Official Ring Replaces Custom Design

Author: Emily Thaler

Middlebury College has adopted an official college ring program to replace the custom ring program that has been less than successful over the past few years. The new ring design reflects a more classic signet style with the College's seal on top of it and will be available in white gold, yellow gold and silver.

"The concept of creating an official Middlebury ring came about because Middlebury, like so many other colleges, was looking to establish more tradition with their students and alumni," said Molly Butzer, national accounts manager at Milestone Traditions, Inc., the company that designed the ring. She explained, "The official Middlebury ring will not change, and thus will become a visible and enduring symbol for all Middlebury students and alumni in years to come."

Middlebury College Store Manager Bob Santry said he anticipated that the bookstore would sell hundreds of the official Middlebury College ring in the next 10 years, generating significant revenue for the College.

Other colleges to adopt the single-ring program have seen their sales double and triple since they receive greater royalties from ring sales.

The previous program allowed students to design their own rings with different stones and themes, such as athletics. The official college ring provides more uniformity but can be personalized through the engraving of initials, degree and graduation year on the inside of the band. Each ring will also have a registration number on the inside linking it back to the owner in the event that it is lost and returned to the College. Unlike the custom-designed ring, the official college ring is only available to alums or juniors and seniors in good standing.

Butzer said the ring was designed this winter using feedback from a number of students, administrators and alumni. The final design illustrates the Middlebury College school crest. The inscription around the crown refers to the College's location in the Green Mountains, with the founding date at the base. The inner circle depicts an open book and the words "Scientia et Virtus," or "Science and Virtue."

The Old Chapel logo was proposed as an alternate design for the ring, as the official crest does not say Middlebury on it and has not done as well as the Old Chapel logo on other items in the Bookstore.

Santry said he contacted Middlebury alumni among the faculty to get their feedback on the ring's design. Response was equally divided between the seal and the Old Chapel logo. Santry then asked the Student Government Association and President John McCardell for their opinions, and both voted for the crest.

A Middlebury faculty member who voted against the Old Chapel design pointed out that it could have religious or administrative overtones. The College crest has been around much longer than the Old Chapel logo, and has more of a sense of history behind it.

The ring will be on sale for the first time on campus during Ring Days, tomorrow and Friday, outside of Proctor.