Engraved with the symbol of Texas Exes, a Longhorn silhouette, the UT Tower and the iconic phrase “The Eyes of Texas Are Upon You,” the UT class ring is one of the most symbolic items of the 40 Acres experience.
From Feb. 20 to 24, students can attend Spring Ring Week at the Etter-Harbin Alumni Center to see the ring and receive assistance in design and ordering.
Eligible graduates can go to the Alumni Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Undergraduate students can order the ring if they have completed 75 credit hours, while graduates only need 18 credit hours.
Lewis Hall, student engagement coordinator for Texas Exes, said students can order rings online at any time, but attending the Ring Week can be highly beneficial for anyone considering to purchase a ring.
“You just have way more piece of mind. You have Balfour reps and myself here to answer any questions,” Hall said. “You may think it looks like this online, but we have the actual rings in person. That way there’s no doubt in your mind that this is what you really want.”
For MBA graduate student John Kujawa, Spring Ring Week is more than a chance for him to order his ring, but also for his father AC Kujawa, an alumnus, to order his as well.
AC Kujawa said he graduated in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in Plan II. AC Kujawa said he just ordered his ring after being inspired by his son’s own excitement over his upcoming graduation.
“When I graduated, I really couldn’t afford a ring,” AC Kujawa said. “Over the years, I’ve always thought it would just be a nice thing to have one.”
The ring is a physical representation of John Kujawa’s UT pride.
“You’ll have your paper degree, and you’ll hang it somewhere. But it’s not anything like having a symbol that you can take around with you,” John Kujawa said. “It’s an outward symbol of being proud to be in the UT community.”
John Kujawa does not graduate until 2018, but he said ordering the ring is his chance to celebrate his longtime admiration for the University.
“When I came back to get my master’s, the only school that I applied to and really wanted to get my MBA from was Texas,” Kujawa said. “This marks the end of a journey that started 12 years ago.”
