The bells of Denny Hall

The beautiful, mysterious sounds of bells have long been considered a trademark of churches, towers and palaces worldwide.

They also have their place in the history of the UW and its oldest building, Denny Hall.

A more melodious alarm clock

Senior Charlotte Dike, a music and Scandinavian Studies student, enjoys her job playing the carillon [HTML_REMOVED] a keyboard that fills the air of the area surrounding Denny with pleasant melodies of bells as students rush to their 8:30 a.m. classes.

Up the elevator of Denny, past its Germanics and Anthropology floors, through a narrow stairwell and into the tiny room in the Denny Hall attic, the carillon sits undisturbed until Dike arrives. After adjusting the proper knobs and controls, she might test a song out first, or simply play a tune she's already comfortable with.

Students wearing headphones may miss out on the full impact of the bells as they hauntingly pour out into the air. Like a scene out of The Phantom of the Opera, students look up in curiosity, wondering where the sounds originate.

The keyboard is fully electric, which Dike expressed was a bit of a letdown at first; however, the job itself is highly rewarding, she said.

"It's pretty much the most awesome job ever," Dike said of her experience with the carillon.

Dike started playing the carillon in spring of last year at the request of Norm Arkans, executive director of media relations and communications. The carillon performances can be heard three times a week, starting at 8:20 a.m.

The bell of history

For those lucky enough to escape early morning classes, another UW bell can be heard later in the afternoon. The Denny Bell sits atop Denny Hall and has undergone a great deal of repairs in its past. Nicknamed "The Varsity Bell," it has been the subject of much media attention, reminding those at the UW how historic treasures are worth preserving.

The Bell was first rung on March 19, 1862, at the Territorial University downtown, the UW before Washington became a state, according to alumni magazine Columns. With its guidance, ships were able to make it safely into foggy Elliott Bay. It takes on a personality for the UW the way the Liberty Bell has for the nation.

The Seattle Times described its importance over time, signaling class beginnings and endings at the Territorial University. It played an important role drawing attention to the 1886 riots against Chinese immigrants and The Great Seattle Fire of 1889, as well as the deaths of presidents Abraham Lincoln and John Kennedy. Now it is kept at bay for the most part, except when it rings on the ceremonious occasion of Homecoming.

But the Bell has not survived without a fight.

"It's an interesting story. Saving the bell is very important," said Brewster Denny, dean of the Evans School of Public Affairs and great-grandson of Seattle's first white settlers Arthur and Mary Denny. Thanks to the Dennys' donation of land, the UW's main Seattle campus was established.

Brewster mentioned the saving grace of Meredith Brothers, assistant to the director of maintenance and alterations within facilities services, who worked on restoring the Bell. Brothers described the painstaking story of the Bell's revival.

A routine check-up of campus buildings revealed the well being of Denny Hall would be threatened during an earthquake, as well as the condition of the severely beaten-up bell, she said.

Metal experts' assessments, X-rays and other tests were used to restore the Bell after it was determined bird droppings and various elements of Seattle's fierce weather had corroded its exterior. An added layer of protective coat threatened altering the sound of the Bell and recordings were made so its ring would remain as authentic as possible.

"What we found was, one of the sides was ready to fall apart," Brothers said. "We had a new part cast."

The future of the Bell remained in limbo, and possibilities of displaying it elsewhere around campus were considered as it underwent repair.

Efforts put into saving the Bell are not made without understanding the pride people have for its representation as a symbol of the UW's past and a time when Denny Hall was the school's only building. Like an old friend, the Bell has always been around to offer its unspoken wisdom as a beacon of history.

"The Bell and the columns are the two biggest icons of UW," Brothers believes.

In its current state, the Bell is doing quite well sitting peacefully atop Denny Hall once again, she said. Because it is covered and screened, there's no more corrosion.

Elements besides weather have threatened the Bell; at one point, a fraternity prank left it clapper-less. Denny and his bell-ringing partner Mayor Greg Nichols were left to bang on the bell with a pipe at the Homecoming of the University's centennial. Homecoming was cancelled during the Vietnam War and thus purposefully silenced the Bell.

The hard work of many dedicated people has earned the Bell its confident ring when it awakens yearly from its slumber atop Denny Hall. Walking on campus during the playing of the carillon or the ringing of the Bell provides the perfect chance to meditate on its grandeur and the vast changes both have witnessed.

Reach contributing writer Evelyn Fenner-Dorrity at features@thedaily.washington.edu.