[3] It has had flower plantings in the shape of the letter "S", for Stanford.

[4] Though the oval space has existed since the start of the university, its current look dates from 1980 when an anonymous couple donated $150,000 for it to be renovated.

A central flower garden was added and paths repaved.

[5] In 2020, students created a memorial in the Oval following the murder of George Floyd.

[2] The lawn has served as a meeting place for other protests.