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= Saint Louis University Clock Tower=
 * Saint Louis University’s Clock Tower is located in the middle of campus, making it the

ideal center stage for student’s everyday life. Many social gatherings have been held here, ranging from protests, to philanthropy events sponsored by the school’s Greek life.

Saint Louis University

 * Saint Louis University, referred to as SLU, is a private Catholic University Painting of Clock Tower.png

located in Saint Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1818, SLU is home to 8,800 undergraduate and 5,100 graduate students that are part of the 170 academic programs offered. The mascot of Saint Louis University, the Billiken, can be seen featured around the clock tower, as well as the university’s symbolic Catholic Seal.

Clock Tower

 * The clock tower, located at the heart of SLU’s campus, was constructed in 1993 and served to close off the campus from the

remainder of West Pine Avenue, which at one point ran through it. In 2011 the clock tower was dedicated to a prominent alumnus of Saint Louis University, Joseph G. Lipic, and was renamed the Joseph G. Lipic Clock Tower Plaza.

Technology

 * The Clock Tower of Saint Louis University runs on a turret clock electrical system. In a turret clock electrical system, according

to the Anderson Institute, the clock is run electronically using a pendulum system to make the clock turn. Within clock towers, a quartz crystal device makes the clock run precisely on a consistent basis and is only a second off every 10 years. The SLU clock tower also features fountains around the perimeter at the base. These fountains are run by a wind sensor that can detect the wind speeds in order to determine the height of which the fountains reach.

Philanthropy

 * Saint Louis University follows the Jesuit mission of educating the “whole person”- mind, body, heart, and spirit; because the

more whole you are, the more you can contribute to the world. Not only does Saint Louis University demand excellence in research and teaching, but also in service to humanity. Just as the Clock Tower is the center of Saint Louis University’s campus, service is the center of its mission. Because the Clock Tower is a common place for students to be there have been philanthropic events that have taken place there. A “pie-in-the-face” fundraiser took place for breast cancer research and treatment which many students took part in as they passed by. Quesadilla cookouts for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America was a successful fundraiser that took place in the late hours of the night, so as students passed by the Clock Tower after a light night of studying, they could have a late night snack. Dance Marathon hosted a 5k run/walk to raise money for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals of Greater St. Louis. The Clock Tower was the starting line and the finish line for this race, because of its central location. As an extreme of the ALS “Ice Bucket Challenge”, a philanthropic fundraiser was held with a dunk tank, where students and staff could pay for a chance to dunk a peer. All benefits of this went directly to the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Foundation. All of these philanthropic events are able to take place because of, not only the central location of the Clock Tower, but also because of the mindset of the students that the Clock Tower represents; both serve to unify SLU’s student body.

Protests

 * As the center of SLU’s campus, the Clock Tower is home to many events. Most

recently, events related to the Michael Brown case. In the early morning on October 12, thousands of protestors paraded up Grand Avenue in St. Louis, MO heading towards Saint Louis University. While campus security was present, the protestors were allowed on the main campus and they headed towards the Clock Tower. Demonstrators were calling to students “Out of the dorms, into the streets” as students were piling out the dorms to watch what was happening. When the group got to the Clock Tower, prominent in leaders in the movement of Ferguson October gave speeches to rally the supporters. They promised a sit-in for the Clock Tower in order to raise awareness for their cause and create a following.
 * While many demonstrators left, 20 or so stayed on campus and called for students to

provide them with tents, sleeping bags, food, water, and bathrooms. The protestors fielded questions from students and had open conversations about racial tensions in St. Louis and the United States. The university worked hard with leaders to come up with compromises to increase more opportunities for minority students on campus. After a week on campus, the demonstrators left after coming to agreements with the university.

Significance

 * "Although our campus has many wonderful spots, I think the clock tower serves as a unique niche on this campus." The clock tower is located at the center of Saint Louis University, making it the perfect place for student organizations to host events or for students to just sit and enjoy SLU’s beautiful campus. The protest relating to Ferguson, Missouri and the death of Michael Brown allowed students to experience a current event in the city of St. Louis and allowed them to participate in an open dialogue about the issue. It is these events that take place at the clock tower that make it such an essential part of SLU’s campus and the reason why students love it.