Trips to Disney are a guaranteed hit with kids, but it was also the inspiration for  Cameron Gordon ’28 to create something for Ravenscroft. 

Gordon has always been awed by light shows, dating back to when their parents drove them and their brother around each winter to look at holiday displays. A family trip to Disney, and a fascination with its nighttime spectacular, finally convinced their dad to get them their own lighting controller in 2023.

Gordon’s first neighborhood Christmas light show was in 2024 with 500 lights. However, Gordon’s sights were set on something closer to campus – on campus, to be exact.

Gordon saw an opportunity to enhance the Bell Tower, which sits in the heart of campus but has remained mostly quiet in recent years. With a passion and talent for electronics and all things light-related, Gordon wanted to bring new life to the Bell Tower.

“My vision is for the tower light displays to be used to enhance nighttime activities on campus – including concerts, evening admissions tours, advancement events, school functions, sporting events and more,” Gordon said. “The colors and effects can be changed to reflect various themes or holidays, and the lights can eventually be sequenced and synchronized to music as well.”

Gordon sees the project as a way to enhance the tower as a central focal point of campus while further honoring the legacy of the Murphy family.

The Bell Tower & Arboretum is a central historic landmark on campus, made possible through a donation from the Murphy family in 1996.

A musician, computer programmer and theatre technician, as well as a decorated Eagle Scout, Gordon uses their expertise to precisely program the lights to every beat of the music. For the neighborhood light show, Gordon sets it up so spectators can park their vehicles and tune in to the synchronized soundtrack via a dedicated radio station or livestream. Away from the neighborhood, though, Gordon simply wanted to hear the bells ringing on campus for the first time since he arrived at Ravenscroft.

“It shows how meaningful this tower and its sounds are to students here,” said Director of Fine Arts Dr. Bonnie Jacobi.

Gordon uses time during study halls, club periods, lunch and after school to work on the project. Engineering Teacher & Innovation Lab Coordinator Dr. Deborah Posner, has served as a mentor to Gordon.  Xander Carlson, Middle School Computer Science & Digital Media teacher, also was on hand for any assistance. He also enlisted the help of fellow Ravens Brendon Hopkins ’26, Aidan King ’26 and Henry Brock ’30, three of Posner’s engineering and robotics students.

“Cameron is a very talented sound and lighting engineer, and I have been enjoying the privilege of mentoring him in the Innovation Lab,” Posner said.

The project has served as a prime example of interdisciplinary collaboration. The Innovation, Design & Engineering (IDE) Department helped with project planning, coding, assembly and installation. Fine Arts will assist with music composition, theatrical show design and projection mapping.

The Bell Tower will play the Alma Mater each day at 8 a.m. There will also be an hourly clock chime, and the tower will be illuminated for graduation, special ceremonies and other campus events.

That’s not all Gordon has in mind.

“Future project phases I envision include lighting up the Ross Arbor and the area surrounding the tower,” Gordon said. “In addition, I would love to enter our school in a project called xLights Around the World, an annual video compilation featuring light shows from across the globe. This could mean great international exposure for our school.”

Gordon won’t let the project begin and end with him. He plans to train other students on how to engineer and program the light shows, hoping they will continue the work after he graduates.

“I appreciate how supportive all the faculty have been, from Mr. (Jason) Willert handling our networking to Dr. Posner serving as our main mentor,” Gordon said. “She has helped us tremendously with logistics across departments and with placing our orders. A special thank-you also goes to Mr. Derrick Willard for approving my project proposal and for trusting us to make updates to such a key historic and visual icon on our campus.”