Reflecting on 2024’s Sophomore Ring Dunk

On a sleepy morning, I sat at my desk in the Marketing Department at Hardin-Simmons, and I thought I would be going home at noon. That notion changed quickly when the calendar reminded me what day it was: Monday, the fourth of March. You might ask: Why was that date significant? Well, it was when this year’s annual Sophomore Ring Dunk was held. 

Mason is a sophomore majoring in English at HSU.

My name is Mason, and I am a proud English major and alleged campus participant (when I drag myself out of bed!). I’ve only been on campus for two semesters, yet I’ve earned enough credits picked up here and there before transferring in, and by some technicality, I count as a sophomore. So, I sat in my last class of the morning, mind venturing off towards later that day. I don’t even know many people on campus! Would I truly fit in at such an event? 

HSU proved that, as with most of my worries, I had nothing to fear. The event took place in the heart of campus by the Alumni Wall (between Abilene Hall and Sandefer Memorial). Food and drinks were lined up on the lawn for everyone to take freely. I took a sandwich and ventured toward the buckets of purple dye with my friend Callie. 

As with every tradition on campus, the Ring Dunk is inundated with meaning. For a student, the threshold marks the halfway point in their journey, but it’s more than that. It’s halfway between being a fresh member of the HSU family and being one of its champions abroad. It shows that they’re well on their way to being the person they want to be. 

As I stuck my hand into the bucket, purple dye reaching up to my wrist, I realized my prior worries were unfounded. What did I have to be nervous about? As I gazed around the crowd, each of my fellow sophomores had purple hands and a keychain ring to symbolize their achievement. I wasn’t just with them by technicality—I was one of them.

It can be easy to tuck your head down on campus: do your work, eat, go to sleep, the usual. I challenge you to escape that loop. Move beyond the classroom and into the community. You’ll find that even your schoolwork is easier when you’re genuinely a part of something bigger than yourself. Check the HSU Calendar to see what events are happening on and around campus. I assure you, you won’t regret attending any of them.