As Boilermakers, there are few times each day when we walk on campus and bypass the Bell Tower. Unless, of course, you’re on the south side of State Street, and even then there are times when you can see it standing proudly above campus. The Bell Tower is a landmark at Purdue, and a welcoming beacon to all who visit campus.
We all know the myth: if you walk under the Bell Tower as a freshman you won’t graduate in 4 years. Now I’m not one to test fate, so you better believe that I steered clear of that path my first year at Purdue. Just a little piece of advice to you 2015ers out there: avoid the Bell Tower. You can marvel at its beauty all day long, but do yourselves a favor and walk around. If you’re here for a victory lap or two, you can’t say you weren’t warned.
But how long has the Bell Tower really been a monument here at Purdue? According to the history section of the University’s webpage, the Bell Tower was built with donations from the class of 1948. The bells, however, were recycled from the old Heavilon Hall after it was destroyed by fire in 1894, just four days after it was dedicated. Who knew?!
The Bell Tower we all know and love was dedicated on October 14, 1995 during Homecoming weekend. It’s so strange to think that something that’s so fundamentally Purdue hasn’t been here all that long. Appreciate the campus you’re on, collegiettes™. Changes are being made here every day, so make memories of this place that will last a lifetime. And please, whatever you do, don’t walk under the Bell Tower.
*Sources
1. http://www.purdue.edu/usp/purdue_pride/history.shtml#bell
2. https://engineering.purdue.edu/ME/AboutUs/History/index.html
3. http://www.stat.purdue.edu/~dbaumann/images/belltower.jpeg
4. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/65/PurdueBelltower.jpg
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Purdue chapter.