As Stanford’s 128th Big Game week kicks off on the Farm, students are once again preparing for campus traditions that embody the school’s famous rivalry with Cal. This year, Gaieties, the Axe Committee and the Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band (LSJUMB) are each putting their own spin on the spirited events that lead up to the matchup.
Gaieties brings community and satire to the stage
Ram’s Head Theatrical Society will debut the 113th Gaieties production this Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, continuing a tradition that dates to 1911. The annual musical is a combination of satire, spectacle, and school-spirit, known for pulling the entire Stanford community together. This year’s Gaieties will tout the theme “50 Shades of Grayeties,” according to Noah Goldsmith ’27, a member of the show’s creative advisory board. Goldsmith was a former video producer for The Daily.
“Gaieties illuminates the unpretentious, not-taking-ourselves-too-seriously energy of Stanford as a student body,” Goldsmith said. “Gaieties is supposed to be the kind of entry point for anyone who has a desire to try out the arts at Stanford.”
For many students, attending Gaieties is a collective ritual, as it provides the entire student body, both undergraduate and graduate, with an opportunity to collectively celebrate Stanford pride.
“It’s all about the community of the school coming together Friday night to celebrate why we love being Stanford students,” Goldsmith said.
Bearial Marks the Start of Big Game Week
LSJUMB’s annual Bearial combines a funeral, band performance and parody to honor the death of Cal’s “Oski” mascot. The corpse of Oski’s body can be found littered across the Claw Fountain in White Plaza. The water inside the fountain is dyed bright red.
“The biggest part of the event is impaling the bear on the Claw, so we’re always trying to figure out what kind of bear we can get,” said Carl Purisima ’25, LSJUMB manager and clarinetist who handled the logistics of the event. “This year, we are going big.”
For many, Bearial marks the beginning of Big Game week, gathering the student body to witness the symbolic death of Cal.
“Bearial is the kickoff of Big Game week. It really signifies that we are now getting ready for this moment,” Purisima said. “It signifies getting rid of any last remorse you have for Cal.”
Lia Singh ’26, LSJUMB’s social chair, recalled her freshman year introduction to Bearial and the spectacle it became. For Singh, Bearial encapsulates what makes the rivalry fun and enduring.
“It was a super high-energy, fun event, and I loved the script that they were reading,” Singh said.
This year, Singh said her favorite part of the event was its performance element.
“My favorite thing is pretending to be really sad the whole time,” Singh said. “You have to try and keep a straight face while you’re reading everything and I’m not good at it, but it’s fun.”
Axe Committee countdown builds 128 hours of suspense
128 hours before the 128th Big Game, the Axe Committee began its countdown. Every hour, on the half hour, a member of the committee or a campus celebrity blows the train whistle from a furnished tent in White Plaza.
On Wednesday, the committee invited the Stanford football head coach Frank Reich to blow the whistle on the 74th hour before Big Game.
Fernando Cors Chi M.S. ’27 witnessed his first Big Game Countdown on Wednesday.
At the 72nd hour before Big Game, Cors Chi watched members of the Stanford Axe Committee sound the train whistle. Cors Chi feels that the countdown takes place in the perfect place on campus, right next to the site of the “Bearial.”
“It’s creating school spirit. At the end of the day, that’s what we want to see,” said Cors Chi. Cors Chi plans to return to White Plaza on Thursday for the 48 hour countdown.
The rivalry continues
The Stanford-Cal rivalry traces back to 1892, allowing students from across generations to come together and celebrate Stanford spiritedness. While The Card leads the rivalry 65-55-11, Cal has won the last 4 Big Games, making this year’s rivalry especially intense.