Oh crap, I bought the wrong ring!

This viewpoint was written before the Daily printed a news article on class rings ("Students faced with multiple options for their class rings," Nov. 17). I apologize for the repetition of some information but my purpose in writing this Viewpoint still holds true. I hope that something can be changed about this situation for future graduating classes at Tufts.

If you are a senior, and you are like me, there is a good chance you are confused about which class ring company sells the "official" ring of Tufts University. Well, worry no longer, I have the answer you have been waiting for.

But, more importantly, why do we have multiple companies selling rings on campus in the first place? Shouldn't there only be one specific class ring? Read on. There are two companies who are selling rings on Tufts campus this year. They are Artcarved and Ringware. Seniors all received an e-mail recently telling them that Ringware, the "official ring of the Tufts Alumni Association," was going to be on campus selling rings. However, just a few weeks ago, during Parents' Weekend, you may have seen Artcarved in the bookstore selling rings.

Both companies have very nice rings, and very nice people selling the rings. They also have fairly comparable prices. Artcarved has a bit larger selection, but if you go through Ringware, everyone would have a ring that is practically the same. I think everyone having a ring that is the same is a good thing. This way, it is very recognizable as Tufts' ring. Both companies offer ten-carat, 14-carat, and 18-carat white or yellow gold, as well as a less expensive version for about half of the price. Artcarved calls their less expensive metal "siladium," while Ringware uses the well-known sterling silver. Both companies have versions of the ring with the Tufts seal on it. Ringware has another type that is a plain band that says "Tufts 2004." Artcarved has a wide variety of other possibilities for rings. One such ring has Goddard Chapel on it, another has a stone in the middle (which reminds me of a high school ring), and they have multiple other options. But which one is the official ring of Tufts?

Actually, both companies have official rings for Tufts. If you were to buy a ring from Artcarved, the bookstore would get a commission on your purchase. If you buy a ring from Ringware, the Alumni Association would make some money. So both rings are supporting a Tufts organization, and both are officially licensed by the university. Many companies apply each year to sell our class rings. Apparently, multiple organizations are able to sponsor a ring company as long as they get it approved by the University.

Here's my situation: after agonizing for hours over which, if any ring to get, I purchased a ring from Artcarved during parents' weekend, thinking that Artcarved was my only option. When I found out there is another company, I was very confused and looked into the differences. I have since cancelled my order with Artcarved, because I simply don't know which ring I want to get anymore. That's not to say that I am not going to eventually get a ring from Artcarved, it's just that I don't know which one I want yet. I figured I should put some more thought into it. Artcarved has a 14-day cancellation policy so I was sure to cancel my order before that date.

It seems odd that we have two ring companies on campus selling us class rings. Doesn't that go against the idea of a unified class all having a certain ring? If you look at other schools in the area, MIT specifically, they have a ring design committee. Each year, students are given the opportunity to design their own class ring. Then one ring is decided upon, and that is the ring that everyone buys. Students are not overwhelmed with ten different rings and ten different styles. There is one class ring that is distinct from year to year.

I think Tufts should only allow one ring company to offer a ring each year. The next question is, which group should get the commission for these rings, and I don't have an answer for that. I think that should be up to the students. Maybe the Senior Class should make money from the rings that we could use towards the class gift. Or maybe the Alumni Association should be the only group to make money, because when we graduate, we will all become members of the Alumni Association. I don't know the answer, but I encourage the Senate and the student body to take action in this matter. A class ring is special. We, as a class should have the same ring. We should not be given the choice of many rings just so more than one group can make money.

Seth Leiboh is a senior majoring in Chemical Engineering.