Pass Through the Pillars

In the days before most students had cars, passenger trains brought EWU students to downtown Cheney each fall. Students hauled their suitcases and bags up College Avenue to campus. Today’s new students honor this tradition with a ceremonial stroll through the Herculean Pillars at the top of College Ave. With luggage already safely stowed in their residence halls, new students exchange high-fives and cheers with EWU community members who line the path. The pillars are built with granite stones from the first campus building. When a fire destroyed that building in 1912, the stones were repurposed to create the pillars.