Do you dread getting asked, “Where do you go to school?” because you know once you answer, you are guaranteed to hear the same slew of classic jokes and stereotypical comments? Same. If Cornell students each got a penny every time they heard the following questions, boy, we would all be swimming in pennies. Here are the top five things people say when they hear your blood flows Big Red:
- “Isn’t it really cold?”
Don’t ask us that. Odds are that you already know the answer: it’s freezing! They might follow up by asking how you handle the cold. It’s not like we handle it in Ithaca any differently than everybody else. (The key is doubling up on socks, though.)
2. “That’s in the middle of nowhere, right?”
People who think there’s nothing to do in Ithaca have never been to AppleFest in the Commons or the Ithaca Farmers Market. However, Ithaca is a little bit in the middle of nowhere. It’s true that the Ithaca airport only flies to three locations and that Cornell students typically drive to Syracuse for a good mall.
3. “Oh, the worst Ivy!”
For some reason, people seem to love this one. It’s usually one of those jokes you get at an extended family dinner, and everyone gets a kick out of it. You usually just give a quick, awkward laugh, and move on. We are not the worst Ivy, but it’s not worth the argument.
4. “You guys have cows up there or something…?”
Four words: DAIRY. BAR. ICE. CREAM.
5. “Do you really need to pass a swim test?”
Yes, you heard right. We need to explain that actually, you do need to get across that pool in Helen Newman three times to graduate. You would think it would be enough to take Econ, Calc, or Ogo, but think again. Picture perfect: it’s freshmen O-week; everyone you don’t know is watching you, and some people are turning it into a race. Quite the show, to say the least!
P.S. Yes, it did take me 3 tries to pass :)
