Cardinal Culture at Stanford

Stanford is its own 8,180-acre town, surrounded by the towns of Palo Alto, Los Altos, Menlo Park, and Mountain View. There’s a lot going on in the greater Stanford area, but don’t worry: the Stanford campus offers so many services that you’ll hardly have to leave campus, especially freshman year. Many students ride a bike (and arrive 5 minutes late to their destination) while others walk (arriving 15 minutes late).
When you do have to burst the Stanford bubble beyond biking distance, there are many options for getting around. Don’t freak out if you don’t have a car. It’s certainly useful for some people, but not a necessity by any means. You can usually bum a ride off of someone who does own a car, take the free campus Marguerite shuttle to the downtown Palo Alto Caltrain Station, or San Antonio Shopping Center (Target, Walmart, and other large consumerist meccas). See the transportation chapter for a full list of options. The bottom line: you can probably find all of the necessities of life on campus itself, though there may be cheaper or better options off-campus. Unfortunately, because Stanford is so large, off-campus locations are not as close as might be desired.

What’s Your Word?

Lingo on the Farm

• BYO—bring your own. Sometimes used in the context of beverages, but often used for meetings and gatherings as BYOL (bring your own laptop) or BYO_______ (fill in the blank).
• The Claw—the massive fountain in front of the Bookstore. The preferred location of fountain hopping and summery gallivanting.
• CoHo—the Coffee House in Tresidder Union. It’s a favorite hangout for students and faculty alike, with crepes, paninis, and salads galore, as well as a scrumptious selection of coffee drinks. It often has student and local band performances.
• EANABs—equally attractive non-alcoholic beverages, which are required at parties.
• FloMo—Florence Moore Hall. Donor Florence Moore required that ice cream be served at every meal as a condition for her donation. Pro tip: they have amazing Indian food for Sunday dinners.
• FroSoCo—Freshman Sophomore College. An enchanted land of elusive folk, FroSoCo is an academically focused residence with about 180 students at the west end of campus. FroSoCo-ans (FroSoCoids?) are known for being somewhat more insular, but tend to have a higher-than-average representation in student groups and leadership. Hm….
  

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FroYo—frozen yogurt! With Fraiche, Pinkberry, Yogurtland, and plenty of others on University Ave, if you’re not yet addicted, you will be soon.

GSB—Graduate School of Business. Great place to eat with a more formal and gourmet style.

IMs—intramurals. An awesome way to make and build friendships while working up a sweat. Besides, when else will you get to play intramural inner tube water polo against a team called “Super Happy Best Friends?”

IntroSems—introductory seminars. Typically involving significant hands-on coursework, these small, capped classes with top faculty are an unforgettable part of the Stanford experience. Don’t miss out.

LCO—Legal Counseling Office. Free legal counseling for those unexpected legal issues.

LSJUMB—The Band. See the next section for their wacky history.

MemAud—Memorial Auditorium, currently the largest indoor performing space on campus. It’s a popular venue for student plays, acapella and dance performances, as well as A-list guests like Bill Gates and Al Gore.

ProFro (RoHo, HoHo)—all acronyms referring to participants in Admit Weekend. Prospective Freshmen, Room Hosts, and House Hosts abound in a dazzling weekend of tongue-twisters and confusion.

PWR—Program in Writing and Rhetoric. Freshman year PWR classes are writing based, and sophomore year PWR classes are public speaking based. These small, often-esoteric classes are a fun chance to choose your own adventure—just make sure to choose a good professor.

Rally—to dress in rally is to dress as ridiculously as possible. This is often the expected attire at Special D (see below), as well as men’s volleyball games and anything the Band ever does. Start stockpiling your tutus; you never know when they’ll come in handy.

SEQ—the Science and Engineering Quad has by far the best lounging/rolling/ sun-tanning/bubble-blowing/galumphing hills on campus. They also have multimillion-dollar nanotech labs and the best lawns on campus.

SLE—Structured Liberal Education. A rigorous and intellectually intense freshman program that has been described as everything from “a life-changing academic experience” to “that place where they engage in awkward social behavior.”

