[Redrum]

I think you have to dissect and stratify "the Town"  part of Town and Gown.

There\'s the media:  They have no inherent interest in promoting Stanford and  every motivation to come up with something new and different.  The most reflexive technique to do new and different is to focus on the breaks in the Stanford image.  From Stanford\'s point of view it\'s Live by the Sword, Die by the Sword.   The academic side and research/business side Stanford gets quite a lot of support from the business side of the media.   Meanwhile,  down in the Merc. sports dept.,  our favorite blogger\'s got nuthin\' until a bathroom is built or a slogan is put on a billboard.   Our favorite blogger  or  KNBR\'s Ralph Barbieri wouldn\'t last long in Ames, Iowa  or Salt Lake City,  where they have a less tolerant attitude about parasites trying to make their careers while weakening the local team.

Oh, and having crappy-to-mediocre teams for a good part of the time since the Ralston years did its damage.  Caused a break in fan continuity (all those kids with local college jerseys) that might never be repaird.  I keep sports front and center because it is the most accessible part of Stanford for Bay Area residents.

The populace in general:   Elite is as elite does.  Small size is as small size does.   There is a very real bar facing local kids trying to attend Stanford.  As a consequence, Stanford isn\'t the school where a significant number of local kids go.  Most residents of the Bay Area and the South Penninsula do not have a kid who graduated from Stanford or is attending.  Neither do their neighbors.   For most purposes,  Stanford is a brobdingnagian, pretty campus that could have been planted by aliens.   Penninsula residents may go on campus,  use some facilities,  shop at the shopping center or work there,  but for most it\'s not some place they feel emotionally tied to.  We are admired but not loved.   I think your comparison to Princeton is worthwhile pondering.  Right off hand I can only think that Princeton is distant from other significantly large schools,  is  THE focus for the town and the area generally has upper tier demographics.    

It\'s funny, though.  San Jose St. struggles to win hearts of the South Bay.   It is viewed more like some public utility,  useful, but not loved.  Maybe you stumbled on something unique in Princeton.

[Redrum]

I think you have to dissect and stratify "the Town"  part of Town and Gown.

There\'s the media:  They have no inherent interest in promoting Stanford and  every motivation to come up with something new and different.  The most reflexive technique to do new and different is to focus on the breaks in the Stanford image.  From Stanford\'s point of view it\'s Live by the Sword, Die by the Sword.   The academic side and research/business side Stanford gets quite a lot of support from the business side of the media.   Meanwhile,  down in the Merc. sports dept.,  our favorite blogger\'s got nuthin\' until a bathroom is built or a slogan is put on a billboard.   Our favorite blogger  or  KNBR\'s Ralph Barbieri wouldn\'t last long in Ames, Iowa  or Salt Lake City,  where they have a less tolerant attitude about parasites trying to make their careers while weakening the local team.

Oh, and having crappy-to-mediocre teams for a good part of the time since the Ralston years did its damage.  Caused a break in fan continuity (all those kids with local college jerseys) that might never be repaird.  I keep sports front and center because it is the most accessible part of Stanford for Bay Area residents.

The populace in general:   Elite is as elite does.  Small size is as small size does.   There is a very real bar facing local kids trying to attend Stanford.  As a consequence, Stanford isn\'t the school where a significant number of local kids go.  Most residents of the Bay Area and the South Penninsula do not have a kid who graduated from Stanford or is attending.  Neither do their neighbors.   For most purposes,  Stanford is a brobdingnagian, pretty campus that could have been planted by aliens.   Penninsula residents may go on campus,  use some facilities,  shop at the shopping center or work there,  but for most it\'s not some place they feel emotionally tied to.  We are admired but not loved.   I think your comparison to Princeton is worthwhile pondering.  Right off hand I can only think that Princeton is distant from other significantly large schools,  is  THE focus for the town and the area generally has upper tier demographics.    

It\'s funny, though.  San Jose St. struggles to win hearts of the South Bay.   It is viewed more like some public utility,  useful, but not loved.  Maybe you stumbled on something unique in Princeton.