Ring Dance

Mary Ellen and I, Zane's friend Mitchell's fiance. They are getting married next summer right after graduation as well.

With Zane being a cadet at the Air Force Academy, there are a lot of special and unique experiences he is privileged to have and participate in. Luckily, some of those events I am invited to as well! When a cadet is a rising senior, there is a formal dinner/dance that is held called "Ring Dance". At the dinner, the cadets receive their class rings that had been ordered during their junior year. Each ring is different, however, every ring features that classes' crest and the United States Air Force crest on the sides.

This year Zane will be a senior so I was able to attend the dance with him this past May 21st. The dinner was surprisingly good, considering we were eating in Mitchell Hall, and consisted of steak, mashed potatoes, salad, green beans, rolls, cheesecake and sparkling cider/ champagne.


The cadets are not allowed to open the ring box and admire their ring until it is time for the actual ring ceremony. After a series of toasts, the cadets are instructed to open the box and put the ring into their glass filled with (in our case) sparkling cider. There is then a toast to the rising class and the couples drink. The cadet catches the ring in his mouth, kisses his date, passes the ring into the dates mouth, and then the date puts the ring onto the now Cadet First Class's finger. I wonder how awkward it was for the couple's that this was their first date. Luckily, Zane and I had had lots of practice leading up to the big moment.

Zane's class ring makes my engagement ring look tiny!

After the dinner and before the dance, we walked around the Academy Terrazo and took some pictures to remember the event.

Eric and his date Alicia. Eric has been Zane's friend, mission companion and roommate during the past five years. His is also going to be Zane's best man at our wedding.

The dance was really fun as well. Many of the couples turn the event into an all weekend activity with renting cabins up in Breckenridge, going white water rafting, etc. Sadly for me, I had to hurry to go back to BYU because I took classes spring term. But Zane didn't miss out on too much because the morning after the dance, he left to go on a month long trip to Spain. It was a fun memory to make and another milestone for Zane in his Academy experience.