It's a tradition that started in the 1930s and is still going strong.
For the past eight-plus decades, Arizona State University's freshmen make the short hike up "A" Mountain in Tempe, grab a cup of white paint and cover the 60-foot (usually gold-colored) "A" that gives the mountain its nickname. It will later get painted back to its traditional gold color before the first football home game of the season, but for now, the whitewash symbolizes a fresh start to the new school year.
On Aug. 19, ASU's latest crop of students capped off their first week of classes by taking part in this time-honored tradition. Check out a gallery and video from the event below.
Video by Jordan Currier/ASU
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