Bell tower fundraising continues

The Student Government Association will be spending the remainder of the 2011-12 school year raising funds and awareness for the Centennial Bell Tower that will be used to house the Centennial Center Bell.

The bell itself was originally part of a United States Navy ship, and was given to the college in 1989 by Senator Sam Nunn, with the assistance of Kurt Hoffman. The Centennial Center opened in that year and became the home for the bell. It was to be used “ring in a victory” for GC athletics.

When the NCAA made a rule banning all artificial noisemakers from the arena, the bell was put into storage.

SGA has begun fundraising in hopes that the establishment of the bell tower will bring more school spirit to campus and more pride to athletics.

SGA has currently raised $8,000 towards the $20,000 budget, but are working on a plan for $15,000, should they not meet their goal by May 2012.

The bell currently resides in the SGA office in the Student Activities Center. It is roughly a foot and a half tall and 2 feet in diameter, and hangs in a wooden stand.

SGA is taking donations for the tower. Students and alumni are encouraged to participate in fundraising by purchasing either a brick for $250, which can be personalized, or by purchasing a plaque to be on display within the tower for $1,000. Other methods of fundraising will be taking place on campus throughout the remainder of the school year.

Over the next three months, the bell will be taking a tour of campus. It will be on display in the atrium of The Max, the Library Instructional Technology Center and in the Arts & Sciences Building, spending three weeks in each location.

“The goal of the tour is to bring about awareness to the bell just because most students don’t know the bell exists and that we are building a tower for it,” said Ross Sheppard, vice president of SGA.

In January, the bell will make its final stop of the tour in the Centennial Center, just in time for basketball season.

“The reason for the last stop of the tour is because that will be the one place for community members who support GC athletics to see the bell and become aware of the project if they want to donate,” Sheppard said.

“It will perhaps build some excitement since the Centennial Center will be the home of the bell when the project is complete.”

For more information on how to donate to the building of the Centennial Bell Tower, visit www.gcsu.edu/belltower.

Posted by JessicaHayman on Sep 29 2011. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.