Students who ordered official class rings will receive them at the Ring Ceremony Saturday, Dec. 9, hosted by the Alumni Association and the NCSU Bookstore.

The first Ring Ceremony was held last December and, according to Brooklyn Winters, Alumni association director of special-interest and campus programs, it is a tradition that will occur each semester.

“We feel that it is important for people to understand that the ring is a symbol of success, not just a piece of jewelry, and that it symbolizes accomplishment,” Winters said.

She said having a ceremony is an opportunity to celebrate accomplishments and learn about the pride of the symbol.

“It’s something that students and alumni share,” Winters said.

Kendall Smith, president of Alumni Association Ambassadors and senior in textile and apparel management, helped design the official class ring. He said he thinks it’s valuable for students to hear the tradition behind the class ring, as well as what those who designed it considered when they were doing so.

“There’s a lot of sides to the design of it and there’s a lot of informative information that [students] can learn or hear by going to the Ring Ceremony,” Smith said. “That makes it more special to them.”

According to Winters, the first Ring Ceremony was a success.

“Everybody enjoyed it,” she said. “It was a short, sweet ceremony, so it’s a fun opportunity for students to share their accomplishments with their friends and family.”

If students don’t attend the Ring Ceremony, they will have the opportunity to pick up their rings at NCSU Bookstores starting Monday. However, Winters said in the future students will have to pick up their rings at the Park Alumni Center.

Zack Blackmon, a senior in mechanical engineering, said he plans to attend the Ring Ceremony because he thinks it is a great opportunity.

“The ring is something special and I want to carry it with me the rest of my life,” Blackmon said. “Wherever I go people will know I am from N.C. State. It’s a symbol of how I was educated.”