Today at 4:00 p.m. the Class of 2010 will be at the Bell Tower to begin pursuing its class gift, the first physical bell for the Bell Tower.
Chancellor James Woodward and Senior Class President Jay Dawkins will address attendees and the Bell Tower will be made available to the public to tour for the duration of the event.
“This event is the senior class kicking off the fundraiser for the senior gift,” Dawkins said. “We will be announcing significant developments beneficial to the Bell Tower project and will open the Tower after our remarks.”
According to Dawkins, the last class to make any significant contribution to the Bell Tower was the Class of 1949 and this gift is an effort to pick up where it left off.
“Our gift is to contribute the first bell to the Finish the Bell Tower project,” Dawkins said. “We’ve seen a ton of support from the student body for this project.”
Completing the Bell Tower received 61 percent of the vote when the senior class cast its ballots for class gift nominations.
The goal of the fundraiser is to raise $35,000 from the senior class to pay for the bell, which will be the first of what will be a 54-bell carillon set in the Bell Tower. The fundraiser provides recognition to contributors: those donating $20.10 will be noted in the yearbook and be on record as having contributed and those donating $210 will have their names chiseled on the bell.
Dawkins said the Class of 2010 has taken it upon itself to take one of the larger bells first, some of which can cost up to $50,000.
“We have to leave a legacy while we’re still here,” he said. “Class of 2010 is giving back to N.C. State. As alumni we must support the alma mater.”
The senior class’ bell, along with subsequent bells which can be purchased by classes or individual sponsors, will not be installed until all 54 are in the University’s possession. Until then they will be displayed somewhere on campus.
This point and the gift as a whole, however, have drawn some disagreement from the student body.
Deonna Taylor, a senior in biological life science, said the bell was not really necessary, especially as a gift, given it would be only one of the eventual 54.
“They could have come up with something more substantial,” she said. “I suppose it’s a symbolic thing but as Class of 2010 I don’t think I’m leaving a legacy by buying bells.”
Taylor said she recalls not voting for the Bell Tower and thinking there were better ideas for a class gift.
“I would rather spend the money on a better cause,” Taylor said. “Putting the money towards helping people would have been more significant.”
Kevin Conyers, a senior in industrial engineering, said he liked the idea because the Bell Tower essentially represents the University, citing assorted paraphernalia bearing the Bell Tower’s image.
“[The fundraiser] is going to be a great idea because we need money for this kind of stuff. At least they don’t get us with fees for the bell,” he said. “But as the class gift, if it’s going to be up in the Bell Tower no one will ever see it.”
