Ever since the four became the official bell ringers of Lowell, they have never missed a Sunday at the bells. They begin at 1, and the ringing stops by 1:15 p.m.
The 15-minute limit is no arbitrary choice. According to Knox, a Cambridge ordinance restricts the duration of public bell-ringing.
The limit may have been imposed by annoyed Cantabrigians.
Although the bell ringing tradition is a source of pride for Lowell residents, not everyone is enthusiastic about having an alarm many times louder than even residents in distant Wigglesworth would like.
"Some people are annoyed by [the bells'] atonal sound," says Benjamin Brown '98, a Lowell House resident. "You can understand people getting a little bit cranky waking up to [the bells] after a late night."
One might expect those living in the room directly under the bells to be the most disgruntled, but luckily, Knox and his roommates occupy that space.
Despite complaints and whining from Saturday night partiers, Brown says he wouldn't mind trying the bell ringing some quiet Sunday morning.
"I definitely want to do it before I leave here," he says. "It's one of those quirky things about Harvard you shouldn't miss."