SoCo—Sophomore College, a three-week intensive course at the beginning of your sophomore summer. Many of these are offered around the world in amazing places and afford a great opportunity to meet fellow students who share your passions.

Special D—ridiculous, raucous meals hosted at the various upperclassmen residences throughout the year. All are themed and most involve gratuitous rally and high thresholds of merrymaking. Not to be missed.

TAP—the Axe and Palm. Located in Old Union, it’s the perfect place to grab snacks, catch a sports game, or people-watch at any hour of the day.

TressEx—tree sex?!? No, Tresidder Express, the only convenience store on campus, located right across from the Treehouse. Do yourself a favor and grab an It’s-It ice cream sandwich.

University—the short version of University Avenue, what Palm Drive turns into as you leave campus. University is home to cafés, ice cream parlors, bookstores, and boutiques that make it perfect for an afternoon stroll any time of year.

What’s Your Favorite?

—Cardinal Traditions

• Assassins—A freshman dorm tradition and battle royale, Assassins involves everything that makes spy movies great: stealth, treachery, paranoia, and… squirtguns. For about a week (or more, if your dorm is really good), you and your dormmates have secret assignments to “assassinate” one another. A take-no-prisoners and winner-takes-all death match, Assassins is often a fun addition to an otherwise work intensive winter quarter. If anyone asks, you didn’t see me!
• Big Game—The most epic football game of the year in which the Stanford Cardinal takes on the dastardly hippies from across the bay. The big day is precipitated by a week’s preparation involving spewing the blood of our enemies from the top of the Claw, massive intimidating signage everywhere, and various Band appearances and shenanigans.
• Stanford Axe—The Axe originally derives from a morbid “Axe Yell” invented at the 1896 Big Game. Three years later, the actual physical Axe emerged at a Stanford baseball game. Yell leader Billy Erb used a broad-axe emblazoned with a Cardinal “S” to chop off the head of a Cal-color-clad teddy bear. At the end of the game, enraged Cal fans stole the Axe, sawed off the handle to make it more portable and concealable, and hid it in a bank vault for 31 years.

A group of Stanford students known as “The Immortal 21” stole back the Axe by posing as photographers and snatching it from Cal students in a fake photoshoot. They’re known at Cal as “The Immoral 21.” From AxeComm’s website: “After the Spring Axe Rally on April 3, 1930 four Stanford students posing as photographers temporarily blinded Norm Horner, the Grand Custodian of the Axe, with camera flashes. In the subsequent scuffle, the Stanford students grabbed the Axe while several others disguised as Cal students tossed a smoke bomb at the Cal students who guarded it. The Axe was taken to one of three cars which sped off in different directions. Several other Stanford students disguised as Cal students further delayed attempts to recover the Axe by organizing a search party away from the direction of the getaway cars. Although several of the raiders were caught, the Axe made it back to Stanford where it was paraded around the campus.” The Axe remained in a Palo Alto bank vault until 1993, when a truce between the two schools initiated the use of the Axe as the official trophy of Big Game. These days the Axe Committee is responsible for the protection of the Axe as well as leading cheers and yells during football games.

• Faculty Dinner—Usually sponsored by your dorm or dining hall, these evenings present a cool opportunity to invite your favorite lecturer, dreamy PWR prof (you all know who I’m talking about), or superstar researcher to dine and chat.
• Formal—Like prom. But in college. Each class has an annual formal, as do most Greek organizations and some houses.
• Fountain Hopping—We have 25 different fountains on campus so you and your scantily-clad dormmates have plenty of options for fountain fun. Whether you’re soaking up the sun post-finals with a beverage in hand or enjoying a romantic moonlit excursion, it’s always a good time. Water features on campus are currently dry for the drought.
• FMOTQ—Full Moon on the Quad. Once upon a time in the 19th century, male Stanford seniors would present female Stanford freshmen with a red rose and a kiss on the cheek at midnight. These days it’s a full campus party, involving some snogging, lots of Listerine, and live music. The outfits (or lack thereof) are often hilarious.
  
