Collegiate Times

Virginia Tech’s class of 2011 unveiled its class gift Thursday — a four-foot tall bronze casting of the first and 2011 version of the university’s class ring weighing more than 400 pounds.

The gift commemorates 100 years of ring tradition at Tech.

The bronze casting is mounted on Hokie Stone and rests upon a wooden pedestal.

The casting was placed on the second floor of Squires Student Center. Tom Tillar, Tech’s vice president of alumni relations, called the spot “strategic” because of its visibility from the first and third floors.

Speakers at Thursday’s unveiling said it was the first time a class gift had been donated before the class graduated. It is the first ring statue to be donated to Tech and the second ever made in the country.

“It’s impressive,” said Nathan Lavinka, class of 2011 president. Lavinka said it was unveiled now to “coincide with tradition.”

Sam Jordan, a representative from class ring maker Balfour, said the idea of a ring statue as a class gift had been “kicked around” for about nine years. While other classes in the past had proposed it, the timing with the 100th anniversary of ring tradition moved the decision along.

The plan was officially set into motion two years ago and it took an entire year to create the bronze and wax casting, made by Steve Bickley, a professor of sculpture studio arts.

Tech President Charles Steger said the ring tradition “links 200,000 alumni” to the university.

Funding for the sculpture came from ring sales, earlier fundraisers and a contribution from Balfour.

“It really is a unifying symbol for the Hokie Nation — past, present and future,” Jordan said.

A version of this article appeared in the Sep 24 issue of the Collegiate Times.