*Sophomores and juniors were interviewed and gave their honest opinions about the costs associated with the Ring Ceremony. All students who are quoted will remain anonymous.
The Ring Ceremony has been an important rite of passage for Agnes Scott sophomores since 1958 when the first class received their black onyx rings. The ceremony has become an extravagance that many students have difficulty paying for. The ring itself costs between $352 and $948. In many cases, families and friends have to fly or drive to Georgia to witness the ceremony. There are airfare, gas, and lodging costs in addition to the ring that many of the participating students interviewed must take into account.
Sophomore 1 estimated the total amount that her two guests are paying to be $1,600 with one flying from New York and the other from Texas. She is not attending the ceremony. Instead, Sophomore 1 will be receiving a ring early and having her own ‘ceremony’ to celebrate with other sophomores and family members.“I don’t want to pay $20 a ticket because the expense is going to take time from my family and people I do like,” Sophomore 1 said, “It’s for a dinner that I don’t want to go to. The food is the same food that we’re always getting and I could go for sushi instead.”
Sophomore 2 asked, “Why do people have to buy tickets for Ring Ceremony, but not Opening Convocation or the Founder’s Day Address?” Her guests are luckily not flying in and don’t have to stay at a hotel. Still, she wondered, “What are they paying for? The honor to watch me put a ring on for 5 seconds?” While $20 doesn’t seem like a huge expense, it can become exorbitant when sophomores invite several family members.
Sophomore 3 said, “I’m inviting seven guests. That’s $140 for something that I don’t want. I can’t leave out any of my family. They love me and want to see me at this ceremony, but don’t necessarily want to eat in my dining hall. This is a special occasion and I want to take them to a special restaurant where we can all be together. Not with 200 other sophomores and their families.”
Even some of the Riveters echo these sentiments. Junior 1 expressed, “How ridiculous is this! Why are they paying for a ceremony to watch them put on these really expensive rings? My guests didn’t have to pay anything.”
Although this fact fact has been disputed, the official Agnes Scott website states that, “The Ceremony is free and open to the public.” https://www.agnesscott.edu/featured-events/2016/02/2016-ring-ceremony.html
Junior 2 and 3’s guests did not have to pay for tickets to the ceremony, but they did have to pay for the dinner. Sophomore 4 has two people coming to the ceremony, but they’re within driving distance and have no additional costs beyond the ring and the $20 fee. She said, “I know the ceremony isn’t without costs. However, I don’t understand why guests have to pay for the dinner even if they don’t want to go. In my opinion, they should have different ticket prices for the ceremony and the dinner.” Not only that, but Sophomore 4 “wished something could be done to make the ceremony less exclusive.”
Sophomore 5 has three guests attending the ceremony, but “they’re not traveling from far away” and are paying “approximately $50-75.” Although she doesn’t have many huge complaints, she has heard others question having to pay for both the ceremony and the dinner.
Information about the ceremony has been mostly communicated through email. Students and parents have both received links to buy tickets, but Sophomore 2 has “heard little to none about the ceremony.” Sophomore 6 claims, “Ring ceremony won’t be very personalized because we have a large class and lots of rings to give out. We will be on stage for 5 seconds which includes getting our rings, a flower, and walking back off. Our loved ones sit in a ceremony for hours waiting for that one person to go on up and they are expected to pay money for this.” She has not invited anyone to the ceremony because of costs are too high.
Sophpmore 6 also feels that the class officers and Ring Ceremony committee haven’t been addressing concerns about the ceremony. “Instead, they badger us and try to bully us into going to the ceremony and complain that our opinions aren’t valid.” Among those interviewed, both sophomores and juniors alike agreed that changes needed to be made this year– for the Sprites— and not written down and addressed for the Visionaries next February.
*UPDATE* – Since publishing this article, the Division of Student Life has reached out to the student body to address these concerns in detail. The administration clarified that, contrary to information provided in an email to students in January, “The Sophomore Ring Ceremony is free and open to sophomores, their families, and guests.”
All photos by Sarah Murray