Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Big Red Barn

The Big Red Barn has served graduate students well for 25 years, and now things are starting to wear out. With support from the Graduate & Professional Student Activity Fee, we are making some technology and media upgrades to the space so students can come together and watch worldwide events such as Presidential Debates, World Cup Soccer & Cricket Tournaments and the Super Bowl, to name a few.

Yet, our funds are not enough to cover all the improvements that are needed – this is where you can help!

We need:

• A bigger bike rack that is more accessible and can accommodate the growing need for space and the new technologies in locks. $2500
• A new wood stove to warm students up when they come in from the cold, and create a soft ambiance for all who come to the Barn. It is also a popular highlight for holiday parties held in the Barn. $6500
• A new piano to bring people together through music and song. $6000

Your contribution will help us make these improvements possible.

We hope you will contribute to help make the Big Red Barn the best space it can be. Thank you to all the students, alumni and staff who have supported us over the past 25 years. We hope you will stay in touch and stay connected through Facebook.

A central meeting place for over 25 years

Twenty-five years ago, on February 6th, 1992, the Big Red Barn opened as the Graduate and Professional Student Center (GPSC), a gathering place for Cornell’s advanced degree students. Located in the heart of campus and surrounded by beautiful lawns and gardens, the Barn is a central meeting place for graduate students to eat, relax and socialize. It is the perfect place for students to meet others outside their field.

Today, the Big Red Barn (GPSC) still hosts the iconic, ever-popular T.G.I.F (Tell Grads It’s Friday), which attracts over 350 students, staff and post-docs each week.

To meet student needs, we present over 300 programs every year, from daily Grad Write-Ins to weekly Guided Meditation, Trivia Nights, and International Coffee Hour. You may remember Chocolate Fest - we still have this event but now do wine pairing with the chocolate. We have also added Speed Dating, Writing Boot Camps, TA Grading Breaks, and an Annual Faculty/Student Wine & Cheese Reception, to name a few.

Fun for all cultures and ages

The Big Red Barn has become a place for graduate students to bring their spouses/partners and children for pumpkin carving, egg coloring, Cornell Plantation events, craft projects, and Kid’s Science – when graduate students get to show off their research with hands-on learning experiences that kids love. 

The Greenhouse was fitted with picture molding and track lighting to create an exhibit space for graduate student artists - whose field is not art. We have monthly shows! 

We also partner with other student clubs and organizations to hold social networking events for graduate and professional students between different fields and disciplines such as Veterans Happy Hour, GPSA Inter-field Mixers, LBGTQ Mixers and SalsaSon Dances.

The Big Red Barn is the heart of Cornell's Ithaca campus for our graduate students and their families. Thank you for your gift to help us keep it that way for generations to come!