German Flag Meaning: The colors black, red and gold have been associated with Germany since the middle ages, but the current German flag colors are traced back to early 19th century volunteers, who fought for the country in the Napoleonic wars.
For the answers, we turn to Bearcats! The Story of Basketball at the University of Cincinnati, a book by Kevin Grace, Greg Hand, Tom Hathaway, Carey Hoffman and Lisa Ventre, published by Harmony House (1997). The following is adapted from an appendix in the book.
The Stanford Tree is the Stanford Band's mascot and the informal mascot of Stanford University. Stanford's group name is Cardinal, alluding to the striking red shading (not the regular melody fowl as at a few different schools), and the college has never possessed the capacity to concoct an official mascot.