Bell Tower Climb

Today was the day of the senior Bell Tower climb, a tradition for soon-to-be Carolina graduates in the last few weeks of school. The Bell Tower is one of the historic landmarks on campus, most importantly relied on by hurried students trying to make it to class just in time. The bells chime in fifteen minute increments, with songs randomly played throughout the day. One of the first things I noticed when I came to UNC was the fact that the chime is exactly the same as the wall clock at home on the Outer Banks, so instantly I felt comforted by this hometown reminder. On certain occasions, the clock will glow different colors: pink on Valentine's Day, blue on game nights, orange (with a Jack-O-Lantern face in the middle) during Halloween, and the songs change according to the events on campus as well. On the night we beat Duke this year, the Bell Tower chimed our fight song and alma mater for at least an hour.

So, needless to say, being able to climb the Bell Tower was such an exciting event. Knowing the line was bound to be incredibly long, I got there at 8:45am (the climb started at 9:00am) with the Daily Tarheel newspaper in one hand and breakfast in the other. There were about 75 people in line waiting when I got there (less than I expected), so I wasn't worried about having to wait too long. The day was absolutely beautiful, though, so I would have sat out there all day if I needed to. At 9:00am they started lining us up and I made friends with the people around me as we waited in line (big surprise!)

At 10:00 (yes, an hour and fifteen minutes later), we were finally at the steps of the tower! It reminded me so much of climbing the lighthouses at home, with the spiral staircases and wrought iron railings. I found one of my friends from high school (the guy in the middle) and we decided to climb up together. They gave us a liability waver to sign before going in, stating that the six-story climb could be "physically taxing" and cause "shortness of breath and exhaustion". Whoever wrote that liability waver must not have lived on south campus their freshman year, because I would be willing to bet that the almost 2-mile walk to campus each morning was much more physically taxing than a six-story climb!

We climbed to the first balcony and looked out on the campus (and the growing line we had once been standing in!) Inside, there were wooden signs with members of the Order of the Bell Tower dating back to the 1950s and music sheets of the songs the bell tower plays. Also, on the opposite wall of the one shown here, there was a really long panoramic view of campus from the very top balcony (one which we wouldn't be able to climb up to). There were three different levels to stop on after the balcony, each boasting brick walls packed with the signatures of students who have since graduated and moved on to the real world and little square windows looking out on the campus.

I found a brick on the last staircase to write my name and year (the first photo of this blog) and then decided that, since Tyler never got to leave his legacy as a senior in the Bell Tower, I'd include him in the claim to fame. I also found one more little brick to represent those of us on the coast...

We reluctantly climbed back down, taking pictures all the way, and were handed "I'm a Senior..who the Heel are you?!" stickers to proudly wear around campus.

I was surprised at how sentimental I felt at having the opportunity to leave my mark on this campus, especially since it has definitely left its mark on me in the last four years. There's just something about being part of such a large community of people who are all bonded by their experiences here that leaves me humbled, educated, and grateful for the things I've been so fortunate to partake in and the incredible people I've met here. There's an excitement in knowing that, at any point in the day, I can walk to the Pit and watch student groups perform, contests being hosted, or tour groups being directed through. Or that I can walk in the hallway of my dorm and have a conversation with 28 completely different people from completely different backgrounds with completely different outlooks on life. Or that I can pick up the school newspaper every day and expect to find articles about my peers doing amazing things with their lives. Or that I can forever say I am a Tarheel, that I am part of the student body that has built UNC into one of the most prestigious institutions in the country.

Senior year has been so full of reflections on who I am now in comparison to who I was when I came to UNC, but it's also full of anticipation for the future. I can't wait to start pharmacy school or to go back home to the Outer Banks--a place that will always be home, no matter where I am. I am thankful for the experiences I've had here, but I'm even more thankful for the ones to come.

Happy Tuesday!

Nicole