“I think I’m bleeding a little,” said Forrest White ‘10, clad in a Speedo.

White and his Junipero dormmate John Whipple ‘10, both Tree candidates, performed a stunt on the lawn between Dinkelspiel Auditorium and Old Union yesterday. Taking inspiration from the Nintendo “Duck Hunt” game, the two candidates were “scared” into play by a supporter in a dog costume.

Tommy Leep ‘07 — the current manifestation of the Stanford Tree — was presented with a paintball gun and instructed to shoot the students running across the lawn flapping their arms. When Leep eliminated each of the runners, the Tree candidates presented their elder with gifts, ranging from a Bacardi baseball cap to a handful of condoms to a bottle of tequila.

White was hit five times during the stunt — at least one of which, apparently, drew blood.

The Tree is the unofficial mascot of the University and the official mascot of the Stanford Band. It drew national attention last February when then-Tree Erin Lashnits ‘05 was discovered by UC-Berkeley Athletic Department officials to be intoxicated during a men’s basketball game.

White and Whipple are campaigning together, explaining that the unorthodox strategy increases their likelihood of winning.

“We inspire each other,” Whipple said. “We’re helping each other out.”

“If either of us is the Tree, we’ve got that for the rest of our time at Stanford,” White added. “I think it would be a really cool way to get involved with the Band, especially because I don’t play an instrument.”

Whipple is in the midst of planning a stunt in White Plaza, scheduled for noon on Friday.

Kyle Owen ‘10, another Tree candidate, announced to his facebook group “Kyle Owen for Tree” that he is planning a stunt for today at noon, also in White Plaza.

To publicize her Tree candidacy, Meagan Moroney ‘10 put up a Christmas tree with a sign reading “Meagan 4 Tree” on the “Intersection of Death” roundabout.

Tree candidates have the rest of the week to perform stunts designed to impress a Tree selection committee consisting of the current and former Trees as well as the Dollies and other undisclosed members. The stunts are optional.

“There’s no pressure to do the stunts,” White said. “But it’s highly recommended.”

Strategic bribes and an interview with the committee are also part of the secretive process. The committee will name the new Tree next week.