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The Battalion
Page 3 • Monday, February 2, 2004
Lord of the ring
ransfer students play the waiting game while pursuing their Aggie ring
By Angela Arenivar
THE BATTALION
owl
m^ddic Sorrell marvels at the golden Aggie ring that
(•, veighs down his hand. His Aggie ring is more than
ftyoff for his hard work at Texas A&M. To him,
j Jring bears a deeper, more personal significance.
Worrell, a senior sports management major,
ilai ued to take out a short-term loan in order to pay
or his ring. His friends surprised him, though, by
:o\ering the expense themselves. They presented him
vith a certificate redeemable for one free Aggie ring,
rjwl was speechless at the fact that when my friends
Mid I might not get my ring on time, they all came
og her to do such a thoughtful thing,” Sorrell said.
‘Every time 1 look at my ring I think of the friends
*■0 helped me get it.”
^Transfer students often have a harder time getting
Aggie rings because of the number of credit
lours they have and at what point in their academic
er they transfer.
orrell transferred from Sam Houston State
Jniversity to Brazos Port College and finally trans-
^•edtoA&M in Fall 2000.
H*® ! loved the atmosphere when I came to visit,”
he aid. "1 knew A&M didn’t compare to any other
|lege.”
orrell encountered some obstacles as the date
roached to order his ring. He planned to order it
anuary, but he had to pay his rent.
‘1 planned on using my money from work to pay
my ring.” Sorrell said. “Once I got back from the
istmas holidays I didn’t have the money to pay for
cause 1 had to choose between paying for my rent
ar lying for my ring. I decided to pay for my rent
moved my ring order to February 10.”
hen, when he tried again in February^, his tuition
due.
l“I was hit by another wall because 1 had to pay for
■ tuition,” Sorrell said. “It was looking like I was
n't going to get my ring without some help, so I was
2oing to get a short-term loan.”
In his undergraduate years at A&M, Sorrell has
ved as a T-Camp director, Howdy Camp director,
a iwdy Camp counselor and T-Camp counselor.
io
Sorrell was finally eligible to apply for his ring as a
third-year student at A&M in Spring 2003.
The Aggie ring can be obtained through The
Association of Former Students’ ring office. A stu
dent has to have successfully met certain undergrad
uate or graduate requirements. Kelli Hutka, director
of Campus Programs for the Association of Former
Students, said students should complete at least 45
undergraduate hours at A&M.
“They must have completed 95 total hours, 45 of
which have to be at A&M,” Hutka said.
For some transfer students, it could take longer to
qualify for their ring
“If students transfer 60 hours, for example, it’s
later in their Aggie career that they get their Aggie
ring,” Hutka said.
Maggie Fraser, a senior international studies
major, transferred to A&M from the University of
Texas at Austin in fall of 2000.
Fraser works at the Sterling C. Evans Library
Annex reserves desk and is a member of the MSC
Film Society. She has taken part in countless hours
of volunteer work.
Fraser said she looks forward to getting her Aggie
ring in April.
“Both my parents are fonner students, so I’ve
been eyeing theirs all my life,” Fraser said. “It will
make up for the hard work.”
Fraser said it can be more difficult for transfer
students to get their Aggie ring, depending on how
many transfer hours they bring in.
“I should have been able to order mine last
semester,” Fraser said.
Ngoc Tran, a junior biomedical sciences
major, transferred to A&M this spring
Tran said it’s important to her to get her Aggie
Ring because it symbolizes being part of the Aggie
family. Sorrell agrees.
“Whenever anything happens to me here at
A&M, my friends from other schools will never
fully understand what 1 am talking about and may
think I am crazy,” Sorrell said. “But a fellow Aggie
either will feel the same way or will totally under
stand. It is this instant bond that every Aggie has
with one another."
Sharon Aeschbach • THE BATTALION
Vince Shepherd, a transfer student from Houston Community College, admires his hard-earned
Aggie ring. Transfer students must complete 95 hours, 45 of which must be from A&M, to qual
ify for their senior rings.
