Just one step closer to graduation, juniors will be having their ring ceremony on December 11, 2007. An estimated 470 juniors will be walking though the ring and be named upperclassmen on that day.

“The ring ceremony is done during the junior year to makes the students feel that they are that much closer to their senior year,” said Ms. Felicia Christin, the activities director.

Also, due to expenses during the senior year, the rings are bought and the ceremony takes place in the middle of the junior year. Of course getting the ring early, offers the opportunity for students to wear the ring for a year and half.



The meaning behind the ring is simply a tradition of unity. In other words, it is a symbol of the achievements made in the high school years.

“Part of high school is belonging to something. And it’s better to belong to something positive than negative,” said Ms. Christin.

On that Tuesday night, juniors will be dressed formally and be sitting in the middle of the gym with four chosen loved ones on the side witnessing the calling of names and the walking though the ring to becoming an upperclassman. After listening to speech’s given by Ms. Connie Navarro, the school principal and class officers where a deeper meaning to the rings will be given and the three reasons why the ring means so much, students will put the rings on at the same time and be declared upperclassmen.

The rings are made by Herff Jones. Each student gets to choose what the rings looks like. It’s all left personal and totally in the hands of the buyer.

Yet, Herff Jones offers the students an “original ring,” with the school’s mascot, the Viper and the seal on the other face of it. These designs are picked by the junior officers and the Herff Jones staff. Every year the mascot on the ring changes a bit but the actual Viper stays the same. The Viper was created even before the school opened their doors in 2000.