It is that time of the year again: rising juniors are ordering their onyxes. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, all sales have been moved online. Prior to the closure of campus, there was supposed to be an in-person sizing booth set up by Jostens in the Alumnae House, as there had been in previous years. Now, both Meredith and Jostens have had to adjust to a new online set up. According to Meredith’s Jostens representative, Thomas Bell, ring sizers were sent to students upon request, and the first day of ordering went very well. Lily Rosene, the Assistant Director of Alumnae Relations and one of the Class of 2022’s advisors, has been the liaison between Meredith students and Jostens, guiding the process and providing information and support wherever she can. She knows the transition has been difficult and is sad that she is unable to share “the joy of ordering onyxes in person.” She also notes that the Class of 2022 “has remained strong and embraced the virtual ring ordering experience.”
The transition to an online platform has gone smoothly overall, though there were some slight delays on the Jostens website, likely due to an overload of students attempting to order their rings. However, many members of the Class of 2022 are disappointed about not being able to try on their onyx in person. Ingrid Santiago says she is both “excited and terrified [she’ll] order the wrong size,” as most sophomores are, despite all of the help Jostens has given. There seems to be a group consensus among students that Meredith and Jostens are handling the situation the best they can. When asked about how she felt both entities were managing ring sales, sophomore Kayla DePietro said she thought “they seem to share some of our sadness that we weren’t able to do [the sales] traditionally.”
However, there have been some negative opinions about pricing. There is a $100 discount being offered, but it is only applicable for the three-day sales event from April 21 to April 23. Sophomore Mackenzie Ulibarri points out that “most of us got laid off or can’t afford it, for only three days.” Many students are facing this problem and even with the payment plans Jostens is offering, it may not be possible for everyone to spend money on an onyx when they need to pay for groceries and living expenses. Overall, the change in circumstances has not dampened the excitement of ordering Meredith’s traditional onyx and despite some issues everyone interviewed relayed their excitement about receiving their ring in October.
By Ell Shelp-Peck, Staff Writer