Graduation Day Reflections

Busy people must necessarily prioritize their time commitments. Certainly those of you who set aside a few minutes (or many more) each day to read the latest Cornell hockey news and commentary have made Cornell hockey fandom a priority. So have all of you who dedicate weekend nights, vacation days and frequent flyer miles to following the team you love.

As Mitch and I noted in our final column for the Sun, we made hockey our top priority these last couple of years. At my department diploma ceremony this afternoon, my thesis advisor was kind enough to state - in front of my parents, no less - that he thought I would have graduated summa cum laude if not for all of the time I spent traveling to hockey games.

The son of an alumnus who initiated and fed my love of Cornell hockey, I had a jump on every other new student who entered campus in August 2006. I came of age as a Cornell hockey fan during the 2001-02 season, when I saw my first Cornell game away from New Haven. Beginning the following year, my father and I expanded the scope of our travels to rinks farther from home: Ithaca, Albany, Providence, Estero. When I applied early decision, I wrote my admissions essay about Cornell hockey.

But none of these factors ensured that I would continue to grow as a hockey fan once I stepped on campus. For this, I have the Big Red fan base to thank. You are the familiar faces at every game, whether in Ithaca or Hanover. I have learned much from you about Cornell and about hockey, and I hope that in the process I have earned some of your respect as well.

While we seem to be in an unfortunate period of waning student fandom, Cornell continues to have the loudest and best educated fans in the NCAA. Specifically, I thank Mitch; I knew Cornell, he knew hockey, and we learned a lot from each other. Remember, as the Potsdamites say, 14 is a girl and 29 is his boyfriend.

I cried during senior night, and I will cry again as I leave Ithaca. Although my new job and location will make it difficult to make it to many games, I look forward to once again sharing the magic of Cornell hockey with the rest of you. Just as I found my passion at Cornell within Lynah Rink, I know future students will as well.

Each semester I spent here, Cornell hockey always came first. Whether it was traveling to road games with Elie or skyping my parents at 4am in Geneva, Switzerland to watch games on TV, I prioritized hockey above the rest. I’ve written on this theme many times before, but it bears repeating one final time. Cornell hockey connects students to generations of fans and teams of years past. To all of you, whom I’ve met specifically because of Cornell hockey, thank you.

I remember my first visit to Cornell vividly well, probably because it was my on my birthday in the summer of 2003. calgARI ‘07 brought a group of our 40 closest friends to Ithaca for an afternoon away from our summer camp on Seneca Lake. I’d never even heard of Lynah Rink at the time and certainly had no idea Cornell made the Frozen Four a few months earlier.

That all changed in my second visit when I saw my first game at Lynah Rink, senior night against Union in February of 2005. Matt Moulson scored a hat trick and David McKee’s shutout bid was foiled in the final minute and half. I led my first cheer at that game too (Union College! ... “Sucks!”). I actually barely remember the game otherwise, but I will never forget the senior night ceremony. When I witnessed Lynah Rink salute players like Cook, Iggy and Knoepfli I knew I wanted to be part of this incredible community. In the fall of that year, I sent in my early decision application.

Fittingly for me, ILR graduates in Lynah Rink. There were a few moments when my attention shifted from the ceremony to the rafters, adorned with our championship banners. I chose Cornell as much for its hockey as for the academics. As I say goodbye, those two strands merge together for the culmination of four years on East Hill. I couldn’t be happier coming full circle.

I leave you with the words of Steve Worona ’70, “Cornell isn't an organization. It's a loose affiliation of independent fiefdoms united by a common hockey team.”

Thank you to both of you. I've enjoyed meeting, and getting to know you. Your Sun columns were appreciated, even mediocrity. If you can't bring up upsetting ideas, then there is no sense in being a columnist. Thanks as well for the shout out in your last column

Good luck in the rest of your endeavors. You're right, Cornell hockey will always be there to bring you back. Good times or bad, those memories stay. It's funny the things you continue to remember. For me the further away I get the more I remember the situation, and the friends; the games less so. When I lived in Boston in 1968, I remember wiring my stereo to my phone, so I could listen to a phone transmission from Ithaca of the NCAA's. The games are a blur now, my friend back in Ithaca is still with me.

