Hear the clock tower chimes ring again

When the hands on the McCullough Plaza clock tower strike 10 p.m., the chords of “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” sound out across campus.

The tune is intended to strike inspiration in students still studying in the library or working on a big project late into the night.

At 7:45 a.m., “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’” greets the day.

After sitting dormant for nearly three years, the clock tower chimes are ringing again.

Over winter break, the IU Southeast Office of Facility Operations installed a fully automatic, digital carillon system inside Hillside Hall. A tape recording-based bell carillon player system was originally installed in 1989 along with the clock at the center of McCullough Plaza. Facility Operations staff believe the chimes stopped sounding sometime after the 2014 Commencement ceremony.

The modern system, created by the Cincinnati-based Verdin Company, provides the traditional sound of bronze bells on a high-resolution, color touch screen. The system comes loaded with an extensive digital library, from traditional Americana melodies to classic hymns.

The carillon is housed in a closet in Hillside Hall and can be programmed remotely from a personal computer. The speakers sit atop Hillside Hall’s roof. The project cost $10,000, which Vice Chancellor for Administrative Affairs Dana Wavle considers a small investment for “a major enhancement to our campus culture.”

“It’s just part of being on a vibrant college campus that has history and tradition,” Wavle said. “The hope with the carillon system is that it creates a sense of pride for students, alumni, faculty and staff, so we’re happy to bring it back.”

Currently, chimes ring every hour on the hour. Four melodies play throughout the day – once in the morning, at noon, in the evening and at night.

Wavle intends to program the tunes at more regular intervals, but he wanted to slowly reintroduce a feature that the campus has otherwise been without for a few years. In the future, he hopes to incorporate “Back Home Again in Indiana” and the IU Fight Song into the rotation to inspire pride in the student body.

When Wavle reflects on staple fixtures of a college campus – libraries, laboratories, classrooms, concert halls, studios, plazas – he also thinks of a traditional carillon. As such, he said IU Southeast deserved such a system.

“We are the best of the best at what we do in this region,” he said. “Why not couple that with something you’d find on the best college campuses throughout the country?”

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