“I definitely would rather have my ring than my diploma,” confirms Ana Mena, a 24-year-old senior from El Paso waiting with her boyfriend, Chris Jenkins, 24.
She’s not talking about an engagement ring; she’s referring to her Aggie ring, and her sentiment is shared by just about everyone who lasted long enough at Texas A&M University to earn one.
The quote above is from an article in today’s Houston Chronicle (hat tip to the Lone Star Times, snarky comment and all) describing the pomp, ceremony and occasional beer drinking that goes along with the Awarding Of The Rings in College Station.
I’m quite proud of my Aggie ring, although I’m one of the few grads who doesn’t usually wear it. Apart from my wedding band, I wear only one other ring, which was also a gift from MLB. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t cherish my class ring, as well as the experiences that led up to getting it way back when dirt was new.
My dad, on the other hand, hasn’t removed his Aggie ring since, oh, about 1949, when he graduated. It’s been worn slick over the years and you have to know what it is to recognize it…but it’s amazing how many people (ie. other Aggies) have an eye for that sort of thing.
We take a lot of flak about a lot of things related to A&M, and much of it is well-deserved, I suppose. But it’s no bull when people say that an Aggie ring has a networking value far in excess of its rather hefty weight in gold.
Yeah, that photo is my ring!
Technorati tag: Texas A&M | Aggie Ring
My father, Class of ’55, tried for a very long time to get me to go to A&M. I failed him horribly in that, so now he is working on my daughter, which would be a good thing for her since she is very interested in becoming a veterinarian.
I failed him horribly in that…
You didn’t go to That Other School (the one whose name shall not be spoken), did you? 😉
Is it true the rings come with instructional booklets so you Aggies know how to put them on?
😉
Well, Jared, you’ll no doubt be unsurprised to learn that there actually is some debate about that very question.
Most contend that the ring should be worn so that the class year is facing outward, so that others can more easily identify it. Others think it’s more natural to wear it the other way around.
This is an issue that merits significant additional investigation, perhaps via a dissertation.