Party on Old Main: Bell Tower Bash

Chances are you’ve walked by it a thousand times. You can recognize its glorious chimes from anywhere on campus. No matter how many times you pass it on your way to class, just one look and you fall in love with Penn State all over again. That’s right, we’re talking about Old Main’s Bell Tower, one of the most recognizable landmarks on campus.

With so much history and (let’s be real) awesomeness behind it, it’s no wonder that climbing the Bell Tower is at the top of many students’ Penn State bucket lists. And if you haven’t climbed the Bell Tower just yet, don’t worry because Penn State’s very own Lion Ambassadors (the Student Alumni Corps operated by the Penn State Alumni Association) has got you covered.

This year’s Bell Tower Bash (BTB) is this Wednesday, April 10^th, from 1-4 p.m. on the Old Main Patio. This is your prime opportunity to climb to the top of the Bell Tower, check out the view from the top and take oodles and oodles of Facebook pictures (especially important for the already nostalgic graduating seniors among us).

There will be free food, performances by campus groups, and activities with Lion Ambassadors where you can learn more about Old Main’s impressive history. And if you think there isn’t much to learn about a bell tower, think again.

For instance, during the late 1800s, the bell signaled when it was time to wake up, work, change classes (that would be annoying) and go to chapel. And here we thought that hearing the bells chime “Hail to the Lion” was a big deal.

“Legend has it that students would turn the bell upside down, fill it with water, and wait until it froze. The ice would prevent the bell from ringing and waking them up in the morning,” says Lion Ambassador Meg McDermott.

This year’s Bell Tower Bash is replacing another previously popular Lion Ambassadors’ event, the Old Main Open House, which was also usually held this time of year. As Old Main undergoes renovations, Lion Ambassadors organized BTB as a way to allow students to continue to enjoy the Bell Tower and its important part in Penn State’s history, even through Old Main’s construction.

With so much history behind dear old State, McDermott says, “We hope this year’s Bell Tower Bash will help students gain a greater appreciation of Old Main—a building that most of us pass daily, but may not put that much thought into.”

For more information on this year’s Bell Tower Bash, check out the rest of the details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/108494982681078/

Photo courtesy of Penn State Lion Ambassadors