Cardinal Culture

Content provided by TUSB Kristi Bohl, Andrea Acosta

Kristi Bohl
Stanford Dictionary
BYObring 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 Clawthe massive fountain in front of the Bookstore. The preferred location of fountain hopping and summery gallivanting. CoHothe Coffee House in Tresidder Union. Its a favorite hangout for students and faculty alike, with crepes, paninis, and salads galore, as well as a scrumptious selection of coffee drinks. They often have student and local band performances. EANABsequally attractive non-alcoholic beverages, which are required at parties. FloMoFlorence Moore Hall. Donor Florence Moore required that that ice cream be served at every meal as a condition of donation. Pro tip: they have amazing Indian food for Sunday dinners. FroSoCoFreshman 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. FroYofrozen yogurt! With Fraiche, Red Mango, and plenty of others down University Ave, if youre not yet addicted, you will be soon.

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GSBGraduate School of Business. Where beautiful, enterprising freshmen girls

study for obvious reasons.

HooTowHoover Tower. The best view on campus, and a favorite locale of LSJUMB

trombone solos.
IMsintramurals. An awesome way to make and build friendships while working up

a sweat. Besides, when else will you get to play intramural innertube water polo against a team called Super Happy Best Friends? IntroSemintroductory seminars. Typically involving significant hands-on coursework, these small, capped classes with top faculty are an unforgettable part of the Stanford experience. Dont miss out. IHUMIntroduction to the Humanities, the all-year required freshman course. For many students its a love / hate relationship, and its typically a strong litmus test for the techie / fuzzie divide. LSJUMBthe Band. See the next section for their wacky history. MemAudMemorial Auditorium, currently the largest indoor performing space on campus. Its a popular venue for student plays, a capella and dance performances, as well as A-list guests like Bill Gates and Third Eye Blind. MemFountainthe fountain between MemAud and HooTow, its often the victim of many a good-natured prank or shenanigan. Dyed red for Big Game, multicolored after Holi, and a frequent recipient of bubble bath liquid.

UNAFF
United Nations Association Film Festival
In its commitment to bring the best documentaries to Stanford, this October the CAMERA AS WITNESS Program presents the 14th UNAFF (United Nations Association Film Festival) at five Stanford locationsAnnenberg Auditorium, Cubberley Auditorium, Cantor Museum, Freeman Spogli Institute and Stanford Medical School. CAW Program is based at the School of Education and has support from more than 30 different Stanford groups and Departments.
UNAFF this year features 70 documentaries and 70 countries centered around the theme EDUCATION IS A HUMAN RIGHT and will be held October 2130, 2011 at Stanford University, Palo Alto, East Palo Alto and San Francisco.

All the UNAFF screenings at Stanford are FREE with Student ID. For schedule and tickets and how to become a volunteer please visit www.unaff.org.
Like UNAFF at www.facebook.com/UNAFF

The CAMERA AS WITNESS Program continues throughout the academic year bringing award winning documentaries, filmmakers and speakers to Stanford classrooms, special events and dorms. If you are interested in having docs at your event or in your dorm, please contact jasmina1@stanford.edu.

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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. PWRProgram 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 adventurejust make sure to choose a good professor. Rallyto dress rally is to dress as ridiculously as possible. This is often the expected attire at Special D (see below), as well as mens volleyball games and anything the Band ever does. Start stockpiling your tutus; you never know when theyll come in handy. SEQthe new 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 sandwiches on campus (Ikes). SLEStructured 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. SoCoSophomore College, a three week intensive course at the end 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 Dridiculous, raucous meals hosted at the various residences throughout the year. All are themed and most involve gratuitous rally and high thresholds of merrymaking. Not to be missed. TAPthe Axe and Palm. Located in Old Union, its the perfect place to grab snacks, catch a sports game, or people-watch at any hour of the day. TressExtree sex?!? No, Tresidder Express, the only convenience store on campus, located right across from the Treehouse. Do yourself a favor and grab an Its-It ice cream sandwich. Universitythe short version of University Avenue, what Palm Drive turns into as you leave campus. University is home to cafs, ice cream parlors, bookstores, and boutiques that make it perfect for an afternoon stroll any time of year.

Cardinal Traditions
Stanford AxeThe 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 in a daring bank heist, and 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 for leading cheers and yells during football games.

