150th Anniversary Alumni Survey Results

The 150th Commemorative Geneseo Glossary of Terms is located at the bottom of this page.

  • Favorite Academic Building

Sturges Hall

With over 58% of alumni votes, the winner is: Sturges Hall (58.8%)

  • Welles Hall (17.6%)
  • Brodie Hall (10.1%)

 

  • Best of Geneseo's Local Dining - Then & Now

    • Favorite Current Restaurant:

      • Aunt Cookies Sub Shop (>51% of your votes)
      • Mama Mia's (>22% of your votes)

    • Favorite Restaurant of All-Time (Then & Now):

      • Aunt Cookies Sub Shop (22%)
      • Geneseo Family Restaurant (GFR) (16%)
      • Vital Spot (12%)
      • Club 41 (7%)

    • Favorite Geneseo Food Memories:

Favorite foods in general

chicken wings
beef on weck
anything from the Hot Dog Cart (street meat) that used to serve outside the Vital/IB
We received lots of very specific Aunt Cookie sub orders 😊

Main Street Favorites

IB: chicken wings, French bread pizza
Omega: breakfast (for $1.99)
Bank Street Cafe: pancakes
Mama Mia’s: slice (with or without bleu cheese)
   and eaten after the bars closed while sitting on the curb on Main Street
Main Moon: General Tso’s Chicken (leftovers for breakfast)
GFR: frittata, breakfast sandwich, or gyro
Pizza Paul’s: subzone or Paul’s Balls
U-Hots: garbage plate
Vital Spot: waffle fries

Dining hall favorites

Hot, barely cooked, chocolate chip cookies rolled out at the Hub or the Union
added detail, may alumni remembered how they called out your name to pick-up your food order at the Hub
Friday night subs and waffle bar at Letchworth
Cube steaks at the Union
Subs and Suds

  • Technology with the biggest impact on the student experience?

    With over 54% of alumni votes, the winner is: the Internet (54.8%)

    • Computers (26.2%)
    • Cell Phone & Other (7.1% each)
    • Zoom/Online Classes (4.8%)

  • Best of Your Geneseo Education

Best Professor You Ever Had (at Geneseo) -- the following professors were listed:

Annala
Cook
Derby
Doan
Fink
Fletcher
Gohlman
Greenfield
Harrigan
Hazeltine
Heap
Janosik
Kimball
Kreider
Kruger
Mahood
Marozas
Mott
O’Donnell
Padalino
Reid
Rogers
Roz
Towsley
West
Winrock
Yob

Best Book You Read (while studying at Geneseo) -- the following books were listed:

A Way of Being
A Hitchcock Reader
Age of Reform
American Political Tradition
Beloved
Biography of Andrew Carnegie
Capitalism & Freedom
Dante’s Inferno
Homer
Kafka's Metamorphosis
Modern Physics
Night by Elie Weisel
The Bell Jar
The Odyssey
The Prince by Machiavelli
The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvior
The Women Who Knew Too Much

[OPTIONAL] If you knew then what you know now -- what would you do different:
  • Get more enjoyment from electives
  • I might have continued to pursue more with music. I also would have taken special education as part of my program.
  • I would get more involved in student life.
  • I would have taken more electives outside of my major (Biology).
  • I would study abroad more!
  • I would try to get more enjoyment from electives or gen ed requirements that seemed like such a chore at the time. It took until my senior year for me to really appreciate an elective and it turned out to be one of my favorite classes.
  • I wouldn't have done a concentration in math...I didn't use it, and now that level of math is but a distant memory.
  • No (I wouldn't do anything different)
  • No. I would do it exactly as I did, which was going undeclared during my sophomore year and taking something from almost every discipline before going back to my original plan. I learned a lot and never questioned my career choice once I explored all the rest.
  • Would take Accounting and Economics
  • Yes! I would. I would study Elementary Education and become an art teacher OR major in Art History and work for a large auction house in NY
  • Yes!! 

  • Why did you (our alumni) pick Geneseo?

  • Alumni Survey: Extracurricular Activities

    • 100% of respondents answered the question "If given the chance to do it all over again, would you join the same student club/team/organization again?" with "yes, absolutely" or "yes, for the most part."
      • The majority of the "yes, for the most part" respondents indicated that the only thing they would do differently is join their club/team/organization sooner!
Below is a sample of survey responses to the question: Tell us how your involvement in a particular extracurricular changed your student experience and how it has affected your life as an alum?

