(Kevin Kadooka -- The Beacon)
By Amanda Blas, Staff Writer -- blas13@up.edu
The Bell Tower is no secret on campus. Standing at more than 100 feet and ringing every 15 minutes, it is impossible to miss. The real mystery is what is inside and how to get to the top.
"Most people haven't seen it (the inside of the Bell Tower)," Theresa McCreary, the administrative assistant for Campus Ministry, said.
McCreary is one of the few people who have been inside the Bell Tower.
"The Bell Tower is usually only open for maintenance, and we haven't really had to do any major repairs," McCreary said.
So what lies behind the Bell Tower's wooden door? Is it a room full of cogs and things that keep the bells ringing? Or is it home to the Hunchback of University of Portland?
Not quite.
Walk inside the Bell Tower's door, and you find yourself surrounded by four walls of thick cement.
"The bricks (outside the Bell Tower) are a sort of brick veneer," said Thomas Blume, director of Physical Plant. "The cement walls went up first. They welded them together, and the bricks were added on later."
Inside, a steel ladder is attached to the cement wall opposite the Bell Tower's door. Looking up, it appears that the ladder goes on forever.
"It's the only way to the top," Blume said.
The ladder goes up the entire height of the structure. Its safety is extremely important because of how high up it goes. To prevent slipping, the surface of the ladder is jagged.
"It makes for better gripping when climbing," Blume said.
Higher up in the Bell Tower are two steel grate platforms. According to Blume, the first platform reaches 23.5 feet up the Bell Tower, and the second one reaches 45.5 feet up.
Hitting the second platform, the top of the Bell Tower is a short climb away. Above the platform is a door that opens out to the top of the Bell Tower.
"You just go through the trap door, and you're at the top," Blume said.
However, before going through the door, it is important to keep with the Bell Tower tradition. With the help of a permanent marker and some good penmanship, the tradition is complete.
"Usually everyone who comes up here (to the top of the Bell Tower) writes something on the wall," Blume said. "It lets everyone know you've been here."
A few names that can be found within the Bell Tower are the architect Dan Danielson, Fr. Thomas P. Doyle, C.S.C., and as of last week, The Beacon's photographers and staff writer.
"It's sort of the tradition that started," Blume said.
After climbing almost 100 feet, going through the trap door to get to the top of the Bell Tower is a well-deserved reward. Leading directly under all 14 bells that ring across campus every day, The Bluff is now visible from a completely different point of view.
To add to that, access to the top of the Bell Tower reveals that the bells are, well, real. Many UP students have questioned whether the bells actually work.
"Some churches have started using speakers instead of bells to make bell sounds because of the cost, but not here," McCreary said. "The bells really do work."
Unfortunately, with the Bell Tower ringing every 15 minutes, time spent at the top of the Bell Tower is precious.
"You don't want to be up there when the bells go off," Blume said.
The mystery behind what is inside the Bell Tower is solved. There is no Quasimodo or gears ringing the bells. The only thing in the tower is a couple of leftover bricks and a ladder leading to the best view on campus.
