The chime of the clock ringing on the hour is a familiar sound for students, faculty and staff of Sam Houston State University. Often time, the sound of the bell is barely registered by those on campus.

However, on Friday at 12 p.m., the sound of the bell will take on a special meaning.

The fourth annual Raven’s Call will be hosted by the Orange Keys in front of the SHSU Bell Tower. At that time, family and friends can come and celebrate the lives of Bearkats who have passed. SHSU students, faculty, staff and retired faculty and staff will be honored and celebrated by those they left behind.

“[It will be] a celebration of the lives of those who have passed away and just kind of remember them and celebrate who they were and what they meant to the campus,” Chelsea Smith, assistant dean of students and Orange Keys faculty advisor, said. “Whether they were a professor who taught class for 20 plus years…then the students that they actually went to class with get a chance to have some closure and come and remember that person and celebrate their life while they were here at Sam.”

Smith encourages all students, faculty and staff to attend the event to either gain closure or support their fellow Bearkats.

“I encourage people to come out, definitely faculty and staff, students,” Smith said. “If their faculty will let their students be excused for that 30 minutes also on that day that would be awesome to have that many people come out and kind of remember all those that have passed away.”

The event will take 20-30 minutes where Dean John Yarabeck will call out the names of those who have passed away in the last year. President Dana G. Hoyt, Ph.D., will give a speech along with the president and vice president of programming for the Orange Keys. A student will sing “Amazing Grace” and the SHSU Alma Mater.

“Last year when we had the three students that passed away in the car accident their family came out and they really really appreciated that we honored them,” Smith said. “They stayed for a long time after and just talked to the other students who were friends of the students and so that was a touching moment and it was really nice to see that happen.”