 

  • Participation fostered relationships and friendships that remain strong years after our time at Geneseo has ended.
  • Gave me the chance to meet people I ordinarily wouldn't have met in my regular classes or core circle of friends from the dorm.
  • I made lifelong friends, learned skills I am still using to this day. I made incredible memories of my time at Geneseo. I'd do it all again in a minute!
  • Gave me a group of lifelong friends that completely enhanced my student experience and it is through those friendships and association with that I stay connected with Geneseo nearly 25 years after I graduated.
  • I am also still close friends with several of my teammates nearly 25 years after graduation.  We continue to network and support one another personally and professionally.  
  • Met my best friends including all my groomsmen.
  • Made life-long friends!
  • I now have lifelong friends all over the world. It has been so much more of a fruitful experience than I ever dreamed of!
  • As an alum, it's the primary aspect of Geneseo that I still track.
  • The team gave me confidence, taught me the value of true teammates, and gave me lifelong friends.
  • My connections helped me obtain my 1st job out of college and I've enjoyed meeting up with former teammates as I've moved several places throughout the Northeast.
  • Joining completely changed my college experience. It was the first time I truly felt like I belonged.
  • I do not think I would reflect on Geneseo with such fondness had I not joined.
  • Taught me confidence and leadership skills. The friends I made there are my best friends to this day.
  • Where I found family, passion, something bigger than myself. I am still friends with many of my teammates to this day, especially a close group of 9 of us that chat regularly and try to get together at least once a year.  My life would not be the same had I not swallowed my anxiety and ventured out onto the pitch that cold spring day my freshman year.
  • Helped me find my family and self-confidence at Geneseo.
  • Taught me positive life-long lessons in teamwork and perseverance. We supported each other in life, academics, as well as on the field. I met my wife on the team as well. We have been together now 18 years and are raising 3 children and have been foster parents to many more.
  • Helped me feel invested in the Geneseo community. I formed incredible friendships, practiced self-care, and boosted my wellness through the sport, and developed competencies for leadership and teamwork.
  • Gave me the family I really needed during college. It helped me feel like I was a part of something when I felt alone. Without this organization I would have likely dropped out of school.
  • Friendships, opportunities to be engaged in something on campus, pride!
  • The friendships made have lasted over 50 years. I still count my club friends among my best friends and we get together as often as we can.  
  • Defined my Geneseo experience. It helped me make friends for life, learn how to live on my own, get involved in community service, practice leadership and have fun. My sisters are still a very important part of my life.
  • A few weeks into my Geneseo life as a 17-year-old freshman, I attended a meeting // they were looking for someone to chair a committee. I applied and got the position. I realized in just a few short months my passion for student life, and it's driven everything for me, personally and professionally, since then.
  • Showed me how rewarding it is to try something new. I joined in the Fall of my Freshman year, and I met my best friend. Memories that will last a lifetime. I couldn’t imagine what my time at Geneseo would have been like had I not joined.
  • It was my family and made Geneseo my home. It got me through some of the lowest days of my life and were there to celebrate with me on the best days.
  • My closest friends are the girls I met when I was a member. Being involved in a Greek organization was the center of my Geneseo experience and helped form life-long friendships which have continued to this day. My student experience was richer because of these relationships and my continued interest in being connected to Geneseo is directly related to those same relationships formed in the late 80’s.
  • Many of my sisters are still my closest friends. We get together whenever possible and our children grew up together. Our now teenage children communicate through social media and text daily.My chapter created a family for me and future generations. Our network of alumni is like having your very own cheering section for all facets of your life.
  • Joining was the best decision I ever made.  It gave me a second home at Geneseo and I am still friends with many sisters today.  We had a softball team for 25 years and now have a yearly retirement tour trip. We also have monthly activities and book clubs, it doesn’t feel like it’s been over 30 years since we were at Geneseo.
  • Has given me some of my best friends in life. We have been through marriage, divorce, birth, death, tragedy, and joy together. I cannot imagine how some of those events would have been without my sisters there to support and cheer me on.
  • It was the single most profound thing I did at Geneseo. It was my social life, taught me how to manage many facets of life, and gave me huge networking benefits in my career.  It continues to be a huge part of my alumni life as fellow members from 1987-1992 continue to be my very best friends after all these years. We have several get-togethers throughout the year, every year.

  • Alumni Survey: Best of Geneseo Living

Favorite Residence Hall

  • Wyoming Hall -- 18%
  • Onondaga Hall -- 15%
  • Ontario Hall -- 9%
  • Livingston and Monroe Hall -- 8% each
  • Saratoga Terrace -- 8%
  • Seneca Hall -- 6%
  • Allegany, Erie, Genesee and Jones Hall -- 5%

Favorite off-campus addresses: 

  1. Court Street
  2. Center Street
  3. Wadsworth Street
  4. Main Street and Meadows                         

       

  • Alumni Survey: 150th Commemorative Geneseo Glossary of Terms

Campus Buildings / Venues / Icons
  • MacVittie College Union
    • Ballroom
    • Fireside Lounge
    • Hunt Room
    • MOSAIC
    • Mail Room
    • Bookstore
    • Starbucks / Corner Pocket
  • Sturges Hall
    • Clocktower / Carillon
    • Sturges Aud
    • Sturges Quad (the Quad)
  • Milne Library
  • Fraser
  • Blake Hall (Blake A, B, C, D, E) 
    • Blake A - former Student Union, Hub, Knight Spot / now - Multicultural Center
  • Bailey Hall
  • Erwin Hall
  • Greene Hall
  • Integrated Science Center (ISC)
  • Welles Hall
  • Doty Hall
  • Brodie Hall
  • Newton Hall
  • South Hall
  • Merritt Athletic Center
    • Kuhl Gym
    • Ira S. Wilson Ice Arena (The Ira)
    • Merritt Pool
  • Schrader Hall / Schrader Gym
  • College Green
  • Interfaith Center
  • Campus House
  • Roemer Arboretum
  • Gazebo
  • Seuss Spruce
  • Greek Tree / Painted Tree

