‘Waffle Stompers’ and Mini Fridges: What You Brought to the Hill - Cornellians | Cornell University (2024)

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.”

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”:

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“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.’”

“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

“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?