Keep coming back to eLynah, thanks to Age we always have a way to communicate.

Elie, it is amazing progress that the son of a journalist came so close to graduating summa cum laude. (My govt/law prof said my senior paper on the baseball antitrust issues was not the best he received that year but it was far and away the most enjoyable to read.) Some of the sting of departing Cornell is the realization that you just completed the best four (or so) years of your life in addition to the most intense. It takes a while, sometimes a a year, to get over it.

Now you gotta repay all the money.

Elie,

Congrats to you and Mitch on surviving 4 years. I definitely enjoyed some of the more unique moments we spent together (Green Bay, Estero), and I know you'll find the time and cash for many more in the future. It's always nice finding a familiar face in the crowd, especially one with a cowbell.

Best of luck to you, and of course Lets Go Red!

Congratulations Elie and Mitch.

You guys introduced me to my first away games and are the reason that I drove to places like Estero and Hanover - I cannot thank you enough for that.

Although your days as undergrads are at an end, this is not farewell quite yet. Evident by the alumni before us, Lynah unites us all and will bring us back together.

Good luck on your endeavors and see you at the rink!

Elie and Mitch,
Thanks for the first hand perspectives you've posted over the last four years.
It's great for those of us outside of Ithaca to get the insights of those who are passionate, articulate fans following virtually every game in person.
Congratulations on graduation and best of luck in the future.
I'm sure I'll be seeing more of you guys in the future, and hopefully you'll still be enjoying Big Red hockey 40 years after graduation.
Elie - I don't know if your job will interfere with your Estero attendance streak - hope to see you there again but understand that the first year on any job can make that difficult.

jkahn
Elie and Mitch,
Thanks for the first hand perspectives you've posted over the last four years.
It's great for those of us outside of Ithaca to get the insights of those who are passionate, articulate fans following virtually every game in person.
Congratulations on graduation and best of luck in the future.
I'm sure I'll be seeing more of you guys in the future, and hopefully you'll still be enjoying Big Red hockey 40 years after graduation.
Elie - I don't know if your job will interfere with your Estero attendance streak - hope to see you there again but understand that the first year on any job can make that difficult.

Elie will have a winter vacation: he is part of the Teach for America St. Louis Corps, and last I'd heard (or stalked through facebook) Mitch will be working for a law firm. Congrats to you both, Elie and Mitch! Elie, we didn't have any classes together, but Mitch, I won't forget the ones that we did, so I'll remember you for more than just hockey fandom.

I made it to 6 games as a first year alum, and I saw you guys at each and every one of those, I hope to see you at many more.

munchkin


Elie will have a winter vacation: he is part of the Teach for America St. Louis Corps

Strategically located at one of the four 2011 regional sites, eh!

billhoward
It takes a while, sometimes a a year, to get over it.

Only a year?! I'm going on six.

Congratulations to Mitch, Elie, and the rest of the Class of 2010.

Edit: Quote box out of alignment.

jkahn

munchkin


Elie will have a winter vacation: he is part of the Teach for America St. Louis Corps

Strategically located at one of the four 2011 regional sites, eh!

Now that Elie is of age (and we don't have to beg and plead with the bouncers to let him in like we did in Grand Rapids ), he can scope out the bars for pre- and post-game.

Good luck Elie and Mitch in your post-Cornell endeavors. I hope to see you (and other ELFers) in Estero this winter.

Huge thanks to Mitch and Elie for your terrific columns in the Sun--and your massive contributions to this board. Not the least of your contributions has been your willingness to make tough judgments and ask challenging questions when need be, while always embracing, as Elie puts it, "the magic of Cornell hockey." All the best to you both. Stay in touch.

Welcome to the alumni family!

I enjoy that you both mentioned Senior Night memories and it reminds me of a Senior Night a few years back when my parents attended and during the Alma Mater circle at the end, with tears streaming down my face, my mother turned to me and said, "I get it now". Though non-Faithful sometimes have a hard time understanding our obsession, at least it's one of many common bonds that bring us together.

I can honestly say that many of my most precious friends are Faithful and like you guys thank Cornell hockey for blessing me with them.

All the best to both of you.