By: Steven W. Blackiston
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark– “Far from the land where their footsteps have trod,” is a verse in the Arkansas Alma Mater that carries a double meaning.
Because here students follow in the steps of former students.
They include famous architects (E. Fay Jones, 1950), governors (Mike Beebe 1972 and David Pryor 1964), and even an NFL owner (Jerry Jones 1965).
For others, Senior Walk is personal.
U of A senior, Josh Vines likes the fact at any time he can see his father’s name on the sidewalk below.
“I think it’s really cool to me just because I can see that he was and went through the same things I did,” said Vines.CG: Josh Vines, UA Senior
Of the roughly 140 thousand names, a few of the very first are starting to show their age.
Cracks in the original sidewalk that bear the names of early graduates will be replaced to ensure their legacy lives on.
“They’re kinda rough at this point,” said Vines.
The half million dollar project will install new concrete slabs with names sandblasted into the walkways.
The original slabs will be displayed in Old Main after their removal.
“It really etches your contribution to the university in stone,” said Vines. “You can look, I mean it’s getting pretty large at this point, but you can see like everyone who’s ever successfully gone to school here.”