My freshman dorm had a bit of a klepto thing. On the last day of NSO, as the entire Class of 2015 congregated on the lawn in front of President Hennessy’s house, one of my dormmates snatched a rope that was lying on the ground and coiled it up. It turns out that the rope was supposed to tell all 1,700 freshmen where to stand for the ensuing class photo. A belated apology if you got cut out.
As the year went on, our collection of contraband grew. An old Persian rug found behind the Roble Package Center became one guy’s welcome mat; a soccer ball kicked over the fence in a night game at Cagan Stadium was taped up as a hall decoration; a Monster banner hanging over a table at Mausoleum was tied over one of Loro’s third-floor balconies.
But we never stole anything nearly as cool as the Stanford Axe.
That’s why it’s hard not to be in awe of Tim Conway ‘74 and David Suliteanu ‘75, the two surviving members of the Infamous Three that engineered the last theft of the Axe back in 1973. As a Daily photographer and I set up for a photo shoot with Tim and David before our interview earlier this week, it became clear that the duo were legends, at least in the eyes of the AxeComm members who had graciously taken time out of their morning to supervise.
The last two times Stanford students stole the Axe (in 1930 and 1973), they brought the trophy out into the open by claiming that the press needed it for a photo. Accordingly — and I confirmed this with an AxeComm member — my every move was being watched.
But David and Tim were afforded a different level of trust, the kind that our society usually leaves for world leaders, dignitaries and football coaches.
It was a great reminder of the history that we so often ignore at Stanford: the beautifully built (and rebuilt) Main Quad we bike past every day, the Rodin bronzes sprinkled around campus that few of us (other than David Shaw) have time to contemplate and the 104 NCAA championship trophies that line the walls of Arrillaga Family Sports Center.
Every year Hal Mickelson ‘71, in his booming voice, emotionally recounts the story of the Stanford Axe at the Big Game Rally; every year, just in time for Big Game, people like Tim and David help us reconnect with Cardinal history. The question is: How do we sustain that awe year-round?
It’s really not that hard. Next time you see one of the many plaques hung on the perimeter of the Outer Quad, look at its year and contemplate what it means. Next time you pass the Burghers of Calais, make a funny face and take a few selfies with the statues.
And next time you pass by the athletics buildings, stop, go inside and press your face up against the display case that holds the Axe. Think about the dates, the scores, the memories.
Do it all before it’s too late; who knows when the Axe will be stolen next?
Joseph Beyda is currently under scrutiny for trying to steal the Axe during the photo shoot in keeping with his freshman dorm “klepto thing.” If you would like to provide a defense for him email Joey at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.