• Midnight Breakfast—One night during Dead Week in winter quarter, esteemed faculty members serve students breakfast food at dining halls throughout campus from 11pm-1am. Whether you’re suffering from the munchies or just really want to see your professor in a chef’s hat, midnight breakfasts make for an awesome study break.
• Primal Scream—It’s hour ten of studying on a Tuesday night during Dead Week, and you’re flat tired of brushing up on cultural hegemony in the 19th century. What’s that screaming? Zombie apocalypse?! Nah, just your classmates letting off some pent-up studying frustration at midnight. Join them; you’ve earned it. The primal scream happens each night of dead week at midnight.
• Screw Your Roommate—It’s not as awkward as it sounds. You and your roommate set each other up with random people you know and the entire dorm participates in one massive group date. Often involves being tied to your date…Okay, so maybe it is as awkward as it sounds.
  
• Secret Snowflake—The least G-rated of your freshman dorm-sponsored activities, this tradition involves a week full of secret dares involving scenarios that are just as uncomfortable to watch as they are to enact.
• Ski Trip—Everyone in your dorm piles into a cabin with an occupancy that is approximately one-fifth the size of your dorm. Intense bonding, snowball fights, shenanigans, and mishaps on skis ensue.
• Stacks—For hide-and-seek, tag, making out, or intense studying, there’s nowhere better than Green’s sound-smothering aisles for some quiet and solitude.
• Stanford PowWow—For 40 years, the Stanford PowWow has been one of the largest in the world, and one of the most spirited Stanford student events. Check it out for a mind-blowing cultural experience, complete with food, music, dancing, and art.
• The Game—Like the Amazing Race, Stanford edition. You and a team of friends follow super nerdy and intense clues written by your RAs all over Stanford, San Francisco, and beyond in a 24 hour marathon treasure hunt.
• Wacky Walk—Immediately prior to the actual graduation ceremony in the Stanford Stadium, graduating seniors showcase their goofy individuality in clever displays of school spirit, thanks to Mom and Dad, and silliness as they circle the stadium. You’ll never again see so many PacMan, Tetris, and balloon-based costumes.

Parties

• Pearls & Ice—an annual party thrown by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. fall quarter. The party hasn’t disappointed yet, so consider it a must to be there if you want to party with the best in hip-hop and R&B.
• Snowchella—massive party hosted jointly by Sigma Nu & Kappa Kappa Gamma. Always has great DJs and an abundance of sweaty people. Plus, it’s a charity event!
• Eurotrash—Kappa Sig’s annual all-campus affair involving a lot of leather and a higher-than-usual number of mustaches.
• Exotic Erotic—probably the only event you’ll attend where there’s a clothing limit. Two pieces for girls, one piece for guys. Interestingly enough, very few people seem to use actual clothing for covering up (with varying degrees of success…). Held at 680 during Spring quarter.
• Cowabunga—Sigma Chi’s new pledges transport you to a tropical paradise as they transform the frat’s front lawn into a sandy beach complete with palm tree decorations. Forget about spring quarter finals and wiggle your toes in the sand.
• Nomad Party—a massive roaming party on the last night of finals each quarter that traverses the entire campus, making numerous, notable stops in libraries, fountains, and frats. If you have a final on the last day, God help you… you can usually hear the party from anywhere on campus.
  
• Mausoleum Party—the massive Halloween party thrown by the junior class presidents at Leland Jr.’s tomb. It would be creepy, but you’re surrounded by hundreds of your best friends, glowsticks, energy drinks, and techno.
• Wine & Cheese—a low-key, artsy Wednesday night tradition at Kairos. Berets, penny loafers, and hipster plaids highly suggested.
• Happy Hour—Wednesday nights at EBF are always an experience. Anything can happen when you enter the Enchanted Broccoli Forest…
• Pizzeria—basically a huge dinner party with all your friends and unlimited wine, held once each quarter at Casa Italiana. Act fast though because tickets sell out in seconds…literally.