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Aggielife
The Battalion
Page 3A • Thursday, September 23, 2004
Fall ring fling
X Aggies celebrate Ring Day with various traditions
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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
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