Few students know what started Elephant Walk or what it is intended to symbolize. Those who do are aware that the appropriate time for Elephant Walk is prior to the last home football game at Kyle Field.
That’s right, prior to the last home football game (not two weeks later). If one were to ask a cadet about Elephant Walk, he would probably say, “Before the last home football game each year, the seniors gather and then visit all of the important historical locations on campus before wandering off to some secluded spot as if old elephants about to die. This symbolizes the fact that, as former students, they will never again stand as part of the student portion of the Twelfth Man.” There it is again, “before the last home football game” and that comes from one of the many campus facts that freshmen cadets are taught.
The tradition of Elephant Walk began back in the 1920s with two members of the Aggie Band. They began a solemn march around campus and were joined by numerous seniors, each with an arm resting on the Aggie in front of him. Stopping at spots like Fish Pond and the statue of Sully they looked back on their four years at A&M. This was of course at a time when graduating in four years was feasible (even for engineers). The seniors then wander off in a manner similar to elephants on the verge of death, which is how the tradition got its distinctive name. Today, Elephant Walk takes place when the senior class prepares for its last football game in the student section at Kyle Field, but having it two weeks after the fact is fairly ineffective.
According to the class councils Web page, Elephant Walk is intended to take place before the last regularly scheduled football game to symbolize that seniors are no longer useful to the Twelfth Man. The flaw in their description is that it suggests the Twelfth Man is reserved just for current students.
However, anyone can be of use to the Twelfth Man, especially those with a good pair of lungs. In theory, the student section of Kyle Field is reserved for current students, which is where Elephant Walk comes in to play. Somewhere in the transfer of information from the classes of Old Army to those who lead the student body today, the tradition of Elephant Walk was lost in translation.
Perhaps the class councils, which are responsible for the Elephant Walk and E-Walk activities, were not aware of the tradition or felt some need to change it. Either way, they have defied the very reasoning behind Elephant Walk.
Nevertheless, all is not lost. The Class of 2005 will inevitably die, and the Class of 2006 will most certainly rise to the glorious occasion. Although another semester lies ahead, the senior class will fall idle while the juniors begin the transition into their final year and take over the control of the student body.
So to the senior class, a fond farewell and don’t let the door hit you on the way out. And to the juniors, come out today and show your “Shoot ’05” spirit, because the next Elephant Walk could come on time.