Biola is restoring a bell from the original downtown Los Angeles campus as an affordable and symbolic senior gift. Several of the Meneely bells from the downtown campus are displayed around campus, but the remaining few have been tucked away in storage until now. One of the historic bells will be restored and displayed in a central location on campus as the 2014 senior class gift.

The gift idea was a collaboration between this year’s Associated Students senior gift committee and the alumni relations office. Affordability was a key topic of discussion when choosing the gift, said Evan Tan, AS president. Since senior gifts for the previous couple of years have been extravagant, such as the fireplace pavillion, raising funds from the senior class has been an issue, Tan said.

“The reason why we chose the bell is not just because we wanted something cheap … but at the same time to be meaningful to students,” he said.

Although a concrete plan has not been made yet about where the bell will be displayed, the installation should cost around $10,000, said Brian Phillips, director of facilities services. Donations received thus far equal less than 10 percent of the project, Tan said. However, since planning for the senior gift began last fall and the December graduates will also be invited to donate, the funding progress is further along than in previous years, Tan said.

Start of a new tradition

One of the ideas behind the bell’s restoration is that it will become a tradition for graduating classes to ring the bell to symbolize their future impact outside of Biola, said Rick Bee, director of alumni and parent relations.

“Just like a bell’s sound, we want to make a difference for the kingdom [of God] outside of Biola and be heard,” Bee said.

Historical and educational significance

The senior gift is important for students to be a part of so that when they come back years later as alumni, they are part of something tangible, Bee said. 

The bell will also serve as a physical reminder for current students of Biola’s long history, said Don Bernstein, manager of alumni relations.

“It’s the experience of the alumni that have come before me for 100 years. I think that’s powerful,” Bernstein said.

The bell will act as a reminder to students of the purpose of their education and to give seniors an opportunity to give back, Tan said. 

“It’s a way for seniors to look at this institution that has been a part of their lives for four years and start getting into that habit of giving,” Tan said.