Cheer Channel interviewed Julia Wycliff, 3rd year cheerleader and Captain of Stanford Cheerleading Squad, as near Bowl season.  She shares school traditions and her experiences with the Stanford cheer squad.  
 
 
Cheer Channel, Inc (CCI): Tell us about your spirit program.
 
Stanford (Julia): Our spirit program consists of a cheerleading team as well as a 5 member dance team known as the "Dollies" who perform exclusively to the band's music. The cheerleaders perform at all home football games as well as men's and women's basketball games. The current Stanford Cheer team consists of 18 members.
 
CCI: When are tryouts and how does the process work?
 
Julia: Tryouts for the Stanford Cheer team occur twice a year. We highly encourage everyone who is interested in becoming a member to try out in the spring. For those incoming freshman who cannot make it to campus in the spring, we also hold a fall tryout. During tryouts, we ask members to demonstrate whatever tumbling and stunting skills they feel are their strongest. Everyone who attends the tryout is placed into a stunt group to see what positions each potential member fits best in and throughout the tryout we mix these groups up to get a feel for how everyone works in a team environment. We do not require those trying out to have any prior experience cheerleading. Though tumbling is not strictly required, having a minimum of a standing back handspring is strongly encouraged.
 
CCI: How often do the Spirit Squads attend sporting events?
 
Julia: The Stanford Cheer team attends every home football game as well as bowl games. During basketball season, Stanford Cheer appears at every home game for both the men's and women's basketball teams as well as any postseason games. Stanford Cheer also attends other school events like pep rallies and charity events in the Bay Area such as the annual March of Dimes Walk.
 
CCI: How does the spirit program show their support for the Football and Basketball programs throughout the season?
 
Julia:  Stanford Cheer shows our support for the football program throughout the season by attending events such as "Big Game Rally" prior to the football game against our big rival, UC Berkeley. We also attend a game day tradition called "The Walk," where fans, the band, and Stanford Cheer come to walk the team from their locker rooms to the stadium prior to every home football game. It is a very fun event where we get to see the team and the fans and get everyone really pumped up before the game.
 
CCI: Is there a difference in the way you prepare for this bowl game as opposed to regular season games?
 
Julia: There is definitely a difference in the preparations we make for bowl games as opposed to regular season games. We certainly practice all of the same routines as far as cheers, chants, and dances go, but there is such a different atmosphere at bowl games that is much different to prepare for. It isn't just about the game itself. There are so many events in the days preceding the game so in addition to preparing to do all of the basic routines, we also have to prepare ourselves for meeting and interacting with a lot more fans. We go to events like kid's cheer camps where we get to hang out with local kids and teach them some of the routines that we do each game. Events like the kid's camp and Battle of the Bands are so fun to prepare for so we really do enjoy every minute of it.
 
 CCI:  What are your most memorable moments from this football season?
 
Julia: One of the most memorable moments of this football season has been beating our big rival UC Berkeley. We have this tradition between Stanford and Berkeley where the school who wins the Big Game each year gets to take home "the axe." There is a long history of the axe being traded back and forth between the two schools. Incoming freshmen are told the story of the axe each year at Big Game Rally and we even teach a "Give 'Em The Axe" cheer. It's a fun tradition between two rivals and it was so great to see our football team win, so we could bring the axe back to campus with us.
 
Congratulations to Stanford for winning the Discover Orange Bowl on January 3, 2011, at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.  The Bowl took place in Miami, Florida.