Former

  • McClellan House
  • Roemer House
  • Old Main
Campus Slang
  • NCAA Athletics Mascot - Knights
    • Ice Hockey - Ice Knights
    • Swim/Dive - Blue Wave
  • Mascot Name - Victor E. Knight (formerly Sir Winsalot)
  • Club sport mascots:
    • Baseball - Mudcats
    • Rugby - Warthogs
  • Humanities 1 and 2 (or "Hum" 1 and 2)
  • Rush / Rushing (Greek organization recruitment)
  • Pledge / Pledging (Greek organization new member education process)
  • GSTV
  • Cram Jam
  • Study Day
  • Morgue Hours
  • Primal Screams

Featured on Geneseo Traditions playing cards:

  • Broomball
  • The Tundra
  • Cardiac Hill
  • The Fountain / The Bear / Emmeline
  • Student acapella groups: Southside Boys, Exit 8, Emmelodics, Hips 'n Harmony
  • First Knight
  • Traying
  • Midknight Breakfast
  • Student Association
  • WGSU
  • The Lamron
  • Oh-Ha-Daih
  • GOLD
  • GREAT Day 
Dining Halls
  • 1871 Cafe (snack bar located in Fraser)
  • Letchworth Dining Complex (Letch)
  • Mary Jemison Dining Hall (MJ)
  • Red Jacked Dining Hall (RJ)

Former Dining Facilities

  • Books and Bytes (snack bar located in Milne Library)
  • College Union Snack Bar / Fusion
  • The Hub (then The Knight Spot, now Multicultural Center)

Vendor - Campus Auxiliary Services (often referred to as C.A.S. or Cass)

On Campus Living

Residence Halls

  • Central Campus
    • Jones Hall
    • Livingston Hall
    • Monroe Hall
    • Steuben Hall
  • North Campus
    • Allegany Hall
    • Erie Hall
    • Genesee Hall
    • Ontario Hall
    • Wyoming Hall
    • Putnam Hall
    • Seneca Hall
  • South Campus
    • Nassau Hall
    • Niagara Hall
    • Onondaga Hall
    • Suffolk Hall
    • Wayne Hall
  • Saratoga Terrace Townhouses

Former Residence Halls:

  • Blake Hall (Blake A, B, C, D, E)
Off Campus Living
  • Court Street
  • Wadsworth Street
  • Orchard Street
  • Second Street
  • Center Street
  • The Meadows
  • Courtside Apartments
  • Ambassador Apartments
Notable Names

College Presidents:

  • Denise Battles (current)
  • Carol Long
  • Christopher Dahl
  • Carol Harter
  • Edward Jakubauskas
  • Robert MacVittie

 

Popular / Well-Known Faculty & Staff

Popular / Well-Known Locals / Community Members

 

Alumni - submit your additions here: https://bit.ly/150thGlossaryAlumSubmissions

Local Hot Spots

Current

  • Aunt Cookies Sub Shop
  • Mama Mia's Pizzeria
  • Pizza Paul's 
  • Giovanna's
  • Crickets
  • Sweet Arts
  • Finger Lakes Cookie Company
  • Euro Cafe
  • Main Moon
  • The Twins
  • Intermissions
  • Idle Hour (Idle)
  • Kelly's Saloon
  • Bar-Eat-O
  • Dublin Corners
  • The Village Tavern

Former

  • The Inn Between (IB)
  • The Vital Spot (Vital)
  • Gentleman Jim's (GJ's)
  • Rathskeller (Rat)
  • Muddy Waters
  • Omega Grill
  • Geneseo Family Restaurant (GFR)
  • Bronze Bear
  • China House
  • Villa on the Green
  • Jack Carr's
  • Pizza Land
  • Donut Shop
  • Miceli's Deli
  • The Statesman
  • Palace Lounge
  • Fat Augie's
  • Uncle Waldo's

Alumni - submit your additions here: https://bit.ly/150thGlossaryAlumSubmissions

Regional Lingo
  • Rochester (Roch, "the city")
  • Mt. Morris
  • Letchworth State Park
  • Wegmans (Wegs, Weggies)
  • Walmart (Wally World)
  • Genesee River
  • Genesee Valley
  • Route 63, Route 390

Local terms we pronounce in an unusual way:

  • Avon
  • Chili

Alumni - submit your additions here: https://bit.ly/150thGlossaryAlumSubmissions

Alumni Submissions

Alumni - submit your responses here: https://bit.ly/150thGlossaryAlumSubmissions