(Editor’s note: We are sad to say our three summer interns – Isabelle Buchanan, Frida Hennig, and Dylan Burmeister – have wrapped up their tenure with the newspaper this month. All three made wonderful contributions to the newspaper in their time here and were all eager to try something new.
In an effort to provide interns a well-rounded experience, we tried to assign them a little bit of everything, from features and breaking news to municipal coverage and “Characters of the County” profiles. With the news that Lincoln Academy’s bell tower is set to be temporarily removed due to structure issues, we gave Dylan, who is about to start her junior year at the town academy, the responsibility of filling the editorial space this week.
We thank Isabelle, Frida, and Dylan for their contributions this summer and look forward to seeing how their careers develop in the future.)
A change is in the air for Lincoln Academy’s skyline. The famed bell tower, dating back to the 1850s when it was first installed, will soon be temporarily removed.
Since the 1960s, individuals and teams that win championships have completed the sacred pilgrimage to the top of the tower, accompanied by Mr. Page and LA Athletic Director K.J. Anastasio.
Champions in a medley of sports stood surrounding the bell pull decades ago, commemorating their achievements. Until recently, today’s champions took that same place in the small space around the pull. For the few students who have the chance to ring the bell, the experience is a ceremonious affair.
Every student who has stood beneath the rope did something to earn their right to climb the narrow stairs and stand on the creaky wooden floors, whether it be winning a debate championship or the state tennis tournament. Ringing the bell is the culmination of a season of hard work and dedication and is a way for students to sound their achievements for the rest of the school to hear. It is also a tradition dating back to 1854, when the bell was originally cast.
A school that was founded over 200 years ago is bound to have a focus on tradition, and at LA, tradition is held close to the heart. It can be found in the graduation photos framed in the main hallway, in weekly community meetings held in the gym, and in events like homecoming and winter carnival.
Walking in the main hallway, one is reminded that students and faculty have walked the same steps since 1828, when the building was constructed. The bell tower is one element of tradition on a list of many.
In my time at LA, I’ve visited the bell tower twice before it was deemed unsafe last spring. Climbing the stairs to the bell pull with my teammates, we fell silent as we took in the awe of becoming a part of LA history. Even those of us who had rung the bell before felt the significance of the space. We heard about other teams who had been there before us and the history of the tower. I remember standing around the thin rope, trying to figure out how to fit many hands around it while facing the camera for a photo.
The experience is a simple one – walk upstairs, smile for a photo, and ring the bell a few times before returning to class. However, it stays special because of the tradition behind it – just like many aspects of our lives. There’s nothing complex about many things we do – special trips to a favorite beach or restaurant, rare dinners with friends not seen often, for example. These things wouldn’t be memorable aside from the rarity and the history of them, the repetition that makes them significant.
This is why the bell tower remains relevant. It has become a milestone for those athletes and students who win championships or break records, a way to share triumphs with the school, and a connection to the past for those who climb the hallowed stairs to the rope.
