Bells bring community members and memories back to UNI campus
Bells bring community members and memories back to UNI campus
On the morning of Monday, May 1, four trucks from The Verdin Company rolled onto the University of Northern Iowa’s campus. This delivery carried 15 tons of precious cargo - the long-awaited return of the carillon bells.
“It’s the heart and soul of our campus in many ways,” President Mark Nook said of the Campanile. “It really holds a special place for students. A great place for students to gather, and fond memories coming back to campus always include the Campanile."
A crowd drew as bells were lined up at the base of the Campanile for all to see. UNI students and staff as well as community members rejoiced to see their beloved bells back on campus. Of course, many pictures were taken. After all, it’s not every day you can pose alongside thousands upon thousands of pounds of brass - the largest bell being nearly 4,000 pounds by itself.
“It's amazing to see these bells back here on campus,” said Emily Clouser, president of the UNI Guild of Carillonneurs. “It's kind of surreal because we never thought that they would come but now the day is here, and it seems like time just flew by while they were gone. It just gets me excited to get back up there and get playing.”
The opportunity to see the bells up close brought Waterloo residents Dale and Linda Miller.
“This has a very special meaning for me because my mother went here when it was Iowa State Teachers College back in the late 40s,” said Linda, who recounted the Campanile’s longstanding traditions, which hold a special place now in memory of her parents: “My father gave her his pin underneath this clock. So it has a history for me.”
UNI holds a special place for the Millers as they have numerous family ties to the university.
Both their daughter and son-in-law are graduates, and their niece will be attending UNI this fall. Before he retired, Dale worked at UNI in the mail center and in IT.
The Campanile has been the backdrop of fond memories for many, including Donita and Gordon Krueger who met at UNI and graduated in 1995. Donita recalls the times the couple visited at Christmas to see trees by the Campanile lit for the holidays while hearing Christmas carols from the carillon above.
“I just think it's a historic thing,” said Donita. “You always hear the campanile playing but you never think about the bells behind it. And the fact that they were able to take them out and restore and fix things that they needed to and it's just kind of a neat thing. It's pretty cool to see, and you can tell the the new stuff that they've done, and and it's just it's amazing to think that they can make the music they make with these.”
While many choose to take their photo with the largest bells, others seek out bells dedicated to specific groups of people. The Kruegers took this as an opportunity to take a picture of the bell dedicated to the Mothers and Fathers of Iowa, and with Gordon’s military background, a photo with the bell dedicated to wartime heroes.
“We’ll never see them again,” said Gordon. “Not in our lifetime anyway.”
