Ritual loudly proclaims graduate student achievements

During the prologue of Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye describes some the customs of his small Russian village. He explains that the community has traditions for a host of activities including eating, dressing and sleeping. He then addresses the question of how these practices came into being: “How did this tradition get started? I'll tell you – I don't know. But it's a tradition.”

The same can be said of the Werklund School of Education’s bell ringing tradition.  While the practice of having graduate students ring an ornate silver and wood bell after having passed their candidacy and final thesis examinations is a relatively recent phenomenon, the origins of the act are shrouded in mystery.  

The ritual itself is quite simple: the student rings the bell and all support staff members and academics present gather around to clap and cheer. But, how did this tradition begin?

One version of the story goes that when the furniture in the Graduate Programs in Education (GPE) office was rearranged, staff were asked to find items to decorate the shelving units.  Graduate Program Administrator Lisa Dale purchased the bell.

“Many of our students work in schools so I bought the bell as I thought it was unique and reminiscent of the ‘olden days’,” she explains. “It was placed on the small table under the examinations board so it would be more visible.”

Dale adds that fellow administrator Sylvia Parks was instrumental in encouraging students to ring the bell after successfully completing their examinations, so that others could join in the festivity.

And while what Dale says is undoubtedly true, Werklund School Professor and Educational Psychology Graduate Program Director (GPD) Dr. Sal Mendaglio, PhD, asserts there is more to the story. 

Mendaglio recalls that upon seeing the bell resting on the shelf he wanted to ring it, but that Graduate Program Administrator Team Lead Lisa Llewellyn was hesitant. Good fortune shone down in the form of a student who was quietly celebrating the passing of an oral exam with a group of friends.

“I seized the opportunity and asked the student to ring the bell to celebrate.  The student seemed rather puzzled but rang the bell, apparently complying with a request from a GPD, and to my delight the staff stood up and gave a round of applause; everyone was exuberant,” says Mendaglio.

When prodded for more detail, Mendaglio responds in academic terms. “As with sound qualitative research, perception of the origin of bell ringing and its meaning is subject to wide interpretation.” Then adds with a laugh, “That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”

So, what do the students think about the custom?

School & Applied Child Psychology master’s student Madelyn Worth says she felt a big sense of relief after her defense and enjoyed sharing the moment with those present. “I like the tradition, at first it felt a bit awkward, but when the staff clapped, it made me feel quite proud.”
 
GPE Manager Pat Braul says there are more than 450 thesis-based students enrolled in the Adult Learning, Counselling Psychology, Curriculum and Learning, Language and Literacy, Leadership, Learning Sciences and School & Applied Child Psychology specializations and that approximately 60 defenses take place each year.

Staff in the GPE office work closely with the graduate students throughout their time in the Werklund School, explains Braul, so are understandably excited to honor their achievement.  “It is often a bit surprising for the student but it gives us, as a staff group, the chance to visibly and audibly show our pride in their accomplishment.”

To ensure that no one is left out of the blossoming tradition, staff have been encouraging students who do not take their oral exams in person to share videos of themselves ringing real world or virtual bells on social media.

Perhaps, like the customs in which Tevye partakes, the full origin story of the bell ringing tradition may never be known, but the intent of the Werklund School academics and staff to laud the hard work of the students is clear as a bell.