By Hannah Gray
As the school is getting a facelift all around campus, the University of Portland will add a bell tower. This 95-foot bell tower will represent the spiritual aspect of UP.
Hoping to be seen from most places on campus, this tower will serve as an appreciation of spiritual life to students, faculty, and visitors.
"In the 2004-2005 academic year, the University was engaged in a tactical planning process. We were trying to identify the projects and programs that would enhance the campus within the next five years," said the Rev. Tom Doyle, C.S.C., the Executive Vice President at UP. One of these programs was the bell tower.
The purpose of the bell tower is to enhance the University and make it more easily to designate it as Catholic.
"The bell tower had previously been identified as something that would like to be seen on the University," Doyle said.
The bell project has been discussed since the 90s, according to Doyle.
A generous donation from Allen and Kathleen Lund, who have been involved in the university for over a decade, will allow the school to build this bell tower. The two wanted to "fund something that augments the spiritual dimensions of life on campus," Doyle said.
The University didn't think this project would happen for years to come, but this donation from the Lunds has given the University the opportunity to build it sooner than expected.
Lund, chairman of the Board of Regents, said he and his wife wanted "something to make UP stand out and have a Catholic touch to it."
He said the donation for the bell tower was more about UP and the community so that UP can stand out. Currently, UP has nothing distinguishable to place the campus from far away, whereas, a bell tower would.
He believes that this idea came together well, and he and his wife are excited about it.
The Lund family chose to donate their money to UP because it is "the one we love the most." Lund said that UP can really make use of the bell tower, rather than a large university where it wouldn't stand out.
Here on The Bluff, the bell tower would be a significant and seen building.
Other than just a building on campus, the bell tower will represent a spiritual place on campus. Lund said, "We have to take care of the spiritual side."
There will be a prayer garden where students, faculty, and the UP community can come to and pray.
The project will start in October or November of this year and should be done by September of 2009.
Although the project has been completely funded by the Lund family, graving on the bells are being sold as donations that will be allocated for an endowment to Campus Ministry. There will be 14 bells, 12 of which have already been sold. The bell prices range from $5,000 to $100,000 depending on the size of the bell.
According to Doyle, one donor bought an inscription on the bell as a gift to this wife for their 50 anniversary. Another man bought an engraving as a gift to his mother.
The donors for the graving on the 14 bells will also have a plaque at the ?base of the tower that will denote these donors.
The bells will also chime certain tunes at certain times during the day. This will add to the audio appeasement of the bell tower.
"People will look at this and think this is really a faith-filled and historical landmark," Doyle said.
The bell tower will be built next to the chapel, in St. Mary's garden. They will keep the original design - including the statue of St. Mary and the 12 cherry trees, but ?will add the bell tower and a prayer garden.
The design will tie in with the chapel, and the color will tie it in with the rest of the campus.
