Wednesday, May 5, 2010
The Campanile was constructed in 1950 and dedicated on May 27, 1951 as a World War II memorial. The tradition to walk through the bell tower after graduation began the following year.
Fun Facts About the Campanile
According to KU Info’s website, it takes the average-sized graduate about 300 steps to make it from the Campanile to the bottom of the hill.
The Campanile holds a carillon, which consists of 53 bells that are played similarly to a piano or xylophone using the hands and feet.
The bells chime every 15 minutes from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
According to kupreservation.org the 53 bells are made from a mixture of copper and tin and weigh from ten pounds to seven tons, hanging in six tiers.
The entrance of the Campanile is called “Doors of Memory” and the exit is called “Doors of Kansas.”
The architects of the Campanile were Homer F. Neville and Edward B. Delk.
Kristen DeHaan walked right through it. She didn’t realize the faux pas she had just made until the next day at freshman orientation when she was told about the Campanile myth.
DeHaan, a 2009 alumna from Chicago, was then very worried.
“We didn’t know anything about it,” DeHaan said. “My dad thought it was cool and took a picture of me. Once we found out I made my dad delete the picture. I was so nervous.”
Legend has it that if students walk through the Campanile before they graduate then they will not graduate on time, if at all. It is not known when the myth of the bell tower began but students are made aware of it as early as their first visits to the University. Another myth about the Campanile is that if you kiss your significant other under the bell tower then you will marry him or her.
DeHaan graduated from the University in four and a half years. She doesn’t believe that extra semester had anything to do with the myth. She said it was because she studied abroad and wasn’t able to transfer enough credits.
Andrew Hines, a junior from Chicago, isn’t worried about the myth either. He first heard about it during a tour of campus before he came to the University.
“I walked through the bell tower my freshman year,” Hines said. “I don’t believe the legend is true and I’m pretty sure I’ll graduate on time.”
Hines said that he wasn’t sure how true the myth about kissing your significant other under the bell tower was, but that he thought it was funny how many myths the tower holds.
Whether the legend is real or not, some students won’t attempt to test it.
Sydney Levinson, a senior from St. Louis, said she had definitely made sure not to walk through the bell tower. She said that when she found out about the tradition she thought it was exciting and had tried to follow it.
“Whether or not it’s true, it’s still a cool tradition,” Levinson said. “To graduate in four years and be able to finally walk down the hill with all of my friends is a pretty big accomplishment.”
According to KU Info’s website, the Campanile was constructed in 1950 and dedicated on May 27, 1951 as a World War II memorial. The tradition of walking through the tower began the following year.
In former Chancellor Hemenway’s 2009 address to graduates of the University he emphasized the importance of this myth.
“As we say every year, the walk is the ceremony,” Hemenway said. “You have to walk before you can fly. The walk prepares Jayhawks for flight.”
— Edited by Kirsten Hudson
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Students spill about Campanile myths
How about covering the myth about the bronze Jayhawk in front of Strong Hall? If a virgin ever graduates from KU, the Jayhawk will fly away.
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