Stanford Band debuts new weeping willow Tree design

Each time a new Tree steps into the spotlight, an original costume is born. Sarah Young, who won the right to don the Tree costume in the spring, debuted her creation at the first home football game of the season. As is tradition for a new Tree – the mascot of the Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band – Young conceptualized the idea and then constructed the costume by hand over the summer. For the newest iteration, she chose a weeping willow design, noting, "There has never been a willow before, so I wanted to represent the new generation of Trees, both as people and as costumes." While Young worked on the outer components, Jeff Kastenbaum, also a member of the band, pitched in to construct the aluminum frame. Watch the video for a behind-the-scenes look at the birth of a new mascot.

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