New sound appealing to campus
It was a blast from the past for anyone who has worked at Princeton for at least nine years.
One morning late last month, the sound of the Nassau Hall bell began reverberating across campus on the hour, after an absence of nearly a decade. Or so it seemed.
That sound was actually the "Campana," an electronic carillon music system manufactured by the Verdin Co. of Cincinnati. The company recorded the sound of a bell, just like the one on top of Nassau Hall, onto a computer chip. The chip is part of a carillon instrument that is programmed and wired to speakers on top of East Pyne.
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Since the 1860s, students had a tradition of stealing the clapper from the Nassau bell. As time went on, these escapades became increasingly dangerous. After one particular incident in the fall of 1991, University administrators decided to remove the clapper. It has remained out of the bell, except for special occasions, since then.
"This is the first time, other than for ceremonial occasions like Commencement, we've actually had a bell sound," said Richard Spies, vice president for finance and administration. "It's being monitored to ensure there are no safety or other problems."
The carillon rings on the hour from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. In the future, it could be programmed to ring at class changes, as was the tradition for many years, and for special events.
Public Safety Director Jerrold Witsil, who researched the system and brought the carillon to campus, said he's received very positive feedback.
"People really enjoy it," he said. "They tell me they didn't know how much they missed the bell until they heard it again."
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