When did ring dunking become a tradition? I am class of '83 and this tradition did not exist then. I have talked with others as old as class of '88 that did it.

My oldest had her dunking party this past weekend. To make it outdoor related, they did it in the backyard.

BTHOtu

Could not tell ya, I am 08 and have not done mine

I have heard later 80's but I have also heard stories from Ags back before the 80's dunking their ring.......but I do know for a fact that in January 2008 I dunked mine!

I am c.o. '89 and we did it, but we did not time it. From what I remeber, pitcher at the chicken dunk your ring and drink the beer.

We did it in '98. You aren't supposed to use pitchers at the chicken but the schooners. we didn't settle for that and went the pitcher route anyways. Had all but one swallow down in around 15 or 20 seconds. took another 26 or so seconds to finish that last swallow. 46 seconds was the end time. then I was miserable the rest of the evening. not drunk, just full. and couldn't drink anymore.

I am class of '87 and we did it. However, we didn't time it. We just drank 'til the pitcher was empty.

[This message has been edited by el presidente (edited 11/24/2009 11:18a).]

Timing it became a bragging rights thing in the 90's. The practice is actually fairly old, and was probably picked up from older military traditions where various groups dropped various medals, pins, etc into booze to celebrate earning them. Some people circa the early 80's at A&M decided to do it with rings. It wasn't long before the idea caught on, becuase who doesn't like another excuse to chug some beer while in college?

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dixie_Chicken_(bar)#Ring_dunking

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In the late 1970s, the Aggie tradition of "ring dunking" began at the Dixie Chicken.[14] In this tradition concerning Ring Day, a student drops their class ring into a pitcher of beer which is then chugged on the back porch of the Dixie Chicken.[15] This is not a university-sanctioned tradition, though some estimate that anywhere between 25 to 75 percent of students dunk their rings.[16] Along with a drinking provision that went into effect on April 3, 2005, instead of pitchers, students are only allowed to buy 32 ounce (950 mL) mugs of beer on Ring Day.[17] In his comments to the Texas A&M graduating class of Fall 2008, President George W. Bush stated that, "Back in my day, I think I would have enjoyed dunk [sic] my ring."[18] The president also joked about the absence of his Secretary of Defense (and former president of A&M) Robert Gates from the ceremony by stating, "It's not like he's over at the Dixie Chicken.”

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Dunked mine but it was in a pitcher and not timed '76

i did it in 05 shortly after they banned the pitchers at the chicken...couple of guys ran out telling me to stop just as the last drops went down the hatch. 18 seconds

Had never heard of it in 1978. Picked up my ring at the AFS, put it on my finger. End of ceremony.

Hey, AgsMnn.

i dunked mine september 23, 2007. 35 seconds flat

Yes, I need to do it some time. Just never did it. Might happen soon though. Has anyone else not dunked theirs?

Dunked mine in '99.

3:53

But I also came from Freebirds and had a Monster in my stomach. I also didn't spill a drop, nor puke. A pitcher was used, and I still have the pitcher to this day.

That 2005 figure on the schooners is incorrect. They started doing that the year I got my ring, Spring 1996, at the Chicken where they gave us mason jars instead of pitchers. I dunked mine twice. Used the schooner in the Chicken, then the next day did it at the Ptarmigan in a full pitcher. The mason jar (schooner) just didn't feel like tradition.

I did mine in 2001. Did it in one minute. Still have the pitcher. I did it in the back yard at my rent house behing Barnnes and Noble at the time. There was a kicka** party after that. Don't remember much else. You were supposed to keep the time and do it under your graduating year number(01' - 1 minute 1 second). Fun times!

Did mine in the spring of '01. 32 seconds flat, no spillage, and I kept it all down. Did it at a friends house, so no one to tell us to stop us or keep us from using pitchers.

Dunked mine in the Tune Inn Tavern in Washington, DC (ring was shipped to me as I was on an internship at the time). 98 seconds. All I remember about it is that it was cold, so GD cold going down my throat!

...got back to B/CS and friends wanted me to dunk it again. I said no. Complained about the cold and being gassy (sounds like it was my time of the month) and then I got talked into dunking it in 12 shots of tequila. 3 Hussongs, then 3 Patron, then 6 whatever crap you have in a plastic bottle. Ring was in the last shot glass.


...the first time I didn't feel great. The 2nd time I puked. Everywhere.

I like how this has turned from a discussion of when the tradition started into folks bragging about their time... since I haven't had the privilege to dunk yet, I'll post some pretty awesome videos.

First, a girl http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtOgeLPMvB4

Then there's this guy... sorry about the frat-ness, but it's amazing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJXqezCvNrU&feature=related

I dunked mine at the place I hung out the most, Wings 'N More! Don't think I timed it, though.

Started by the owners of the Chicken and this made-up tradition continues to make them a stinkin' mint today.



MBAAg

I'm a '96 and I started out at the Dry Bean with a few shots then over to Chicken. 56 seconds. It went in Bud Light and came out Shiner Bock about an hour later. I plastered the floor and a bench in the back by the rattlesnakes. I remember looking up as I was snot-rocketing a load of mucus and half digested beer foam out of one nostril and realized it had splattered all over some old gals purse. I apologized and offered to get her some napkins but she just smiled and said she should have been smarter and kept her purse off the floor.

class of 92, dunked in a Pitcher in the Chicken. I had the first 3/4 down in about 20 seconds, the rest took up about 2 min 34 seconds. I kept it down and had quite a few more the rest of the night. I still have the pitcher with the date and time written on the side.

Too bad they stopped allowing the use of pitchers, a scooner is just not the same.

How many new army greeks here on the OB?

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Started by the owners of the Chicken and this made-up tradition continues to make them a stinkin' mint today.

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I'm sure at one point they made a ton off that, but now that you can't do the pitcher at the chicken I don't think many people dunk their rings there anymore- at least most people I know opted to just dunk at someones house

Since the eliminated drinking on the back porch in 05... every ring dunk I've been at/heard of has been at a house party.

at my house at the time

I was fairly inebriated before (my reasoning was that you must build a ramp to get over the wall :/ )
46 seconds.

i puked.

but i chased it with a natty light right after.

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Since the eliminated drinking on the back porch in 05.

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...say what!? Maybe I was more drunk than I thought on Halloween because I'm pretty sure I was sitting on the back porch rail and drinking while watching the costumed sloots...

I'm not talking about the deck area in the back of all of the bars, I'm talking about the sidewalks/parking lot area. You can't walk down the steps with your drink, IOW, leave the bar. I was just barely hanging out on NG in early 05 and you could bring your pitcher outside to the sidewalk area to a huge crowd of cheering friends to dunk. We always called the whole area behind NG "the back porch".

gotcha.

Dunked mine same time as tx4guns...spring of '96. And he's right, that was the first time they tried to crack down on using pitchers. F that, found a spot in the back of the Chicken and had friends gather round me while I chugged. Don't remember the time, probably over 2 minutes. Threw up later in the night after lots more beers and shots. Ahhh...college.

Class of '85 and I worked at The Chicken in fall of '85. I do not recall any ring dunkings. I myself could not afford one as a student and received mine as a wedding gift from my wife in '90


Deliver Me!

FYI, in case anyone needs it.

http://studentlife.tamu.edu/adep/alcoholpoisoning

'89, did mine, untimed. but "we" didnt drink the pitcher, i did. I recall that being the rule, though I may have just been selfish.