Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904

The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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What’s the deal with … the fight song twice a day?

Students have sporadic schedules. A little class here, a little sleep there – thank goodness there is something regulating the day.

On Foggy Bottom, 12:15 and 6 p.m. is fight song time.

The top of Bell Hall, a fitting locale, is home to the University’s bells (well, they sound like bells) that play the fight song twice a day. No, it’s not quite Notre Dame, and as many students know, they’re not quite bells either.

When GW community members or offices refer to the “University bells” (like they do on the Spirit Program’s Web site), they’re really referring to the University carillon chimes.

The buff and blue schedule seems to make sense – a midday and evening serenade. But why 12:15 and not noon?

The bells were originally set at those times because they were typical times for classes to get out, according to what Assistant Spirit Program Coordinator Josh Hartman has heard. “But class times have changed since then,” he said.

A GW News Center interview with University President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg last February posed the question about the 12:15 ring time. His answer? “It was probably erroneously set and never looked at again.”

Officials from Facilities Management, however, confirmed that a common class time used to be 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., and the fight song was scheduled to sound at 12:15 so it didn’t disrupt class.

Now, the class meeting time is typically 11:10 a.m. to 12:25 p.m. So much for avoiding disruption, but who really minds?

-Caitlin Carroll

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