Students around campus tend to have different opinions when asked whether or not they would ever consider getting a WTAMU class ring. Some students find themselves uninterested in class rings while others would like to have one to commemorate their success in college. Students may have recently heard that WT might not be offering an extensive variety when it comes to class rings and the rings available may be unreasonably priced.
While this is the view of some current students and alumni, the WT Alumni Association shed some light on the subject to sway some opinions on class rings. The Alumni Association, the official provider of the WT class ring said they offer about the same amount of options to students as other universities do.
“We looked at some other schools in the LSC Conference and compared our class rings to theirs,” Becky Stogner, Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Fund, said. “We found that we are right there with them in regards to pricing, and the variety that we offer.”
The high prices on class rings are simply due to most of them being made of precious metals, and the slightly limited selection is caused by an effort to maintain University tradition and quality.
“The cost of a class ring is an investment,” Stogner said. “We do not offer lesser-quality rings. They’re all considered precious metals, so they are going to be an investment financially.”
According to Stogner, the limited selection is due to the fact that it’s tradition.
“We want a WT ring to look like a WT ring,” Stogner said. “Rings with the big birthstones and things like that are typically more high school style rings. The flame on top of our rings is representative of WT. We want the tradition to hold strong and mean something to people.”
Stogner said there are some options available for students to customize their ring but their goal is to make sure that it still feels and looks like a WT ring.
Some students think the traditional styles of class rings are a good option to look into but may not be worth the money unless they find themselves truly interested in having a ring.
“I think that a class ring is definitely something cool to have but I wouldn’t go crazy trying to get one that I might not have the money for,” Amanda Grimes, senior Math major, said.
Students who are interested in a class ring, but may be short on money have do not have to completely give up on getting one, as WT and Herff Jones offer at least two different payment plans for class rings.
“We don’t have any ring scholarships, as you might say,” Stogner said. “There are payment plans available through Herff Jones; both a four month and a six month payment plan. Our job is to help alumni stay involved with the University. The rings are a special thing that we can provide for our alumni and keeping the quality of the rings high helps to reflect the high quality of education that students receive.”
According to Stogner, rings are available to students who have completed 90 hours and we also have a new WT charm available for students that can be purchased at any time. This year’s ring ceremony will be on May 10, the day before commencement and will be in the JBK Legacy Hall. The tradition is that students will be presented their ring by the President of the University and will pass their ring through the eternal flame.
“It’s a symbolic thing and a traditional thing that has grown over the past few years,” Stogner said.
Students interested in learning more about class rings can stop by the recently renovated Buffalo Alumni Courts for more information. Students may not always be on their own when it comes to obtaining a class ring. According to Alumni Relations Coordinator, Lisa Insall, class rings are often purchased as a gift for graduating students.
“A lot of times it’s a gift,” Insall said. “We had a gentleman come in just last semester and get one for his girlfriend, which was interesting, because rings are more often purchased by the parents of the student.”
