Committee to decide on new class ring design
By Antoinette Vega
Staff Reporter

Upcoming graduates may begin a new tradition when they wear the new TCU ring established by the Alumni Association.

The ring, designed by Milestone Traditions Inc., bears the university seal and the Horned Frog mascot. The ring is available to students who have a minimum of 55 hours or junior status only through the Alumni Association.

Kristi Hoban, director of Alumni Relations, said the idea of one ring began a year ago to promote unity among TCU students.

“Before, school rings were seen as just a piece of jewelry,” Hoban said. “Now, they can be seen as a symbol of pride similar to a diploma.”

Two committees were formed in August consisting of students and faculty to choose the vendor and the designer of the ring, Hoban said. The committees included students from each class and the presidents of the Student Government Association and Student Foundation, she said.

The committees sorted through a variety of ideas for the design that best represented the university, she said.

“We thought about putting the Robert Carr Chapel or the Frog Fountain on the ring but decided against them,” Hoban said. “The seal was not our first choice but is a classic symbol of our university.”

SGA President Chelsea Hudson helped design the ring and said it will begin a tradition that will last throughout the years.

“It is important for students to know the heritage of their university,” said Hudson, a senior political science major. “The ring is a fantastic way to build pride and symbolize the years students have spent at TCU.”

Mary Ruth Jones, administrative assistant to Residential Services, said she is pleased TCU is re-establishing a single ring, similar to while she was in school. Jones, a 1958 graduate, said her ring, which consists of a purple stone and year of graduation, helped to create a closer TCU community.

“From now on, anywhere a student goes, they will know who is a TCU graduate by the ring,” Jones said.

Chancellor Michael Ferrari said the ring will symbolize greater value as something earned rather than purchased. He said it will also help create a more meaningful and enduring relationship to the university.

“The one-ring system generates more school identity and a healthier Alumni Association,” Ferrari said. “The ring moves from being a piece of jewelry to being something of worth.”

Although most are in favor of establishing one ring, Holly Whittaker said she is resentful of not being able to choose her own ring.

Whittaker, a senior e-business major who graduates in December, said she decided to purchase her own ring rather than wear the one chosen by the Alumni Association.

“I don’t like the way the ring looks and would prefer to wear something of my tastes,” Whittaker said. “I have decided to buy the ring somewhere else and have advised my friends to do the same.”

The future ring tradition is similar to the tradition at Texas A&M University. The ring worn by all Aggie graduates is similar except for the class year.

Hoban said final decisions on the design of the ring and its price will be decided Dec. 6.

Antoinette Vega