Before you know it, that day arrives. You get all dressed up for the long-awaited occasion with the rest of your class and receive your ring which symbolizes the years of your high school career that you will forever remember.

This year’s ring ceremony for the Class of 2020 was held on January 24, 2019, at 7:00 P.M. in the auditorium along with the Herff Jones representatives, parents, junior advisor Ms. Armas, 11^th grade assistant principal Ms. Barreto, activities director Ms. Rivero, and the 350 juniors of the Class of 2020 that purchased their ring.

The Significance

     Whether it’s to show high school accomplishments or pride, the ring has a value that will be carried forever. Junior Gabriella Hernandez said, “Considering that most of my family have never finished high school, my ring makes all the hard work from way back in elementary to now worth it.”

Junior Natalie Capote said, “The ring means one step closer to graduating, and it’s a memory that I can look back on in 10 years.”

Junior Zachary Gutierrez said, “It is a high school memory that will remind me of all the great times I had in high school and what helped me get to where I am in the future.”

Why did you choose to buy a ring?

     There are plenty of reasons why a lot of juniors decided to buy their class ring. For some it was because of family. Junior Dominique Teal said, “I wanted to match mine with my mom’s when she was a student here.”

Junior Sandy Rubi said, “My older sister inspired me to get one, so I thought about continuing the tradition.” Similarly, junior Soo-yung Navarro said, “Mainly I would be the only one out of all of my siblings that decided to buy one and take that memory of high school with me.”

The Tradition

The class ring originated in 1835, with the graduates of the United States Military Academy at West Point. While others were wearing t-shirts, hats and other gear prepping their schools name, the upperclassmen wanted the recognition of becoming future alumni of the great school and being true cadets. Taking the idea from ancient kings of wearing a ring with the royal seal of the family, the cadets decided to purchase the ring, making it possible to recognize the upperclassmen with value. This rapidly made a spread around all high schools making the class ring have a meaning of achievement and life long tradition that remains till this day.

 

Costs and Designs

     Many designed their rings in various ways defining different aspects of themselves. Junior Luis Reyes bought his for $800. “I designed my ring in 10k gold, with the traditional mascot on my pride side and my class seal on the other side with the golden sapphire stone,” he said.

Junior Leyla Rodriguez’s ring was $460. She got the medical symbol on one side and a drum engraved on the inside of her stone.

Gabriella Hernandez paid $786 for a 10k gold ring with a pink sapphire stone and Miami High’s mascot on one side and a cheerleader on the other.

Soo-yung Navarro paid $400 for a silver sterling ring with a deep shade of violet amethyst stone with the engraving of the Puerto Rican flag on one side while Miami High’s building was on the other.

Would you have regretted not choosing to buy your class ring?

Those that did buy their ring didn’t want to miss out. Junior Isaac Cordero said, “I definitely would have regretted not buying a ring because it is an experience you only get once in your life and can never go back.”

Junior class Vice President Melody Huete said, “I would have regretted my decision to see the rest of my classmates enjoying and showing off their rings while I don’t have one.”

The feelings of the ring ceremony

     Before the ceremony started, at 6 P.M. juniors were told to go to the cafeteria where they hung out for a while greeting fellow classmates and signing a banner that left their mark as upperclassmen. As the night continued, they were instructed to line up outside the auditorium until they were told to walk inside at 7 P.M.

After the national anthem was sung by the school choir, and Ms. Armas, Ms. Barreto and the Junior class officers said a few words to the class, the ceremony then began. Juniors were given their rings backstage and proceeded on stage where their names were announced and they were able to walk through a giant ring that represented them officially becoming upperclassmen. Once all the juniors were back to their seats, Ms. Barreto counted down to 1, and all juniors put their rings on at the same time while confetti and smoke were dropped from above.

     The Class of 2020 was feeling all types of emotions that night. Junior Class president Yariannis Vazquez said, “I was nervous about the ceremony. I wasn’t comfortable walking up the stage and posing. I remember telling myself not to trip. I was so nervous I felt like I was seconds away from throwing up.”

Junior Tayleen Nunez said it was a moment of disbelief for her. “Thinking how far I have made it and that the moment was finally here of officially becoming an upperclassman really just took me for a second to a flashback of my first day as a freshman,” she said, “yet, I felt very proud and happy.”

Leyla Rodriguez said, “I was on the verge of tears when the countdown was over, and everyone put their rings on at the same time. I hugged my friends immediately because it made me think of everyone’s journey to get to where they were now, definitely a moment I will remember forever.”

Why did you choose not to buy a ring?

Although many bought their class ring, there were those who chose not to. Junior Keilyn Delgado said, “I didn’t really have the money for it, and I decided that though I love Miami High, a ring wasn’t going to show how much I love the school.”

Junior Lamauria Moore said, “I don’t wear jewelry, so I told myself why waste money, if I’m not going to wear it.”

Junior Tomy Castillo said he felt pressured to buy it. “I really wanted a ring at first due to all the hype about it, but after all the hype went down, I started realizing that I really just wanted it because everyone else did except for me,” he said. “Even now after it’s done, I’m positive that if I would have gotten a ring, it would have been for all the wrong reasons and a total waste of money.”

Should you buy a ring or not?

     Juniors that happily purchased their class ring do recommend to underclassmen to buy their class rings. Junior Natalie Garcia said, “There are varieties of ring designs to choose from that are not expensive, and it’s something you can have forever to remember your high school experience.”

Junior Jason Duenas said, “It’s a milestone that holds so many memories on how your high school experience was, the determination it gave you to keep going, and so much more.”

Dominique Teal thinks people should buy their class ring, but at the same time be smart with it. “People shouldn’t spend hundreds of dollars so it can look pretty and to show it off. They should buy it because they want to remember their time in high school instead of purchasing for all the wrong purposes,” she said.