As the final minutes of the second quarter wind down, the student section begins to shuffle. Envelopes make their way conspicuously down the rows of the sections between tunnels six and seven. As some students glance under their seats, others prepare for what is to come. Whereas some know exactly what is going on, others are oblivious to the reason behind all the commotion. It may be because they are not avid football goers or it could be they simply are unaware of the tradition surrounding them. But regardless of their reason for not knowing, they are in for a show.
The card stunts, formerly known as light stunts for the colored light bulbs that were used, are displayed during halftime at home-field football games. Originating in 1935, it is one of the oldest, and perhaps most spectacular, Bruin traditions.
The card show is essentially a show of school spirit. The students in the section chosen are given two-sided colored cards. When cued by a number, the students flip over the side of their card that corresponds to it, and all together the cards make a design. Several designs are created throughout the show.
“We’re lucky to be able to do card stunts,” said Henning Roedel, a third-year civil engineering student and lead coordinator of the show. “UCLA is one of the few universities in the nation to still do card stunts.”
Most shows contain approximately 30 rows of the student section, totaling 900 cards. But for special games, such as the one against USC, over 40 rows participate, amounting to 1,800 cards, with one card per person.
Not only is the show distinct for its mass involvement, it is also dazzling to those who witness the swift change of the stunts.
“It was amazing to see the formation of the design on the screen as the cards were raised,” said first-year neuroscience student Kathy Le, who participated in the show for the first time at the Washington State game. “It was fun because it was interactive and something different.”
The stunts vary from game to game, and some are more intricate than others. A number of popular stunts are repeated, but most shows are newly designed.
“In the past we’ve displayed Joe Bruin, UCLA script and most notably a giant rose at the Homecoming game last year,” Roedel said. “One of our more recent shows involved a display of Royce Hall at this year’s Homecoming game.”
Participation in the show is first open to members of the Rally Committee and then to all students who seat themselves within the boundaries of the card dispersal. The Rally Committee highly encourages students to join, providing tickets and transportation to the games for those who commit to involving themselves in the program.
“The committee is an inclusive group meant to promote school spirit,” said Kevin Schraven, alumni historian for the Rally Committee.
The card show is a tradition some alumni hold dear. Many continue to participate in the stunts every game.
“The card shows are extraordinarily special because it’s something different that UCLA does,” Schraven said. “To this day I sit next to the people of the Rally Committee.”