The clock tower between the Boyd School of Law and Maude Frazier Hall can be heard chiming every hour on the hour, but what most do not know is that it is capable of playing patriotic songs.

The clock tower is approaching its 27th birthday on Nov. 15 of this year. It was a gift given to the university in 1978 by the Murray Peterson Foundation. It shows the years of wear and tear with its rust coloration but is still a significant piece of university history.

Some students claimed to hear "God Bless America" being played by the clock.

Facilities Management Director Harold Archibald said that the song was a special request from the Vice President for Planning and Chief of Staff Juanita Fain.

Archibald said he thinks it was for national mourning day for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

They do not play different songs on a regular basis; normally it is just the regular chiming on the hour.

"We don't want to interfere with students that are studying or test taking," he said, "but on special occasions we will go ahead and re-program it."