While a fund in remembrance of Donald F. Morse '51 was allocated to the College for "the perpetual maintenance of the Baker Library Bells," this summer the tower's chimes have been anything but perpetual.
Students and administrators have noted the lack of hourly chimes and 6 p.m. playing of the College's alma mater; the disappearance of the bells' chimes has been a big mystery -- until now.
Dee Copley, an administrative assistant for the graduate music program, said she received a BlitzMail message from Ned Holbrook '00, the student who is in charge of making sure the bells ring. In the BlitzMail message, Holbrook wrote that he realized this past weekend that the bells have not been ringing. Holbrook told Copley the chimes should begin again today.
Jessica Meed '00 said she noticed the previously-unexplained disappearance of the bells' chimes.
"I used them as an alarm clock," she said. Meed, who works at the Baker circulation desk this summer, was aware of their absence but said nobody has approached her during the summer at the desk to inquire about the reason for their silence.
"I've noticed that the tower is mute," Katya Yerokhina '00 said. "My mother is now visiting from Russia and I have been waiting for the bells to ring. I want to show her their beauty and the spirit of Hanover that is alive in them."
Jean Knight, academic assistant in the music department, said management of the bells was shifted from undergraduate music students to the graduate program of the music department about 18 months ago. Knight said the music department operates the bells to provide its students with another avenue to learn about music.
Despite this policy shift, however, Holbrook, an undergraduate, has been helping the Baker Bells find their voice. Over the summer, though, Holbrook is in Cupertino, Calif.
Holbrook's BlitzMail automatic reply states, "If you received this message because you blitzed Bells, do not be alarmed; a member of the Baker Bells team will handle your message." However, The Dartmouth did not receive a response to a BlitzMail message that it sent to the account, and Holbrook could not be reached for comment.
Charles "Corky" Scott, the Baker Library administrative specialist, said, "The bells are very important, because they contribute to the ambience of Dartmouth and its traditions. The bells are particularly important this time of year because of all people on ... tours. They are missing out right now."
Scott said "the bells are remotely administered, which can be a source of problem," He said that while the bells are located in the Baker Library, they are not operated by the library.
"It would be helpful for the library to be better informed, although it is unclear if any other organization on campus has that duty." He added the bells were working earlier this summer.
Since 1979, computers and electromagnets have controlled the notes that used to come out of the bell tower on the hour and half hour, and on special occasions such as Commencement day.
"They should bring the bells back," Liberal Studies graduate student Dee Montgomery said. "The bells are part of the cultural traditions of Dartmouth and summer students should be able to enjoy them also."
