including a revived "guarding of the 'A'" in which students camp on the mountainside before games with rival schools. "Echo from the Buttes" is a tradition in which incoming freshmen paint the letter white during orientation week; it is repainted gold before the first football game of the season. The practice dated back to the 1930s and grew in popularity, with thousands of students going up to paint the "A" every year.
=== Lantern Walk and Homecoming ===
The Lantern Walk is one of the oldest traditions at ASU and dates back to 1917. It is considered one of ASU's "most cherished" traditions and is an occasion used to mark the work of those associated with ASU throughout history. Anyone associated with ASU is free to participate in the event, including students, alumni, faculty, employees, and friends. This differs slightly from the original tradition in which the seniors would carry lanterns up "A" Mountain followed by the freshman. The senior class president would describe ASU's traditions and the freshman …
