Between 10,000 to 15,000 people are expected to celebrate at the Association of Former Students Alumni Center Friday for the school year’s first Aggie Ring Day.
Ring Day has existed in its current form since 2000. Eligible students of every major and classification are able to pick up their Aggie Ring on one of six Ring Days a year. Undergraduates are eligible to obtain their Aggie Ring once they have completed 90 hours — 45 of which must be at Texas A&M.
Every current Aggie Ring bears the same design. The ring’s appearance has not changed since 1963, when the wording around the seal changed from the “Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas” to “Texas A&M University” to reflect the university’s name change. The look of the Aggie Ring has stayed largely the same even before the renaming since the first Aggie Ring was made in 1889.
Kathryn Greenwade, Vice President with the Association of Former Students, said Friday’s order consisted of 3,855 rings with years ranging from 1951 to 2018, numbers comparable to last September’s ring day. Greenwade said the association has made a number of changes since last year.
“We are starting a little earlier this year than we did last September and the reason for that is to avoid some of the crowding in the building and to make it more streamlined and an enjoyable process for all as they filter through the building,” Greenwade said. “So we have made the groups a little bit smaller and we have a few more groups than we did last year.”
Greenwade said students and families going to pick up their ring should avoid arriving too early.
“Plan to arrive 15 to 20 minutes ahead of your specified time to pick up your ring, but don’t arrive hours before,” Greenwade said. “We want to try to keep traffic flowing and there is certainly opportunity after you have picked up your ring to stick around and take different photos on the grounds.”
Individuals not involved with Ring Day should aim to avoid using Houston and George Bush streets, Greenwade said. Families and Students involved in Ring Day should look to use the Ring Day shuttles, which will be operating throughout the course of the day, Greenwade said.
Shuttle stops will be located along Houston street on the west side of the Alumni Center and near West Campus Garage. Recommended parking spots include West Campus Garage, Kuldos Garage, and North Side Garage or Lot 100 if the individual has a TAMU parking pass.
