Thousands of Aggies are ready to receive their gold and many plan on making the festivities last all night.
Almost 2,200 students will receive their ring this Friday, Nov. 11, between 12:00-5:45 p.m. at Clayton W. Williams, Jr. Alumni Center. Aggie Park will be open for students and visitors, with various vendors, live music and the Moore Family Creamery.
The first Ring Day dates back to 2000, with each year changing in size. Annika Roberts, a communications assistant at The Association of Former Students, said an intense amount of planning goes into ensuring the happiness and safety of an estimated 12,000 attendees.
“It’s a big process that starts really early,” Roberts said. “It takes months to plan, and we want to make sure that every single Aggie receiving their ring has a good day and that whoever they choose to bring with them to celebrate also has a good time.”
The newly constructed Aggie Park was first available for the public to use on Sept. 23. Construction on the park began in Feb. 2020, with conversations of its existence dating back at least 15 years according to The Association of Former Students Vice President Scot Walker.
“The park was conceived, designed and built as a gift to the current students,” Walker said. “You can go and find peace and tranquility and beauty. That park is not just a gift today, it’s a gift that will shape the Aggie experience for generations to come.”
On Ring Day, students bring an average of six to seven guests, ranging from friends to family. For marketing senior Miranda Negrete, this day is made special by who she’s surrounding herself with.
“My family is coming into town, and my parents are coming up from the Rio Grande Valley,” Negrete said. “I don’t come from a family of Aggies, so getting my ring is really exciting for me to also show my family what it means to be an Aggie [by] going out into the world and having a mutual connection from just a little piece of metal on your finger.”
To be eligible for an Aggie Ring, students must have 90 hours, 45 of those being at Texas A&M. According to The Association, the first ring was created in 1889 and over 15,000 were distributed last year alone. Communication junior Tatum Hines said the process of getting her ring was a foregin experience to her.
“No one in my family has gone to A&M, no one knew what the Aggie ring was,” Hines said. “It’s something super special that I can have for myself and build for my future family and I’m excited to be a part of the A&M culture more as a whole.”
Along with a day full of festivities, students typically plan ring dunks with their friends. Dunks begin at the time of their graduation date, such as 9:23 for a member of the Class of 2023, and consist of dunking their ring in a 60 ounce pitcher full of beer or their favorite beverage.
“I am dunking with four of my other friends all together that night at 9:24 sharp,” kinesiology junior Morgan Garrison said. “We all got engraved pitchers and we’re all dunking together in beer.”
The Association reported that 153 volunteers signed up to assist on Friday, 45 being students. The majority of rings are being distributed to the class of 2023, with almost a perfect split between the large (49.7%) and small (50.3%) sizes.
Walker, who also will serve as the live Master of Ceremonies during Ring Day, reminds students that two forms of identification are required to receive your ring during the designated time slots. Live updates will be posted on @AggieNetwork on Twitter, and more information may be found on their website.
“I often say that Ring Day is like your birthday and Christmas and a family reunion all rolled up into this one fantastic day,” Walker said. “It’s a celebration of achievement, and I would encourage the ring recipients to just relax. If you earned a ring, we’re gonna get you a ring on your hand Friday.”
