The Daily Tar Heel

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Wednesday October 27th

Abigail Pittman

As the 2021-22 master bell ringer, Marks joins the ranks of nearly a century of men and women dedicated to the role. However, no women's names grace the walls of the bell tower, where the bell ringer names are supposed to be memorialized. The first female bell ringer was selected in 1953, according to Daily Tar Heel archives. Coincidentally, the names in the bell tower stop in 1953. Today, the General Alumni Association hopes to fill in as many names on the ringer plaques as possible. In addition, Mark said, band director Fuchs has found almost every name not yet listed. Here, Marks poses for a portrait on Oct. 1, 2021, inside the bell tower's clock face. Abigail Pittman
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Meet UNC's master bell ringer, sophomore Madi Marks

By Abigail Pittman | Oct. 19

Sophomore Marching Tar Heel Madi Marks is the master bell ringer for UNC's Morehead-Patterson Bell Tower. The bells are largely mechanized. But on game days, Marks brings songs like “Hark the Sound” and “Carolina Victory" to life, using a piano keyboard to play the tower's 14 bells.  “Being able to add to that school spirit in such a unique and special way is just the best gift I could have ever received," she said.

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Being the master bell ringer means having the proverbial keys to the kingdom. It's why band director Fuchs said that a master bell ringer is "someone I can trust without reservation." Marks knows how important that trust is, which is why the bell tower doesn't have visiting hours and students don't hear TikTok songs emanating from the bells at all hours. One side effect of having bell tower keys, though, is mixing it up with other keys. "Here's the biggest flex," Marks said. "Sometimes I accidentally try to unlock my dorm room door with the bell tower key." Here, Marks poses for a photo of her keys inside the bell tower on Oct. 1, 2021. Abigail Pittman
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20211004_Pittman_MasterBellRingerFeature-7.jpg

By Abigail Pittman | Oct. 4

Being the master bell ringer means having the proverbial keys to the kingdom. It's why band director Fuchs said that a master bell ringer is "someone I can trust without reservation." Marks knows how important that trust is, which is why the bell tower doesn't have visiting hours and students don't hear TikTok songs emanating from the bells at all hours. One side effect of having bell tower keys, though, is mixing it up with other keys. "Here's the biggest flex," Marks said. "Sometimes I accidentally try to unlock my dorm room door with the bell tower key." Here, Marks poses for a photo of her keys inside the bell tower on Oct. 1, 2021.

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