Sponsored by the Ministry of Education in Taiwan, Stanford Taiwanese Student Association and UC Berkeley Association of Taiwanese Students hosted a “Big Game TW” Sports Day event on April 15th. Sophie Chou, the Director of the Education Division of Taipei Economic and Culture Office in San Francisco attended the event to show her support.
The sports event restarted after 20 years of close down and attracted more than 50 participants from these two universities. The competition included 4 sports: badminton, volleyball, basketball, and relay race. The winner received a symbolic axe till the next competition. At the end, Stanford Taiwanese Student Association won Berkeley Association of Taiwanese Students with a final score of 23 vs 14 (badminton 7 vs 8, volleyball 5 vs 2, basketball 5 vs 4, and relay race 6). Kyle Lin, the president of Stanford Taiwanese Student Association, said everyone enjoyed the competition that brought people together once again, especially after Covid impacted the students studying abroad and were forbidden to return home. Jennifer Lin, the president of UC Berkeley Association of Taiwanese Students also mentioned that although the sports event is merely a friendship match, she witnessed everyone’s efforts and contribution in preparing and hosting the competition. Through the competition, she saw the sportsmanship in both sides and believed that this event helped build a strong connection between the two universities, which can benefit each other both professionally and personally.
The trophy of this competition, the axe, first appeared in 1899. Since 1933, the axe has been the symbol of championship of the American football game, “Big Game”, between Stanford University and University of California, Berkeley. The Sports Day event that the Taiwanese Student Associations hosted this time served as a way to show the lasting of sport spirit and tradition between the two universities. Utilizing the axe as the trophy, the competition demonstrates a traditional heritage.
Players in the badminton competition
Staff recording and comparing scores
Competition participants gathered before the game started
Competition participants gathered after completing the game
The trophy of this competition – The Axe