Class of 2012 Ring Dinner

“October 22, 2010 was truly “A Magical Night at the Top” for the Class of 2012. You could feel the anticipation and excitement as soon as you stepped off of the elevator and onto the twenty-first floor of the Capital City Club of Raleigh.  The view of the Raleigh skyline took my breath away as we approached our table, complete with purple, black and gold decorations which reflected the magical theme.  

Our evening began as the Ring Dinner tri-chairs welcomed us to the dinner; we could all see the excitement and satisfaction on their faces as the ceremony began.  As we all enjoyed our dinner, I looked around table number three and realized how lucky I was to be surrounded by my closest friends on this very special night.   Our 2012 Bathtub Ring served as our entertainment for the night.  While they preformed several of the traditional BTR songs, they finished up their set with a special song dedicated to our class.  Shortly thereafter, two representatives from the Young Alumnae Board presented the Ring Essay Contest winners.  Each year, the Young Alumnae Board holds an essay contest for the current junior class.  Each member of the class is invited to share an essay about what the Meredith College onyx means to them.  The first place winner of this contest, which is announced at Ring Dinner, wins a class ring!  Emily Pappas, who was also celebrating her 21^st birthday, deservingly received first place in the contest.  Many of us could not hold back the tears as her poignant essay was read aloud.  Next, the Ring Week tri-chairs presented a poem to our class as we watched a slide show of images from the week leading up to our magical night. The slide show captured some of our memories from the week and reminded us of how excited we were to receive our own onyx rings. Dr. Jean Jackson was our guest speaker for the event.  She lightened the mood as she told us several stories about her experiences with her onyx.  And then… finally… it was time to slip our very own onyxes on our very own fingers.  I will never forget the moment that Dr. Jackson told us to put on our rings. I tried so hard to hold in my tears, but it was impossible.  The overflowing of emotion led to the appearance of tears in my first picture taken with my onyx.  I remember hugging all of my friends and taking pictures with what seemed like everyone in the room.  Those pictures will always mean the world to me.

Ring dinner was more than I could have ever imagined.   When I am an alumna of Meredith College, I know that I will look back on this night and remember the excitement that I shared with the class of 2012; it will be one of my most treasured memories for sure.   I have never felt so close to my Meredith sisters as I did that night; our class has grown extremely close during our time at Meredith and I am so grateful to have been a part of this timeless tradition.  I will have this ring on my right hand everyday for the rest of my life.  To me, my onyx represents my hard work and dedication during my time at Meredith. It also signifies the appreciation I feel towards the college, as well as a connection to all other Meredith graduates.”

– Christina Mendenhall , ’12