As one of the oldest standing traditions at A&M, Elephant Walk has a rich history that began with the class of 1926. After losing the first two games of their football season in 1922, the freshman class marched around Kyle Field together, led by a piccolo player and a brass horn to the tune of a mournful funeral march, trying to break the "curse" of the team.
When the Class of 1926 became seniors three years later, they decided to take one final walk around the campus together, this time to remember their time spent in Aggieland and the friends and memories they had made. As they walked single file, each man with his hand on the shoulder of his friend before him, an observer noted that they "looked like elephants, about to die." The tradition of Elephant Walk was born.
Held annually prior to the last regularly scheduled home football game as an event sponsored by Class Councils, Elephant Walk marks the end of the usefulness of the Aggie seniors to the student body. During the symbolic nighttime walk through campus, thousands of seniors join hands and wander through campus, stopping to hear speakers at signature campus landmarks.
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Junior E-Walk
As the years progressed, Elephant Walk became a much-anticipated celebration reserved for seniors. However, in the 1980s and 1990s, the junior class began to sabotage the seniors during their Elephant Walk. In 1992, the first Junior E-Walk was created to give the juniors another alternative.
The juniors now have their own walk arranged by Class Councils and participate with the senior class. Most importantly, Junior E-Walk symbolizes the rise of the juniors to campus leadership.