For the past few days, chimes players at Altgeld Hall were taking paid song requests for a Valentine’s Day fundraiser. 

Students can select from a list of 47 “typical love songs, classic songs you may regularly hear on the Senior Memorial Chime, and a set of international selections,” said Liam Flood, senior in Engineering and chimes player, in an email. 

Students can pay $2 to have their selection played during evening concerts, or pay $4 to hear their songs during passing periods on Thursday and Friday. They accepted “special song requests” up until Monday for $5. 

The event, held by the Altgeld Ringers student organization, will pay for the upcoming 100th-anniversary celebration of the Altgeld Chimes dedication. This celebration is set for Oct. 30. 

According to Flood, no special Valentine is required to request a song.

“(We) thought that this would be a unique way to interact with the local community since, for the majority of our concerts, we don’t have the public directly choose which songs are played,” Flood said. 

The Altgeld Ringers are planning two concerts in March to celebrate the opening of the University and 100th anniversary of the Engineering Open House, as well as an April concert for the “Relay For Life” cancer research fundraiser. 

“Our goal is to enrich the UIUC campus and the surrounding community by continuing the long-standing tradition of chimes playing at this University,” Flood said. “While we want to preserve and recognize our history, we also wish to continually think forward in how we can engage with the rest of campus and its diverse group of students through our musical choices and through our events.”

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