Over Dave Nulle’s three decade career working for the University, he became a staple of the Lynah Rink experience. Hockey players and skaters — not to mention fans — inextricably linked Nulle with the zamboni he drove and the costumes he wore, even giving him the affectionate nickname “Zamboni Dave.” But when he first came to Cornell, Nulle was simply looking for a job.

“I believe that it was almost happenstance that I became a Zamboni driver,” Nulle said. “If [Cornell] had been hiring chicken farmers at that time, my life would be totally different. It was totally happenstance that I became a Zamboni driver. I was looking for a job and they were hiring.”