The UT Tower will shine with burnt orange lights Thursday, November 19 for the Texas Exes Ring Celebration.

As part of the dedication ceremony, class rings will spend the night the Tower while it shines in honor of the students and alumni who will soon wear them.

The class ring not only symbolizes the incredible education alumni have received and the experiences that have shaped them, it is also a daily reminder to change the world.

“This is a big milestone, and one that symbolizes academic achievement and your dedication to living out the mission of the university of Texas,” President Jay Hartzell said in a message to this year’s class ring recipients.

Earlier this fall, the Texas Exes presented Hartzell, PhD ’98, Life Member, with his class ring, which will now be dedicated during this year’s ceremony.

“It needs to be infused with that burnt orange magic, so I hope it’s ok with you if I add my ring, which is a lot newer than it should be, to your group so it can also receive its proper dedication in the Tower,” Hartzell said in the message.

Last year, the Texas Exes lead efforts to make the Ring Celebration grander, and, for the first time ever, the class rings spent the night inside the hallowed halls of the Tower. When the rings were placed inside the Tower then, Texas Exes Executive Director Chuck Harris, BBA ’86, Life Member, signed a proclamation for the new ring celebration. It reads:

“The shining Tower, a beacon of Longhorn pride, will infuse the rings with the spirit of the Forty Acres.”