Collegiate Times

Tonight at 7 p.m. in Burruss Hall, the class of 2009 ring design will be revealed and available to order for the first time.

The class of 2009 has continued the long-standing Virginia Tech tradition of each class designing their own unique ring. The tradition, which began in 1912, consists of two parts: the designing of the ring by a student committee and the presentation to the rest of the class. Tech is one of only four schools in the country to have such a tradition.

"It's so unique," said Casey Windmuller, human nutrition, foods and exercise major and member of the ring design chair committee. "I won't have the same ring as my mom or dad or any other person who's graduated from Tech."

While the ring represents a new and unique design, it also represents the hard work of many people over the last year.

The ring design committee is composed of eight people, including class officers and a few positions that are open to anyone in the class. Class officers hold interviews in October of their sophomore year for anyone wishing to be a part of the committee. The group begins work immediately.

"We start from scratch and design it from the ground up," Windmuller said. "But just being able to be a part of it and celebrate everything we've experienced together as a class makes it worth it."

In addition to a year of work designing the ring, members of the group also have to make sure no one else sees the design before it is revealed.

"It's a huge secret we have for over a year," Windmuller said. "It's the biggest secret I've ever kept."

Members of the ring design committee said not only does having a new ring each year get people excited about the uniqueness of the ring, it also probably increases the likelihood that students will want to buy one.

"We're the second or third top leading school in ring sales," Windmuller said. "That's just amazing in itself."

Even though lips are sealed about this year's design, ring design committee chair and hospitality and tourism management major Ryan Gleeson said juniors will be impressed with what they've created.

"I've looked at a lot of rings over the past year," Gleeson said. "But this one will definitely be one of Tech's greatest."

At the premiere tonight in Burruss, the ring design committee will give out a photo printer, a Bluetooth, an iHome and $50 and $100 gift certificates good toward a class ring. In addition, each junior will get a free T-shirt for attending.

But if a free T-shirt isn't enough motivation, Gleeson said the class of 2009 should come see the ring just for the experience.

"You only get to go through college once," Gleeson said. "This is just one of those things you should take advantage of while you're here."

Rings will be on sale beginning tonight from 8 to 11 p.m. and sales will continue for the next 15 days.