SAAC Members Escort Sam Rings
3/16/2016 3:45:00 PM | Athletics
Officers and team representatives from the Sam Houston Student-Athlete Advisory Committee marched with members from ROTC to escort the rings for the official 2016 ring ceremony Wednesday afternoon.
Each year, prior to the presentation of the unique gold Sam Houston rings to Bearkat seniors by University President Dana G. Hoyt, each ring is guarded overnight in Austin Hall. The rings were escorted to Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum where the presentation ceremony is held.
Jay Robertson (track and field), Alysia Wynn (athletic trainers), Shelby Genung (volleyball), Wyatt Pennington (football) and Jordan Franks (softball) represented SAAC in the ceremonial march.
The gold ring symbolically captures the uniqueness of SHSU. The top of the ring features "SH" above a star and surrounded by the words, "Sam Houston State University." Students may select diamonds to highlight the top of the ring. One side of the ring displays Austin Hall with "SHSU" below, and the other side shows a high-contrast image of the statue of General Sam Houston with the founding year of "1879" below and the class year to the right of Sam Houston. Only class years 2003 and forward will be displayed.
Cast into the inside of the ring is the word "Honor." When Sam Houston joined the U.S. Army in 1813, Elizabeth Houston (Sam's mother) understand her son's decision. She called Sam to her side and handed him a musket saying "never disgrace it: for remember I had rather all my sons should fill one honorable grave, than one of them should turn his back to save his life." She told him to always remember, "while the door to my cottage is open to brave men, it is eternally shut to cowards." Elizabeth Houston placed a small gold band on his finger with a one-word inscription - HONOR.
Juniors and seniors wear the ring with the school name facing them. Upon the granting of degrees at Commencement, graduates turn the ring around, with the name facing outward. This symbolizes that the graduate is now ready to face the world.
