Evocative Narrative

            Never had I fathomed how one got to the top of Hathorn, nor did I ever imagine that I would be fortunate enough to have this opportunity. How do we get up there, who will get us up there, or more importantly can you even get up to the top, of Hathorn, to see and touch the bell? These were all questions that ran through my head as I was trying to discover the best way, for my group, to adventure to the bell. As a group, we contacted numerous people on campus including the dean of students and the campus security hoping to find someone who would be able to assist us. Eventually we were lead to facility services, one of the few people who have the privilege of being responsible for the extremely important key that will get you to the top of Hathorn Hall! This process would lead our group to the top of Hathorn, which I personally now feel was one of the most exciting experiences that I have had here on campus to date. 

       

            Originally, after being approved to go up, our adventure was to be somewhat of a mystery to the group. None of us knew what to expect and what our experience would entail, especially after being told via email by Dan, a worker in facilities that “The journey to the bell is somewhat physical since it involves climbing a ladder to the attic, a walk on planks in the space, then a series of stairs again then finally a ladder to the roof itself. Its a worthy trip since the bell has a wealth of information cast into its side.” Dan could not have explained it better. The journey to the top of Hathorn was simply unforgettable and was full of unpredictability and excitement. Dan, who accompanied and led us to the bell, began our journey as he opened a small door in an office, on the third floor of Hathorn, which revealed a long steel ladder in a tight corridor. Dan led the way with a flashlight as we followed him up the ladder in an extremely narrow space. Once we reached the top of that ladder we pulled ourselves up to what was the interior of Hathorn. We looked around to find ourselves standing in a dark hollow space filled with beams from the original building structure and scattered planks to walk across. We proceeded to stumble across the dusty floorboards while ducking our heads hoping to not hit them on the wooden beams. After walking across the dark space we found ourselves at the base of an old wooden ladder, which we then climbed up to a small wooden platform. On the base of this platform was a third and final ladder, also made of wood, which would lead us up to the bell. When he reached the top of the ladder Dan unlocked and opened a latch allowing the natural light to enter the dark space we had traveled through. As Dan climbed through the hatch we each followed unaware of what lied above us. As we climbed through the hatch we found ourselves with little room for error. This is so because there was only a foot of space between the opening and the edge of the bell tower with no railing to prevent or brace a fall. Once we had all climbed the ladder and reached the bell tower we circled around the bell stabilizing ourselves by placing our hands on the pillars of the tower. The absence of any railing or protection appeared extremely unsafe to my group members and it contributed to the sheer rush and excitement that we felt from climbing and being in the presence of this historic object. I found myself grabbing onto whatever was available as I walked around the small space. The view from the bell was incredible and we could see the entirety of campus. The bell, view, and journey up through Hathorn left our group speechless, as we were able to personally engage the historic artifact. The bell, weighing 1,000 pounds, appeared much larger than we had imagined and the writing inscribed on the bell was clear enough that we were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to read all the historical information. In faint, weathered writing the bell read: 

Henry N Hooper & Company, Boston

Maine State Seminary

Presented by

Jonathan Davis

of Webster

1857

 As we stood above campus, we also yelled to friends below that were stunned at such an odd sight, seeing individuals, or better yet students, standing by the bells on top of Hathorn. As we stood beside the bell my appreciation for what the bell has to offer for the school grew larger and larger by the minute. 

            It is uncommon that anyone on campus has had the opportunity to explore and experience the Hathorn bell first hand, especially students. This was an unforgettable experience that was filled with a great deal of emotion. Objects can often be revealed as being “emotional and intellectual companions that anchor memory, sustain relationships, and provoke new ideas” (Turkle). Seeing the bell first hand added so much emotion to our opinions and the ways in which we view the bell. Our emotional connection is now so much greater. Now when I hear the bells my initial reaction of “Ugh I have to go to class” will be very different. I hear the bells now and I immediately have dejavvu of such a positive memory of my experience to get to the bell, my experience once I reached the bell, and lastly my experience venturing down from the bell. Hearing the bells ring now will allow me to connect and relate my experience of seeing the bells first hand, something, again, that not many students here will be able to understand.

            The Hathorn bell is a major historical staple for this campus. Not even just the bell itself but also Hathorn Hall has a great deal of historical representation. Hathorn Hall, where the bell lies, is the heart of campus and is one of the longest standing major historical representations of the college. To be granted the privilege to stand in the heart of the history of campus was mind-blowing and unfathomable. Again, as I said before, my group members and I were speechless. This experience was one of a kind and so incredibly powerful. The few words that did come out of our mouths were positive remarks, and a few questions for Dan.

            My only critique is that something was missing. What exactly was it though? As a group we recognized that there was something missing but struggled to pin point it, as our positive high emotions stood in the way. Eventually, while standing on top of Hathorn, we realized it was technology. Although, the bell has gone from being manually rung to now being on an automated timer, there is still a small amount of technology missing. As technology has increased and evolved throughout the campus, historical and older aspects of our campus have become more sufficient. However, the bell has not. The bell still serves the very same purpose that it did when it was first donated to the college. The bells usage of ringing for class times, when important events are held on campus such as graduation, and after a football victory has remained the same. The bell is utilized and serves the same original purpose it did even though it has been somewhat modified. What stunned my group was that in order to project the sound of the bell, there was no use of technology. Rather, there was what appeared to be metal “megaphones” surrounding the bell tower. In this day in age, we were not expecting to see these; instead we expected to see a modern day speaker system. The mechanisms that are utilized to ring the bell still work the exact same way they did when the bell was originally introduced to Hathorn Hall. On the contrary one may wonder why the bell is utilized the same way today? With technology, students and professors on campus get calendar notifications and updates notifying them of their upcoming events, most commonly classes. Students and professors iPhone’s, ipad’s, and laptops are each automatically synced with their individual class schedules. That being said, with these updates and notifications, some may believe that the bells ringing to start and end class may not seem entirely necessary. If you ask me though, I believe that the bell is still essential for the campus; it keeps professors and students on the same timely schedule but also it is an important historical icon for the school and community. 

            When climbing through Hathorn Hall, a memory that immediately came to mind was when I climbed through the Duomo in Italy with my family. The windy, narrow staircases that make climbers feel uneasy was dejavu for myself during my Hathorn experience. My experience climbing the Duomo was a further climb and once I arrived to the top my breath was taking away looking over the edge. In comparison to Hathorn, Hathorn was not as far up, however, it was more adventurous. When I got to the top, my breath too was taking away, because of my excitement but also the feeling of uneasy with no guardrail to protect us from falling. With flashlights guiding us through the building and having to leap over slabs of wood our journey to the bell was one a kind. Despite the dissimilarities of the two experiences, my experience climbing the bell brought forth so many memories of my experience climbing to the top of the Duomo. Overall, as a group, we feel that our experience climbing to the top of Hathorn Bell was filled with high emotion that we will never forget; an experience that as a Bates student we will not take for granted the opportunity that we were so generously given.