Well Said
The Cornell College Spotify Wrapped [year in review] just dropped. We love looking back on these (completely accurate) statistics!
Cornell Facebook page, Dec. 7, 2024
KRNL: A powerful 13 watts
I was looking through the fall report and the article on KRNL caught my eye. It may have broadcast on only 13 watts, but it was a powerful 13 watts. I was home in the early 1970s at my brother’s house outside of Mediapolis, Iowa, and we were able to pick it up. That is about 75 miles away, as the crow flies. The signal was faint, but still quite audible. I am glad to hear that it is streaming now.
Rodney Black ’73
Louisville, Colorado
Below are excerpts from recordings sent by KRNL DJs. Hear their full recordings.
“I remember on Friday afternoons I’d put a side of the Allman Brothers on and then run over and throw the frisbee between Dows and Tarr halls. People had their speakers in the windows and everybody was listening to the tunes. Then I’d run back and resume my show.”
Randall W. Parkinson ’79
Melbourne, Florida
“When I was in high school in the mid-1970s, I was somehow able to do a radio show at KRNL. My musical tastes were kind of eclectic—I’d play the folk singer Phil Ochs back to back with Pink Floyd … It got me started in what has become a lifelong love of all things to do with radio.”
Dan Bern, recording artist and son of Cornell piano professor Julian Bern
Silver City, New Mexico
“My show was music from Broadway musicals. But I did not just play songs randomly. I played all the songs from a given musical in order, and in between the songs I summarized the plot that happened between the songs … I ended up doing a personal favorite show where I gave mythical awards in categories that I made up, then played the winning song.”
Rick Kirkham ’77
Bellevue, Washington
Another great roommate selection
I arrived at Cornell in the fall of 1973 eager to meet my roommate, Liz Fulton ’77. We had exchanged a few letters and a phone call or two, but we were, at that time, strangers. We quickly realized we had a lot in common and struck up a friendship that continues to this day. We served as resident advisers, enjoyed campus life, taught together on the Urban Education Program in Chicago, traveled across Europe, and shared many important events in our lives. I am so grateful for our friendship and the many Cornell memories we hold near and dear.
Shelley Paulson Carey ’77
Carmel, Indiana
Cornellians’ hopes for 2025
My wish is that the peace that I experienced at Ink Pond on campus between 1970–1974 permeates in the lives of our elected officials so that civil discourse becomes more civil.
Fleming J. El-Amin ’75
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
My wish for the next quarter-century is that we, each in our own way, do the hard work to help bridge the cavernous cultural and political divide that has shredded our nation’s civic life during the past quarter-century.
Allan J. Ruter ’76
Glenview, Illinois
My wish for Cornell is to hold fast to educational excellence, diversity on campus, and the preparation for students to graduate with the intent to continue lifelong learning and critical thinking in their lives.
Jane Welgos Sidwell ’69
Beaufort, South Carolina
Magazine sparks hope
How nice it is to still see editor Dee Ann Rexroat ’82’s ever-presence in the foundation of Cornell, giving legacy and connection to our wonderful past.
When a spark connects us to memories that layer on to hope and optimism for the world at large, well that’s a special place to find ourselves. The fall Cornell Report was that beacon to a time long ago when I began to discover the contrasts between the ocean and faster life that had been home, to the small town and open air of Cornell. The story of “The Lunch Crew,” lots of photos—people I knew or who feel familiar through shared experience, the “Hopes for 2025,” and the straightforward highlighting of identity made for a feel-good read that was anchoring to my sensibilities.
Thank you for what seemed like a more progressive publication, that was open about who Cornell is, imparting a more vulnerable and intimate connection to its readers.
Dawn Bell Solich ’81
Littleton, Colorado
In response to Cornell report-related posts on:
How teams get to their games—with a photo of a team boarding a Windstar Lines bus
Douglas Mehlan ’72: I remember the Rambler bus … this is an upgrade.
Erik Hansen ’89: We were happy to ride to tennis meets in a 1982 Ford van.
Ulysses the mascot’s 75th birthday
Allan J. Ruter ’76: In the mid-1970s when we were on campus, Ulysses the mascot was Ulysses an actual ram, cared for by local postmaster and gardener John Moser, husband of the legendary Beverly Moser in the Alumni Office.
Steve Palmquist ’76: I remember him well (Ulysses, not John). He was an avid football fan, watching all games from the end zone. I think he wore some sort of coat/blanket, purple of course.
Be part of the conversation
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