MAY 17, 2021 — As hundreds of students prepare to graduate from UTSA and close a chapter in their lives, many will carry a memento with them that will always remind them they are Roadrunners—a class ring.
This semester nearly 400 students will join the UTSA alumni who have taken part in this long-standing tradition of receiving a class ring. The ring, which serves as a symbol of pride and accomplishment, creates a bond between alums and future graduates.
The UTSA class ring is not like any other college ring. Since 2012, every UTSA class ring—8,500 to date—has stayed overnight at the historic Alamo the night before the ring ceremony. The rings are hand-delivered by the UTSA Alumni Association in a secure box for the tradition. UTSA is the only university in San Antonio to house its rings at the historic Texas landmark.
“There are few places as iconic as the Mission San Antonio de Valero, and being able to house our rings overnight in the Alamo before our ring recipients put them on their fingers is an unforgettable way to forever connect our graduates’ accomplishments to the deep and rich history of San Antonio and Texas,” said Steve Woodall, interim executive director of the UTSA Alumni Association.
While the Alamo serves as a sacred place for the rings to rest, it’s also a part of the symbolism featured on the ring itself.
On one side of the ring, the Alamo is pictured with the words, “From our hills of oak and cedar to the Alamo," which is the opening line of the UTSA alma mater. These words represent the continued growth of the university; the trees lining Main Campus and the Alamo representing the Downtown Campus.
The other side features the Sombrilla, the iconic gathering place for students to meet with friends, grab a bite to eat, or work on homework. Accompanying the Sombrilla image is Rowdy, the UTSA mascot, and native Texas plants such as bluebonnets, wildflowers, and cacti to signify the Southwest.
On top of the rings lays the university seal, which will distinguish a UTSA Roadrunner from other college graduates. Wrapped around the university seal is the motto “Disciplina Praesidium Civitatis,” which translates to “A cultivated mind is the guardian genius of democracy,” a quote by the Republic of Texas president Mirabeau B. Lamar.
The images within the seal represent this exact motto. The shield signifies protection, while the open book in the shield stands for higher learning. The star at the bottom of the seal represents the Republic of Texas and the wreath with the olive branch stands for a symbol of peace.
The students traditionally receive their rings during an official ring ceremony, but because of COVID-19 the students received their rings and a certificate in a drive-thru pick up.
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
Día en la Sombrilla, formerly Fiesta UTSA, is a festival hosted each spring as a part of Fiesta® San Antonio events. Sponsored by Roadrunner Productions, the event features music, food, confetti, games, event t-shirts, and more.
Sombrilla Plaza, Main CampusCovidence is a systematic & scoping review tool used to streamline the process of screening and reviewing articles. Using this software, research teams can easily import studies, perform automatic deduplication, and extract data using templates. This workshop will show attendees how to start a review in Covidence, add collaborators, and get started on screening.
Virtual (Zoom)In this workshop, attendees will be introduced to Pandas, a Python tool for working with data easily. It makes it simple to organize and analyze information when data is organized and categorized, like spreadsheets or tables.
Group Spot B, John Peace LibraryEach fall and spring semester, students convene at the Main Campus at UTSA with booths, ideas and prototypes. A crowd of judges, local organizations, students, faculty and sponsors walk around and talk to the students about their projects and ask questions. Students get the real-life experience of "pitching" their project with hopes of getting funding or support to move to the next level.
UTSA Convocation Center, Main CampusJoin the doctoral candidates for the Doctoral Conferreal Ceremony and celebrate their accomplishments.
Arts Building Recital Hall, Main CampusCelebrate the graduates from the Carlos Alvarez College of Business, College of Education and Human Development, Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design and University College.
AlamodomeCelebrate the graduates from the College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Liberal and Fine Arts and College of Sciences.
AlamodomeThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
