For decades, the Murchison Bell Tower has helped Trinity students keep track of time.

Much to the dismay of community members, the Murchison Bell Tower has not chimed since the beginning of this semester.
The Murchison Tower, which usually chimes every fifteen minutes and marks each hour, is currently in disrepair, according to Mike Schweitzer, assistant director of Facility Services.

“The tower bells are not operational due to an electronic clock malfunction. The clock in question is a very specialized piece of equipment located in the chapel that synchronizes the operation of the bells,” Scweitzer said in an email correspondence on Sept. 13.

Despite the difficulty of repairs, there is hope that the bells will soon return.

“We have every hope that the clock can be repaired rather than replaced. It is currently in California being examined and undergoing the necessary repairs. It is our hope to have the bells operational as soon as possible,” Schweitzer said.
Although a small part of Trinity life, some returning students are facing unseen challenges due the silenced bells.

“I was a little disoriented once classes resumed because Icouldn’t really keep time,” said sophomore Nicola Hill. “I wasn’t sure if I was late to class or not while I was sitting next to the fountain.”

In a world of cell-phone-watches and electronic time-keepers, the bell is still missed by many Trinity students and remains an iconic part of life on campus.

“Even though sometimes last year on the weekends I would sleep in and the bell tower would ring and wake me up, I do miss it this year. I feel like it’s a friendly reminder of what time it is, and the specific bell toll [he tries to mimic it] just reminds me of Trinity,” said Jacob Hall, sophomore. “I have been to other colleges where they have a bell, and it’s just a fake, electronic bell, and it’s really annoying. I thought it was really cool and authentic that Trinity had a real bell. It’s a uniquely Trinity thing that I like a lot, and I miss it now that it’s gone.”

The Murchison Bell Tower is expected to be fully functioning by the end of the semester after its repair.