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AssassinsA 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-it-all death-match, Assassins is often a fun addition to an otherwise work intensive winter quarter. If anyone asks, you didnt see me! Band (LSJUMB)Is that a stampede? An earthquake, maybe? No, chances are its the one, the only, the truly incomparable Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band!! Our marching band prefers to scatter and has traded in traditional uniforms for tutus, loud Hawaiian shirts, and the occasional penis Speedo. (If youve seen it, you know what I mean.) Famous and infamous, our Band is the garish personification of a counter-culture backlash against traditionally stuffy college marching bands. Feathered caps? God forbid. Capes (*cough, USC, cough*)? Not likely, unless our drum major is dressing as Athena. No big deal. It happens.

Heres a quick primer on some of the more infamous shenanigans of the LSJUMB: 1987, Rolling Stone magazineIts hard for anyone raised on rock to imagine that a band could sound this loud without thousands of watts of amplification. 1990, University of Oregon: the Band was banned from the state for criticizing Oregons wildlife protection policies in their halftime show. 1991, Notre Dame: the Band was banned from Notre Dame when the drum major dressed as a nun and used a wooden cross as a baton. 2004, vs. Brigham Young University: the Dollies dressed as brides and the band manager proposed to each of them in turn. Piqued your interest yet? You dont have to play an instrument to join. All you need is crazy school spirit and an insane wardrobe. Go Cardinal!
Battle of the ClassesA recently initiated tradition involving goofy carnival activities, loud music, and gratuitous class spirit. _____-TEEN!! The freshmen always win because they are shiny, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, but the upperclassmen are too busy enjoying hilariously losing at tug-of-war to care. And if it motivates you: lots of free food and T-shirts. Big GameThe 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 weeks preparation involving spewing the blood of our enemies from the top of the Claw, massive intimidating signage everywhere, and various Band appearances and shenanigans. This year the game will be at Stanford, so prepare to scream yourself hoarse in the most intense four quarters of your life. Cafe NightsMany and various student organizations hold these informal evenings where secretly-wildly-talented ninja artistes among us dazzle with their performance skillz. Caf Nights are fun and laid back, and a great date night idea. Faculty DinnerUsually sponsored by your dorm or dining hall, these evenings present a cool opportunity to invite your favorite lecturer, dreamy IHUM prof (you all know who Im talking about), or superstar researcher to dine and chat. Talk about awesome facetime! FormalLike prom. But in college. And with significantly more boats. Dont forget your nautical-themed pashmina Afghan.

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Fountain HoppingJoin the scantily-clad horde of your fellow dormmates and prance through Stanfords plentiful fountains. Ten points for fountain hopping at night. Thirty points for running through Meyer Library on your way home. FMOTQFull 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 its a full campus party, involving some snogging, lots of Listerine, and rockin bands. The outfits (or lack thereof) are often hilarious. Midnight BreakfastOne night during each Dead Week, esteemed faculty members serve students breakfast food at dining halls throughout campus. Whether youre suffering from the munchies or just really want to see your IHUM prof in a chefs hat, midnight breakfasts make for an awesome study break. Primal ScreamIts hour ten of studying on a Tuesday night during Dead Week, and youre flat tired of brushing up on cultural hegemony in the 19th century. Whats that screaming? Zombie apocalypse?! Nah, just your classmates letting off some pent-up studying frustration at midnight. Join them; youve earned it. Screw Your RoommateIts 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. Okay, so maybe it is as awkward as it sounds. Secret SnowflakeThe 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 TripEveryone 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 shenanigans on skis ensue. SNAPSSigma Nu Arts and Poetry Slam. A sweet arts evening hosted on Sigma Nus lawn showcasing the talents of your fellow students. Berets and hipster glasses encouraged. StacksFor hide-and-seek, tag, making out, or intense studying, theres nowhere better than Greens sound-smothering aisles for some quiet and solitude. Stanford PowWowFor 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. Steam TunnelingOnly the truly brave venture into Stanfords underworld, fraught with dust, small passageways, and scalding steam pipes. Bring a good guide and leave a trail of breadcrumbs some never return. The GameLike 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 WalkImmediately 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. Youll never again see so many PacMan, Tetris, and balloon-based costumes.

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School Spirit Etiquette

things that you need to know how to do
Last year we had one of the top 5 football teams in the nation, and our womens basketball team consistently makes it into the Final Four. Its kind of embarrassing when our sports fans dont know the proper cheers. Heres a primer on how NOT to point left when the rest of the stadium is pointing right.

Football
Kickoffsjangle your keys in the air as loudly as you can as the kicker revs up. As he

approaches, yell ooooOOOOOHHHH in a crescendo that lets up the moment he kicks the ball. Third downs for the other teammake as much distracting noise as you can. Yell, bang your hands on the seats in front of you, stomp on your seat, whatever it takes.

