Sword in the Stone

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 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. However, it did not survive the subsequent demolition following renovations to the Sandford Fleming Building.