Over 80 classes
available
each week!
bur recreation recsports.tamiM(fu
rUPENT REC CENTER Services
FACULTY/STAFF MEMBERSHIPS—Now has never been a
better time to check out Rec Center memberships. Rec
Sports makes living a healthier life even easier with bank
draft options for membership and locker payments.
Make it a Rec Sports Valentine'sl—Give that special some
one a gift to enjoy on February 14! Massage Therapy,
Aerobics, Aquatics, Golf, Adventure Trips, Outdoor Gear,
Personal Training, and much more! Gift certificates avail
able at Member Services.
et a Job with Rec Sports!
Personal Trainers—Now hiring certified personal trainers
to serve on our Rec Sports staff. Contact Jerod Wilson at
845-3058 for more information and application details.
Intramural Officials—No experience necessary. Make
money working flexible hours, meeting new people and
receive paid training! Attend an orientation clinic to be
hired. Visit Member Services for details.
rive On-Texas A&M Golf Course
Break a Sweat with Rec Fitness
Rec Walkers!—Register until Feb. 16 and receive a
pedometer, log book and T-shirt! Sign up at member serv
ices or call DeAun Woosley at 862-3995 for more info.
Triathlon Training—Program begins tomorrow, February 3
at 2:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. at the pool. For more more
information call DeAun Woosley at 862-3995.
Unlimited Aerobics Passes—Have access to all of over 80
classes offered each week! Available at Member Services.
FALL IMs, Have You Signed Up?
The following IM sports OPEN for registration TODAY:
Outdoor Soccer $45/team
Slow Pitch Softball (Men&Women) $45/team
Wallyball $10/team
Table Tennis FREE
Racquetball (tournament) FREE
Sign up at Member Services by February 10th at 6:00 p.m.
The following IM sports CLOSE for registration on Feb. 3rd:
Penberthy Pre-Season Basketball $ 10/team
Basketball $45/team
Go All Out with TAMU Outdoors
Registration
NOW-Feb. 9
NOW-Feb. 11
At Event (FREE)
NOW-Feb. 16
NOW-Feb. 17
NOW-Feb. 23
NOW-March 16
Event Date
Feb. 10
Feb. 14
Feb. 1 7
Feb. 18
Feb. 21-22
Feb. 24
May 16-23
NEW Full Length Driving Range—Enjoy one of the Golf
Course's newest additions, the full length driving range.
Practice your swing, warm up before a round of 18 holes
or just work up a sweat on a cool and breezy Texas night.
Two For Tuesdays—Bring a friend and play for the price of one!
Dpen to the public! We are located on the south side of the A&M campus,
all the Pro Shop at 845-1 723 & visit us online at http://recsports.tamu.edu.
Aquatics-make a SPLASH
NOW-March 8
NOW-March 2
March 14-19
March 14-20
Upcoming Events
Lead Climbing Clinic
Intro to Fly Fishing
Climbing Technique Clinic
Bike Clinic
Backpacking Trip
Kayak Roll Clinic
Costa Rica Adventure
SPRING BREAK TRIPS
Boulder Hueco Tanks
Canoe the Rio Grande
Costa Rica Adventure—Experience the adventure of beau
tiful Costa Rica! Hike to spectacular waterfalls, raft the
Sarapiqui River, horseback ride to remarkable views of
the Volcano Arenal, explore the Monteverde Cloud
Forest, and sea kayak one of Costa Rica's most beau
tiful coastlines. Register NOW through March 16!
FREE One time Climbs!—Want to try climbing? Don't miss this!
Don't forget to renew your rockwall passes!
Tomorrow. Tuesday Feb. 3 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Wednesday Feb. 4 6:30-9:30 p.m.
Thursday Feb. 5 3:30-9:30 p.m.
WALK OF CHAMPIONS leave your mark
Program
Basic Scuba
Lifeguard Training
Lifeguard Challenge
Springboard Diving
Registration
NOW-March 21
NOW-April 11
NOW-April 11
NOW-April 1 1
Cost
$225/$245
$ 110/$ 130
$25/$35
$25/$35
Aggies, buy your Walk of Champions brick for a reduced
price. Visit http://recsports.tamu.edu for more information
and an order form. Leave your mark on the A&M campus.
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