by Cathy
One beautiful afternoon, with the wind caressing my face, my friends and I enjoyed the weather and the scenery from the top floor of the Freshman Building. The palm trees were tall, yet beyond palm trees stood the bell tower of the library. The sky framed the tower as the clouds passed by. The tower is very intriguing and it always draws people’s attention, wherever they are. It’s like a tower from a fairy tale transplanted into the real world. I feel the tower beckoning me; there is much to be explored. And I did. After some investigation into the design of the library, I found out that the tower wasn’t even planned from the beginning. Only after several meetings did they add the tower into the plan. The reason was that the bell tower should enforce the university’s intention for the library to become a landmark on campus. Also, the building was huge and it therefore seemed very heavy to the eye, so adding a bell tower could make the structure seem more friendly and lively. By the way, the new library was designed by Haigo Shen, a famous architect. You can also check out his website, www.hsic.com.tw, if you’re interested. Some might doubt, is it really a bell tower? I’ve never heard a bell! You’re right, because the bell was never bought. It is only produced by a company in Holland, and it costs 30,000,000 NT dollars since it is made completely by hand The purchase of the bell depends on alumni donations. Why does it cost such an arm and a leg? Actually, the bell is more than an ordinary bell; it’s a carillon. It is a musical instrument composed of at least 23 bells, arranged in chromatic sequence, and tuned to produce concordant harmony when many bells are sounded together. And the bell would only be used on special occasions, such as the school’s anniversary. According to the librarian I spoke to, there is also a lighting design for the tower. If they turned on the lights on all five stories at once it would look terrific. Yet since they are concerned about electricity costs the lights have not been in use for a long time. After probing into this story, I know how nice it would be if we had such a unique bell on our campus. It could fill the university with a merry atmosphere. Imagine an afternoon with bells ringing, just as the lights of the tower could create a romantic night view. Let’s hope the bell might be bought as soon as possible! There are amazing facts even behind an everyday thing. Sometimes pursuing a story is even more interesting than the story itself. Why not try to find out the story of things around you, too? a
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The Taida Student Journal has been active since 1995 with an ever-changing roster of student journalists at NTU. Click the above link to read about the authors Archives
May 2024
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