The University of Stanford has no official mascot. The tree seen at sporting events for the Cardinals is actually a mascot for the Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band (LSJUMB), and they have a long history of incidents that have gotten them banned from colleges across the nation.
On Monday, the band representative got suspended from his own school after the current person playing the Tree held a sign reading “Stanford Hates Fun” during a football game.
According to Stanford Daily, a paper at the university, this was in response to the school suppressing “social opportunities” for its students. The previous person who held the mantle of the tree will step into the role again until the suspension lifts after the football season.
The mascot is much like the band it represents: disorderly, a little creepy, and fun. Anyone can join the LSJUMB, even if they have no experience at all. They dress in costumes at football games and have been known to perform obscene and sometimes even offensive halftime performances.
In 1997 Notre Dame banned the LSJUMB from performing at their school until 2000 after their halftime performance, titled: “The Irish, Why Must They Fight?” featured themes from the Irish Potato Famine while some band members dressed as a Catholic Cardinal. Both the President of Stanford and the Athletic Director sent a sincere apology. The band went a different direction in its apology, and instead apologized for their performance’s mis-interpretation.”We think it absurd that Notre Dame can claim a whole ethnicity as its mascot, and further characterize this ethnicity as belligerent: the Fighting Irish,” the LSJUMB said in a press release. “Furthermore, to represent the Irish, Notre Dame uses a leprechaun. Most Irish people we know are not, in fact, leprechauns.”
It wasn’t even the first time they had been banned from Notre Dame. In 1991 the band was banned after a student dressed as a nun and conducted the band with a crucifix.
The band wasn’t always this way. They were a normal, uniformed, marching band until 1963, when Stanford cut funding to the music program, causing beloved Band Director Julius Shuchat to go on strike. When Shuchat did so, so did the band. They refused to play football games and other events.
Stanford eventually dismissed Shuchat and replaced him with Arthur P. Barnes. The band continued their strike until Shuchat made a deal that allowed the band to be student run in exchange for their participation in football games. From there, chaos was born.
Giving the power of the band to a handful of college students has had its pros and cons. A pro is the band is incredibly inclusive and writes its own music and halftime shows. A con is they are unofficially banned from the state of Oregon.
This came after they protested the logging industry during their halftime performance when Stanford played Oregon in 1990. At the time, The Spotted Owl was under threat of losing its habitat due to deforestation because of the logging industry. In response to this the band spelled out “OWL” and “AWOL” in its performance. Oregon Governor Neil Goldschmidt ordered the band to not return to Oregon after the game.
One of the band’s most famous pranks backfired on them. In the famous 1982 “The Play”, Cal returned an onside kick for a touchdown to win a game over Stanford in the closing seconds. The Stanford band rushed onto the field early, causing a disruption, allowing the game winning score to happen. The intention was to celebrate early after Stanford had won the game. Instead they created one of the most iconic moments in college football history.
2006 was a big year for the band’s antics. In February the person in the Tree costume was fired for having a .15 blood alcohol level during a basketball game. She was caught at halftime and cited for public drunkenness. Just a month later, the mascot was banned from the Women’s NCAA Tournament in Denver after dancing in an undesignated area and refusing to leave. In August the band itself was suspended indefinitely after they were busted for destruction of school property. They had vandalized their own “Band Shak”, a building on campus designated for the band.
The band has had its cases of serious incidents as well. In 2015 the band was banned from traveling with sports teams after an investigation found sexual harassment, hazing, and other forms of harassment within the band.
While the ban on the band’s travel has been lifted, it is still unlikely they will be seen on other college campuses. Many do not allow the group to play in their stadiums. They are especially hated at the Rose Bowl.
In 2013, 2014, and 2016, the band caused outrage at the Rose Bowl. In their usual unorthodox sense, the band stormed the field at halftime in wacky outfits and wild playing styles. Some in the drum line were playing other instruments like the skateboard instead of a traditional drum.
In 2013 they spelled “FUNNY” across the field, in 2014 they made the shapes of various internet icons including the Snapchat Ghost. In 2016 they angered Iowa fans after they brought out a fake cow on the field that just kind of moved around during the performance.
Many appreciate the wacky band; many also find it absurd and offensive. Here at the Daly Dose, we believe when you give the reins to a bunch of college kids, don’t be surprised when they dress up as multiple brides during their halftime performance at BYU (that happened).
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