100th Anniversary

On April 8, a crowd of dozens of UC Davis supporters—alumni, faculty, staff and graduate students—all seated under a tent outside Walker Hall excitedly yelled out in unison, “Five, four, three, two, one!” 

With that, the sound of melodic clanking filled the air as members of the UC Davis and Graduate Studies community rang ceremonial bells to commemorate the grand opening of the Graduate Center at Walker Hall. 

Bell ringing, shouts of joy and clapping in the Graduate Studies office celebrate the moment when a student completes all requirements and final paperwork for a master’s or doctoral degree.

• UC Davis Magazine has more about the bell-ringing tradition.

The tradition will sound, this time, for the grand opening ceremony of the Graduate Center at Walker Hall on Friday, April 8.

A dull, metal-infused, quasi-melodic clanking reverberates off the walls of the Graduate Center at Walker Hall with an erratic rhythm. A smile spreads across UC Davis doctoral student Jackson Badger’s face as a small circle of his friends, family and lab mates applaud him. Badger’s shoulders drop as a deep exhale of relief washes over him. He knows that now, with the ringing of this bell, his doctoral degree at UC Davis is complete.

 This story was originally published on the UC Davis website.

The 85-year-old Walker Hall, one of the oldest buildings on campus, is bustling with student life again after a front-to-back renovation, including retrofits for accessibility and seismic safety.