Up The Tower

Going "Up The Tower" is the engagement tradition whereby a couple goes up Blanchard Tower and rings the bell to announce their engagement. Couples often "mark" the occasion with graffiti and leave behind memorabilia. Newly engaged couples ring the bell for three sets of seven and a newly wed couple ring seven sets of three. For many years a section of the Record listed the names of couples who had recently celebrated this long-standing tradition. While there is no firm date the tradition began, there are archival records from the 1940s and student signatures in the tower belfry from the late 19th century.