Symone Sewell-Richardson
Copy Editor
At the beginning of the school year, I remember the first day so clearly: Walking to my classes, catching up with friends and just settling back into the rhythm of campus life. But when I got home, something felt off, like something was missing. The next day it hit me: The hourly bell had completely disappeared. Honestly, it was an upsetting revelation.
For me, hearing the bell chime always brought a sense of calm and whimsy to the atmosphere. It made me smile, even on chaotic days. That got me wondering: Why does a simple bell sound do that? Some say the frequencies of bells have meditative, healing and calming effects on the body. On top of that, bells have long been tied to ceremonies and celebrations (weddings, births, holidays) marking important moments in time. They’ve also served as warnings to call communities to attention. Their history spans across history, from European cathedrals to ancient China.
That’s cool and all, but do you know the lore about bells?
According to Deborah Faylo, bells historically weren’t just tools of sound, they were also instruments of social control. Their presence, or their silence, had the ability to shape and shift entire communities. Throughout history, bells have been confiscated, melted down — since they were a “cheap raw material” that could be used to make coins and weaponry — but it goes deeper than that.
Bells often held symbolic meaning of community, especially for devout religious communities. Targeting them wasn’t random, it was an intentional act meant to disorient and silence people. This was seen during World War II. According to the New York Times, the Nazis confiscated bells across the territories that they occupied. It is even noted in Anne Frank’s diary: “For a week already we’ve all been a little confused about the time, ever since our dear and precious Westertoren bell has apparently been hauled away for factory use … and we don’t know precisely what time it is, neither day or night.” It was already a time of turmoil and it is insane to think of how simply removing a bell could intensify the confusion and terror at the time, and also be a source of cultural disruption, since no bellringing meant that no one is meeting for Sunday mass or to discuss the state of their lives. A true loss of community was enacted.
Okay, here’s my conspiracy: Those random days this semester when the bell did ring? I believe it was an attempt to calm the campus vibes after some questionable administrative decisions. Which is exactly why I think we should advocate bringing the hourly bell back on a regular schedule, not just for the whimsical aesthetic, but because that sound genuinely can shift the atmosphere. Sometimes a small moment of grounding each hour is enough to pull us out of the chaos and even bring us together as a community.