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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 23, 2004)
BAIT )m page by Congri: t because ofi education mi; ;he issues gelt ic administraii jucation has; big issue ine!: that since ng that they ' from the icreases input oably wouidi in than before, r.questionedt it whether d and if be affected ere are a loi i the mediat journalist’s j e doing bus® t the possiW uts news stori ring advertise iow he manai nsive but neui overing the el there is none first to get inf] as possible fe , then go to: tes and univea id to get opini; ey do researd a senior poir ir who was ca icdia bias, & land discuss so he could c ividuals areu think therer als and med ive to the St nt Associate he discussior. Aggielife The Battalion Page 3A • Thursday, September 23, 2004 Fall ring fling X Aggies celebrate Ring Day with various traditions $ mor tinance getting his tests sched- have been [ON L'opy Chief ics tldiior hoto Editor i Producer jgh Friday during i summer session srsity. Penodrt dress changes to 7843-111* is ASM University ;Donald Building. |thebat1alion.nei: endorsement by 79-845-2696. For Reed McDonald, 45-2678. tM student to ptt yiail subscriptions merican Express, at onal eir kinj irs: NB Online ay jquirement g e Fees S \ [] Prairie Rd. )ak Mall /. 21 9.1111 By Teresa Weaver THE BATTALION The day Joshua Gibbon, a se- major, was supposed to celebrate Aggie ring, he was studying for two uled for that afternoon. On a clay that should filled with anticipation and excitement, he was feeling more pressure and stress than anything else. Things began to look up when friends spoke to an employee at the Association of Former Students and worked out a way for Gibbon to receive his ring ahead of his assigned time. With his brand new Aggie ring shining on his finger, he went into his sec ond test finally feeling like a member of the Aggie family. “Once that ring was on my finger 1 just felt calm and was able to enjoy the excitement of getting my ring,” Gibbon said. “It means so much to me, like dedication to my school and continuous service that goes on even after graduation. It reminds me that my service to everyone around me is never done.” Today, almost 3,(K)() students will receive their Aggie rings. With the rings almost identical to the one designed in 1894, some would say there is more symbolism in the Aggie ring than there is in an A&M diploma. Sarah Smith, a senior German major, just ordered her ring and will be receiving it in November. She said the excitement had been build ing since the summer when she had a dream about getting her ring. “The Aggie ring represents all the stuff you went through in your college career and it ties you to all the generations of Aggies which came before you and will come after you,” Smith said. “It gives people expectations about who you are as a person. They see the ring on your finger and know you should be able to handle everything.” Along with the prestige and honor associ ated with an Aggie ring, there is also the unof ficial tradition started by students to “dunk” it. Although Thursday night will see hundreds of Aggies throwing their rings into everything from beer to ice cream, the question remains whether ring dunking is an Aggie tradition or just a popular trend among students. Josh Babb, a senior management major and chair of the Traditions Council at A&M, said the pomp and circumstance of the Aggie ring has only recently become a popular trend. “Aggie Ring day has only started in the past decade and ring dunking has been around even less (time),” Babb said. “I talk with former students and they think it’s funny how big the event has become.” Babb, who will be getting his ring on Thurs day as well, said Ring Day should be associ- ated with camaraderie and celebration of the student’s accomplishments. “1 hope students think the Aggie ring represents something bigger than just dunking it in alcohol or ice cream,” Babb said. “That is only one short moment in your time here, and doesn’t have the same meaning to it as other traditions on campus, like Silver Taps or Muster.” Babb said even though ring dunking isn’t a tradition, his ring will still end up at the bottom of a bowl of ice cream. “When I get my ring I want to spend the evening with my fam ily and friends remembering my time at A&M,” Babb said. “And if my ring happens to find its way into a bowl of ice cream, so be it, but dunking my ring has no symbolic meaning behind it.” Smith said ring dunking is not a tradition as much as it is a rite of passage for students. “Anyone who is going to dunk their ring knows it when they enter A&M,” Smith said. “So many people do it, I think a lot of students feel they have to do it sometimes.” Jason Brinlee, a senior wildlife and fisheries science major, will also receive his Aggie ring Thursday. He firmly believes 4 ^ The Aggie ring represents all the stuff you went through in your college career and it ties you to all the generations of Aggies which came before you and will come after you. — Sarah Smith senior German major ring dunking is an Aggie tradition. “When I came to visit A&M, the first tradition 1 saw was a student dunking his ring. It’s just something you do with your friends,” Brinlee said. “I’ll probably dunk my ring a few times.” To Brinlee, ring dunking is only one paft of the overall Aggie ring experience. Brinlee plans to camp out the night before at the As sociation so he gets an early number the next afternoon — another popular trend started up only in the past few years. With so many students finding ways to show off and celebrate their Aggie rings, new tradi tions are bound to start up. Whether students consider them traditions, many will continufc on because like Brinlee, they associate theih with their ring. When the September ring delivery is ove(, there will still be students like Smith waiting imj- patiently for their spots in line at the Association^. “When it all comes down to it, we’re college students and we’re looking to make something ours,” Smith said. “When you launch a boat the first time you throw champagne on it, and when you get your ring you want to do somei- thing to make it yours and make the expedi ence unforgettable.” Getting Your Bling-Bling % * Tickets for ring distribution will be ' available at 7:15 a.m. at Clayton Williams t Alumni Center Ring distribution is from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Alumni Center Bring your ticket and two of the following to distribution: ring receipt, driver license, student ID Source: The Association of Former Students' Infographic by Gracie Arenas — The Battalion Feature Graphic by Ivan Fiores — The Battauot\ Hastings Vom Entertainment Superstore ^ SM m f Lender lease contact ves for . September 24,2004 . 8Pm -mifrrsGhl Memonal student center AGGie NiGhts $ Protocon present poker tournament featuNn^ . Texas HOlP'Em This is NOT a gambling activity. It is meant for recreational purposes ONLY. phize s nfnem>enck> £dme cube 2-nd phizes $30 to best buy . 3hd phizes $201*> best buy JL CX For special needs, please contact us three days prior to the event 979.845.151 b aggienights.tamu.edu imUm* wv pxv UrtDtl WC iAi MviU-i *6 3c mstOEE 2 cmuT br [ta, Ki dtle §u $30 Q5 INSTOU ^ to thrss Esi titlis itytodt pritts ivaikble let • limittl tim. Ill fotore faryhatk pdm is tbits tills* will fe# dbpeftrieat St a«rkti uxMfilisst. Avf ilsb% sari#* kf tlsre. Set $tw« Hr detail* as bvybadt retire wests.