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First down for usas soon as the announcer says, first down, Stanford, raise both

pointers in the air with another oh crescendo. Then immediately point your fingers down at the field three times, each time saying oh! Finally point both fingers in the direction Stanford is playing and yell, first down!

Basketball
Intros for the other teamafter each opposing players name is read, the crowd yells

sucks. It isnt polite but at least were not hockey fans.

Foulswhen the other team fouls us, chant you-cant, do-that! (clap, clap, clap-clap-

clap).
Random cheeringone side of the stadium yells GO! and the other yells

STANFORD! It isnt rocket surgery.

All Right Now Timing the jumpduring the (usually fairly long bridge), the Band comes to a very

obvious, prolonged crescendo. This is your cue. There will be two particularly loud notes from the trumpets, then you count, five, six, seven, eight and jump as you yell woo! Practice early and often.

Parties
Moon Splash / Sun Splashmassive parties hosted by Sigma Nu on the lower row.

Some of the best attended parties of the year.

Exotic Eroticprobably the only event youll attend where theres 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). CowabungaSigma Chis new pledges transport you to a tropical paradise as they transform the frats front lawn into a sandy beach complete with palm tree decorations. Forget about spring quarter finals and wiggle your toes in the sand.

Assistance League Costume Bank

With over 3,000 unique costumes, the Assistance League COSTUME BANK is one of Stanfords most popular places to fill that need for Halloween or an upcoming rally. Only 15 minutes from campus, just off Foothill Expressway in Downtown Los Altos, the COSTUME BANK features pirates, Renaissance & other historical categories, including 20s thru 80s, Santas, Easter Bunnies and other animals, clowns, show biz, tuxes and tails, Romans and Greeks, etc. Also available are accessories to purchase, i.e., wigs, masks, hats, etc. The COSTUME BANK is owned and operated by the non profit Assistance League of Los Altos. It is the chapters major fundraiser to support their special philanthropic programs, including H.O.M.E., The Flora Lamson Hewlett Apartments, at Stanford Medical Center. 169 State Street (at Third Street), Los Altos (650) 941-2610 www.costumebank.com, check for specials cbinfo@costumebank.com

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Nomad Partya recently pioneered phenomenon involving a massive mobile party

on the last night of finals that traverses the entire campus, making numerous, notable stops in libraries. If you have a final on the last day, God help you you can usually hear the party from anywhere on campus. Mausoleum Partythe massive Halloween party thrown by the junior class presidents at Leland Jr.s tomb. It would be creepy, but youre surrounded by approximately three thousand of your best friends, glowsticks, energy drinks, and techno. Wine & Cheesea low-key, artsy Wednesday night tradition at Kairos. Berets, penny loafers, and hipster plaids highly suggested.

Romance
ANDREA ACOSTA
Youll probably hear people say that there are only two types of relationships at Stanford: the weekend hookups and the were-getting-married-next-weekend-can-youhelp-with-the-invitations? situations. The reality of student life, however, shows that romance at Stanford can, like so many things, be a spectrum. Perhaps the main reason that the aforementioned false binary even exists is that those after-party hookups and long-term relationships seem to eliminate the stress and/or time commitment that comes from figuring out a good love life in between. Stanford students are notorious for not having time for things, and romance comes as no exception to that. Healthy relationships on campus definitely take work, but Ive seen it done right, and they can definitely happen for those who want it. Have a heavy class load? Intense academics do not equal a lonely existence. Have study dates with your significant other youll be together and be (hopefully) productive at the same time. And if your partner happens to be in the same classes as you, even better. Or, just take Friday and Saturday evenings off to chill with her and complain to a sympathetic ear about the number of problem sets you just survived. Sometimes, though, it does help to take fewer classes Stanford is far, far more than just its academics, and it can be easy for some people to forget that. Taking fewer units to explore the rich so-

Stanford Viennese Ball

The 35th Annual Viennese Ball is coming up in February 2012! It's Stanford's largest annual social dance event, with two ballrooms, live bands, and performances by several of Stanford's dance groups. Three Ways to Get Ready for the Ball: 1. Take social dance classes with Richard Powers, or learn to dance at the waltz, swing, and salsa lessons organized by the Viennese Ball Committee. 2. Audition to perform with the Opening Committee, or sign up to help organize the ball! 3. Check out vienneseball.com for more information.

