They are large, old and grey, and they wander campus visiting its many historic locations before wandering off to die. They are elephants they are seniors and they will march in the time-honored tradition, Elephant Walk, on Tuesday.
Elephant Walk is a tradition in which seniors walk around campus in remembrance of their time at Texas A&M while enjoying other festivities put on by the class council. There is also a junior E-Walk that takes place at the same time to mark a changing of the guard.
We just really thought about where the tradition started and how going to the SEC can really hurt us in our traditions and our uniqueness, said Rachel Herrod recreational parks and tourism science major and the director for junior E-Walk We really wanted to make sure we go back to our roots this year.
Elephant Walk began in 1922 after A&M experienced a football loss. After losing the game, two freshman bandsmen decided to march out of Kyle Field in mourning and the rest of the band and the Corps followed behind. Although these marches stopped after the end of 1922 season, the senior class of 1926 performed the march again led by the same two cadets who began the original march, in a remembrance of their time at Texas A&M. Junior E-Walk, which will also be taking place this Tuesday, arose purely from class rivalry.
Junior [E-Walk] started in the 1980s just because juniors wanted to rise to their place as seniors, said Janelle Shen, junior communication major and the director of senior elephant walk. They got really rowdy and became destructive to the school. They would throw mud balls, water balloons and flour at people.
Both of these walks are steeped in history and the celebrations Tuesday are designed to reflect the competitive atmosphere between classes. The event will begin at 12:30 p.m. T-shirts and food will be available for purchase and students will have the opportunity to take pictures with live elephants and listen to live bands perform.
Juniors and seniors will step off the quad at 3:14 p.m. and 3:13 p.m., respectively, after a Yell Practice at Duncan Dining Hall. The actual walk portion will consist of several competitive yell practices between the junior and senior classes at key locations across campus. Although Elephant Walk is a time for competition, for many it is a time of camaraderie and remembrance.
This has basically taught me not to wish my life away, said Brandon Waters senior political science major. I remember walking down the side of military walk with my buddies freshman year talking about the future and now the future is here.
The event will conclude at Kyle Field at 5:30 p.m., where class pictures will be taken and class gifts will be presented. This years speaker, astronaut Michael Fossum, will give a speech on graduating and regarding how to become who you are as an Aggie.
To me its just the Class of 2013, Shen said. This is one of their big events and I want to let them leave with something memorable, something that they really enjoyed and something that I gave back to them.
For some seniors, some of the locations of campus hold special meaning for them memories and places that they will never forget.
For me its going to be Rudder, said Waters. Mainly because thats where I got my Corps Brass and got to drop with my seniors. The big aspects of my time here just compacted there as a whole.
Although Elephant Walk is for many a time of remembrance and for some even sorrow at the passing of their time here, it does allow some to look forward to the future.
It sounds cheesy but it really is walking around campus and remembering when we did this and remembering how fun that was, Herrod said. I think its a unique way to close that door with dignity and celebration instead of sadness.