#KnowTheO: The Curse of the Bell

You may not find yourself a superstitious person, but ask around on campus and you’re bound to find a student who has heard about the “Curse of the Bell” and abides by its warning.

What would that be, exactly? A lesson you should definitely learn if you hope to do well on your next big test.

It all starts with the Henningson Memorial Campanile – or the UNO Bell Tower as it is often known. This hard-to-miss campus landmark may stretch more than 100 feet into the sky, but students may do well to keep their eyes focused on the ground instead.

As you pass through the arches of the campanile, one can find a gorgeously-adorned seal with a ceramic bell at its center. Surrounding the bell are icons representing several UNO-based colleges and programs from when the tower was completed, just over 30 years ago, in 1989.

“It is said that if you step on the bells of the mosaic you will fail your next exam, and the only way to get rid of the ‘curse’ is to rub the nose or the horns of the Maverick Monument that is in front of our Health and Kinesiology Building,” explains Abbey Henrichs, a UNO alumna and assistant director of student success events on campus. “Some students choose to believe it, while others are willing to take the risk and walk wherever they want. I personally do not need bad luck so I choose to walk around it.”

There have been a couple other different ‘curses’ floating around. One that says if you step on the bell your student loan debt will spiral out of control.

Of course, no one can confirm the truth to these claims; but, like all superstitions, you will find students who would rather not take the risk and refuse to step on the bell at all. Likewise, you’ll find students who may scoff at the curse.

Where did the superstition come from? Like all good urban legends, it’s hard to say.

The only real question left to ask is if you are brave enough to test the “Curse of the Bell” yourself?