Sword in the Stone

Sword in the Stone on the day of unveiling

The Sword in the Stone is a 10' tall monument located in the Galbraith Garden constructed from aluminum with a large concrete base. It was constructed by members of the Brute Force Committee and partially funded by the Engineering Society. The Sword is a symbol that represents Skule™ spirit, and has figured as a prominent part of the BFC logo since the early 1990s.

The Sword in the Stone has gone through multiple iterations. It was first placed in the front of the Sandford Fleming Building as a prank in the early 1990s, but was removed by the University of Toronto before it was widely noticed. It was replaced again in the late 1990s, and stood at the front of the building until it was again removed in 2003 for renovations to the exterior.

A second, larger, sword was commissioned following the dismantling of the first Sword in the Stone, and was proposed to replace the original sword at the front of SF. However, negotiations with the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering failed to produce a meaningful resolution. Finally, in 2008, the new Sword was erected in the Galbraith Garden with Faculty approval.

History

The First Sword in the Stone

In the early 1990s, the Brute Force Committee was driven deep underground by a series of controversial pranks and vandalism, which polarized public opinion of the BFC. In response, the BFC circulated a large number of stickers with their blue and gold crest and sword around the University of Toronto campus. During those times, it was a dangerous exercise to be found with one of these stickers, as the Faculty had banned the BFC from any affiliation with the University and its students.

In those years, it was also customary for graduating classes to leave permanent or semi-permanent monuments to their class. These pranks were tolerated so long as they were safe, non-offensive, and aesthetically neutral.

The few remaining members of the now-underground BFC, however, decided to take the pranking to the next step. They had decided to erect a large "Sword in the Stone" to ensure that the memory of their existence would not fade.

A large reinforced concrete block, measuring about 8'x8'x3', made of experimental extra-hard concrete, was constructed with the help of the Civil Engineering laboratories. The sword and the stone were cast together, and left to cure for several months in a secret location in an effort to increase its strength.

Finally, one night, it was set into the lawn in front of Sandford Fleming Building (facing Convocation Hall) via a hired crane. Once the Sword was in place, the loops of rebar used for hoisting were cut off to make the stone flush and much harder to remove.

The Sword in the Stone was discovered by the Faculty the next morning, and by 10am, there was a crew of three workers attacking it with jackhammers. By 4pm, it was fully removed. Some Civil Engineering students at the time claimed that it was the "longest they have ever seen a piece of concrete stand up to such an assault with jackhammers".

Although the perpetrators of the prank were disheartened, they managed to find the sword in a dumpster and rescued it.

When it was discussed unofficially with members of the Faculty, they found that it would be less likely to removed if it were not visible from Convocation Hall. Thus, over several months, a new plan was hatched to recreate the monument in front of the main entrance to the Sandford Fleming Building.

Re-construction of the Sword in the Stone

Shortly after the removal of the original sword, the Sword in the Stone was re-erected in front of the main entrance of the building. When the Sword was re-erected, a time capsule was placed into the base as a historical tribute. The capsule, however, did not survive the subsequent removal of the sword years later.

In 2003, the sword was again removed following renovations to King's College Road and the stone entrance path to the Sandford Fleming Building. It was originally promised by the contractors that the sword would be replaced, but the sword was removed, and never placed back in its original location. The sword was chiseled out of the concrete and cut from its base for storage by members of the BFC, who continue to possess the original sword to this day.

In recent years, the original sword has been brought out for special appearances by the BFC at several events, such as the post-offer reception.

The Second Sword in the Stone

After the removal of the original sword from the front lawn of the Sandford Fleming Building, a group of students began to plan for a new, sturdier sword. In 2006, the Engineering Society approved $4,500 of funding for the new sword project (though only $2,500 was ultimately spent on the sword itself). This was pivotal, as the cultural significance of the sword became lost on students who had never seen the sword after it was removed in 2003.

The new sword project also faced opposition from the Faculty, who opposed the original placement of the sword in front of Sandford Fleming. A public campaign titled Help Save the Sword Project was launched by members of the BFC, who had finished construction of the new sword but kept it hidden.

Negotiations with the Faculty stalled over the location and placement of the sword, as it raised many controversies over its symbolic meaning and the group of students behind the project. Critics raised issue with the 'aggressive' symbol represented by the sword, and some felt that it was unprofessional and not representative of the student body. Many students and alumni also felt no connection to the sword, as it had only been standing for a relatively short period of about five years.

Most of the opposition was also concerned with cost, as neither the Faculty nor the Alumni Association were willing to pay for the cost of installation. In 2008, EngSoc approved an additional $1,100 for the construction and installation of the concrete base and a bronze plaque.

Bottle used by Mario Baker to unveil the Sword in the Stone

Unveiling of the Sword

The sword was finally installed in the summer of 2008 in the Galbraith Garden, and officially unveiled during F!rosh Week 0T8. During the unveiling, a speech was given to a large crowd of first years and selected F!rosh Leaders to commemorate the occasion. The sword was wrapped in flash paper before the ceremony, and was set on fire by the BFC for its official unveiling. A large champagne bottle was then broken over the concrete base by Mario Baker.

Plaque

The original sword in the stone was accompanied by a plaque quoting the 14th-century alliterative poem Alliterative Morte Arthure:

"For he that is blemist with this brode brande blinne shall he never."

The quote is translated as "For he who is wounded with this broad sword shall never cease bleeding".

For the second sword, the Sword Project that helped make the monument possible also sought input from supporters for the content of the new plaque. Suggestions included quotes relating to philosophy, society, science, and the profession of engineering. The final plaque - which has not yet been installed - reads:

"An Engineer's responsibility to Society is represented by the Sword of Damocles, which dangles precariously from the thread of Knowledge imparted by this institution. Mistakes cannot be covered, Failures cannot be buried and Obligation cannot be denied; to accept Bad Workmanship is to sever the Trust of our Calling and strike tragedy upon us all."