Newsletter No. 28

CUHK Newsletter No28 March 1992 Bell s on the Campus Have You Ever Heard Them Ringing? Many schools used to have janitors ring bells to signal the beginning and end of class but most of them have now installed electric bells to do the job. How about the University's constituent colleges? What kinds of bells do they use? The bronze bell at Unite Theelectricbellsystem Tradition Reigns at United College United College has hitherto been using a bronze bell to announce the time for classes. The bell that was moved with its stand to the Sha Tin campus from Bonham Road in 1971 has served the college for over 30 years, long enough to qualify itself for a ‘long service award' from the University. The college did consider replacing the bell by an electric one upon its relocation to Sha Tin, but the idea was finally dropped because of several reasons. The first reason was a sentimental one: the bell had faithfully told time for so many years its voice had actually become part of the college. Both teachers and students had grown accustomed to its chime, which would be sadly missed if it was not to be heard again. The second reason was a financial one: the bell was in good shape and functioning perfectly well. There wasn't any real need to spend money on a new system. The last reason was a practical one: it was much easier to maintain one bronze bell than a system of many electric bells. Experience of other colleges showed that in case of power failure, technical breakdowns, and unforeseen changes in teaching timetables, electric bells might cause more havoc. They were not necessa a better substitute for the bronze bell. The bell is therefore still serving the college in a roofed passage built out from the T. C. Cheng Building. A janitor will dutifully show up at the right time and ring the bell, and its chime will resound through all the classrooms on the United College campus. After years of hard work, the bell is beginning to show signs of ageing and fatigue. Two cracks have appeared on its body and the joint linking the bell with its stand has come loose. Reparation work has already been done to secure the joint but the cracks are irreparable. Perhaps it's time for the college to start planning for a successor in case the bell suddenly chooses to retire some day. New Asia College Always after Improvement At its old home on Farm Road, New Asia College also used hand bells to announce classes, but very soon they were replaced by electric bells. The system, however, was only 'semi-automatic'. A 4