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cial scene and amazing people is a completely legitimate life-choice and one youll be thankful you made before you graduate. Trust me. And now, the eternal question. How to meet that wonderful, cute, and intelligent other you have been looking for all your life. Start by joining the groups that interest you and the classes youre passionate about theres nothing like having a mutual interest to talk about on that potentially awkward first date. Go to socials of all kinds, not just the dark and malodorous frat parties. Kairos Wine and Cheese on Wednesday nights, Stanford Dances Salsa Socials, and even department events can be places for finding your match. Oh, and dont count out the possibility of running into the cutest person, literally, on your bike.

Cheap Date Ideas

Jammix: one of the most underrated date events on campus. Grab a girl/guy and go

swing, waltz, and salsa the night away in Roble Gym with the tons of students who have (or havent!) taken Richard Powers infamous Social Dance classes. $2; happens about once every month. Climb Trees after Midnight: the trees at Stanford are not only climbable, but their fruit is often edibletake your significant other on a unique frolic through campus. Use http://trees.stanford.edu for reference. Hike the Dish at Sunset/Stargaze at the Dish at Night: night or day, the dish provides the classic beautiful view for your equally beautiful partner. Dont count on being the only ones around though- Stanford students tend to go on runs at the strangest times. Steam Tunneling: for a more dangerously exciting date, find somebody who actually knows where the entrance is and proceed to go on an underground, slightly illegal adventure. Cons (or pros): hot, dark, and the risk of being trapped. Movies from Green Library: rent a heart-melting movie for free from the largest archive of films outside of Netflix. Be aware though that the Media section of the library often closes by 5:00 pm on most days, so get there early! Starlight Picnic: Frankly, you can do this on any lawn of campus, but try to avoid the obvious Oval destinationthere are sprinklers and they will go off. Go instead to the courtyard facing the clock tower at the School of Education or some out-of-theway location. Stanford Theater: for a romantic, old-fashioned date night, this gorgeous 1920s-era theater offers black and white films every weekend for you and your beaus viewing pleasure. Gelato on University: after your romantic, old-fashioned movie, go to Michaels for gelatoits practically across the street from the Stanford Theater. And please, no puns about how sweet she is while eating your cone. Cactus Garden: Yeah. Stanford has one. For a cool Southwestern vibe, go chill in the cactus garden for a night under the stars. Arrillaga Alumni Center Fountain: a scenically peaceful place peppered with lemon and lime treesa ready backdrop to your night of romance. Papua New Guinea Sculpture Garden: for more artistically inclined couples, check out this awesome sculpture garden, and maybe even have a scintillating discussion on the aesthetics of art and people. 6CARDINAL CULTURE 75

Communication
Listserv: [list-serv], nounthat which allows one to easily send emails to a group of

people, all of whom are members of a list the most effectively useful, frequently used, and consistently annoying form of communication at Stanford The creation of listservs makes senseemail is fast, reliable, and a good way of contacting a large amount of people on campus at once. It also, however, allows spam and general-unimportance to be broadcasted to the student population on a regular basis. The students know it, and the administration figured it out last year in an infamous attempt by Stanford Housing to sign up all 6,000+ undergraduates onto the same lista list to which any and everybody could email all members. Lets just say, the result was chaos, backed up servers, and jokes about Hitler for weeks (dont ask). For Stanford students, it all begins at the activities fair during NSO when hundreds of freshmen give their email addresses to what seems like hundreds of liststhe Stanford Peace of Mind list, the Undergraduate Creative Writing list, the Psychology Departments list, and even the Arabesque Middle Eastern Dance list, to name a few. Activity on different lists ranges from the relatively chill few emails about important events to the daily free-for-all that is Diaspora. To help you manage the fifty new emails that will invade your inbox the week following your first activities fair, we offer the following advice: Get Gmail. Its a lifesaver for those who have inordinate amounts of electronic information coming to them from all over campus. Gmail offers more storage, more effective mail organization, and the option of importing any emails sent to your Stanford inbox into Googles more spacious quarters. Set up filters. Aka, save yourself from wasting 30 minutes a day reading email from sources you dont currently need to be caring aboutespecially with that problem set due tomorrow morning. Dont sign up for lists that you honestly have no interest in. Its easy as a freshman to give in to the lonely, pleading eyes of the girl sitting at the Stanford Engineering and Entrepreneurship in Third-World Countries table and sign up, but if you hate math, science, and entrepreneurship, then just dont do it. If you do give into the pressure, then unsubscribeits possible. The first email you get from a list will usually contain a link, which by clicking and following instructions, will unsubscribe you and free you from its virtual coil. Listservs probably arent going anywhere anytime soon, so use their power wisely and well.

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