year.

But he landed on a different approach: creating an account dedicated to Big Red sunsets, viewed from various spots on campus and across the seasons.

Jaramillo made the first @cornellsunset post in February 2021; by summer 2021, he was accepting submissions from other photographers.

An orange sunset over Libe Slope at Cornell University.
A student walks with their back to the camera underneath a bright orange sunset in the sky over Cornell University.
A swirling pink sunset over the Cornell University campus.
A swirling pink sunset over Libe Slope and McGraw Tower at Cornell University.
A yellow sunset above the Cornell University campus.
Ducks swimming in Beebe Lake at Cornell University under a bright red and orange sunset.
A cloud-filled sunset with blue, pink, red, and orange layers hovers in the sky over the Cornell University campus.
A cloudy orange-and-gray sunset over Libe Slope at Cornell University.
Dozens of Cornell University students sit on Libe Slope underneath a pink-and-blue sunset.
McGraw Tower at Cornell University lit up at night with an orange sunset on the horizon.
A picture of a bright orange sunset over Cornell University taken from an elevated balcony with railings.
A cloudy pink sunset over Cornell University.
A light orange and gray sunset over Libe Slope at Cornell University.
An orange sunset against a dark blue sky over the Cornell University campus.
A cloudy gray and pink sunset at Cornell University.

The account grew, as fans tagged it in their own Instas—and it got a boost after being featured in a Daily Sun article about Cornell-themed social media accounts that had sprouted during the pandemic.

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As of May 2023, the Insta is closing in on 300 posts (some with multiple images) and has more than 6,700 followers—many on campus, but also alumni and friends around the world.

The Insta has more than 6,700 followers—many on campus, but also alumni and friends around the world.

The Slope and the classic views from its acme make up about half of the account’s fare.

The rest comprises nearly every other Big Red sunset view you can imagine—from North Campus and Beebe Lake to tucked-away slots between buildings.

Since Jaramillo is abroad this semester (in the Cornell in Rome program), he has delegated admin duties to ILR student Sam Hass ’25.

Four students gather to view and take pictures of an orange, yellow, and pink sunset at Cornell University.

“The application process was pretty much, ‘Send me your top 10 sunset pictures,’” says Hass, a hiking enthusiast who started following the account as soon as she got to campus.

So what does its creator think are the ingredients for an ideal sunset?

“I like when you see multiple colors, especially different shades of pink,” Jaramillo says.

“And for that, you don’t want it to be cloudy, but you do want some clouds that are relatively low hanging—or else there’s no contrast to the sky.”

But even more important than the logistics, he says, is the company.

“If it’s just you, you can enjoy it,” he observes. “But when you’re with friends, or you’re on the Slope and you see everyone else there—that makes for a really good sunset.”

All photos provided.

Published May 5, 2023

Comments

  1. Jack McCarthy, Class of 1968
    14 May, 2023

    Is there a way, for those of us who don’t do Instagram, to see this collection of photos?

    Reply
    • Ruth Bailey, Class of 1954
      1 Oct, 2023

      Please advise how to view sunsets without Instagram. Maybe a link in Cornellians??

      Reply
  2. Jacquelyn Kim
    16 May, 2023

    How sad that I do not recall seeing any sunsets while on campus – and admire the young students for not only noticing such beauty but also taking time to share with the rest of us.

    Reply
  3. Ruth Bailey, Class of 1954
    1 Oct, 2023

    Sunset photos are lovely. Maybe Cornellians can include a link so more of us can enjoy them.

    Reply
  4. David Harding, Class of 1972
    1 Oct, 2023

    The first line of the story has the link. Click on cornellsunset https://www.instagram.com/cornellsunset/

    Reply

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