From left: Amanda Owen, Dr. Chae Sweet, Brian Hopely, Jen Gordon, Dana Miller, Nicole Miron Maugle and Lawrence Greene at the 2026 Justice Bell Song Contest award ceremony. Photo by Taylor Hedner
Montgomery County Community College recently announced the winners of a musical contest, which pays tribute to a symbol of women’s voting rights.
The six winners in MCCC’s 2026 Justice Bell Song Contest were each given $500 funded by the Jonas C., Marian D., and Robert H. Erb Charitable Fund for their original songs inspired by the story of the Justice Bell recently.
The four student winners were Ajari Benn (Liberal Studies A.A. major) for the song “Justice,” Brian Hopely (Liberal Studies A.A. major) for “The Justice Bell,” Ashlee McEntyre (Psychology A.S. major) for “Ring in the Silence,” and Juno Walter (Music A.A. major) for “Justice Bell.” The two MCCC employee award winners were Dana Miller, Manager of Peer Support and Outreach, for the song “The Path to Justice,” and Jen Gordon, Advisor for “A Bell by Any Other Name."
The Justice Bell Replica, a powerful symbol of the fight for women’s voting rights, was fashioned after the original Justice Bell, a replica of the Liberty Bell. Members of the Pennsylvania Woman Suffrage Association used the Justice Bell in 1915 as part of a campaign to advocate for women’s right to vote in Pennsylvania. The iconic bell traveled across Pennsylvania to raise awareness and support for the suffrage movement.
The Justice Bell Replica has been on display at Montgomery County Community College since it arrived on the Pottstown Campus in August 2024. A year later it transferred to the Blue Bell Campus where it is currently on display at the entrance of the Brendlinger Library in College Hall until August 2027.
The College celebrated the song contest winners on April 21 with a ceremony on the Blue Bell Campus. Nicole Miron Maugle, Director of Libraries, served as the master of ceremonies for the event. The awards were judged by Amanda Owen, Executive Director of the Justice Bell Foundation; Dr. Chae Sweet, Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs and Provost; and Lawrence Greene, MCCC Archivist and Librarian. Contestants were tasked with creating an original piece of music, lyrics or instrumentals and a short essay explaining how their piece was inspired by the Justice Bell Replica.
The award ceremony included a reading from the preface of Owen’s book, “The Justice Bell: Tracing the Journey of a Forgotten Symbol” before the songs were played, said Owen.
“Music was an important part of the Justice Bell campaign in 1915,” said Owen, “and it was deeply moving to hear how these talented students and employees transformed the bell’s enduring call to ‘establish justice’ into original songs that speak to a new generation.”
In addition to the cash prize, each winner received a copy of Owen’s book and a certificate.
Greene called it a privilege to serve as a judge for the song contest.
“I was impressed with their creative and thoughtful interpretations of the Justice Bell's message,” he said. “I had a great time at the awards ceremony, listening to the winners present their work and highlight an important piece of our history.”
For Miller’s song, she incorporated a recording of the actual Justice Bell ringing into the track. The lyrics, she said, are a fusion of the story of the Justice Bell and personal struggles she’s experienced in life.
“The courage and determination of the women connected to the Justice Bell were both the catalyst and inspiration for me, and I hope the song can serve as a source of strength for anyone facing their own hardships or struggles,” said Miller. “Writing and singing it was profoundly healing and cathartic.”
Miller worked with Colin Foley, Sound Recording and Music Technology Lecturer, and Joseph Farrell, Part Time Paraprofessional Tutor, along with some former and current students Eric Peterman, Ava Pendlebury, and Abby Long to compose, record and engineer the track.
Gordon said she appreciated the opportunity to have the Justice Bell on campus, learn about its history, and meet Owen.
“I decided to enter the song lyric contest because I like poetry and lyrics, I enjoy making up rhymes about things I am interested in, and I love history,” said Gordon. “All of those things combined solidified my decision in entering the contest. Being a winner among so many talented staff and students was an honor.”
The contest was part of the College’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence during the 2025-2026 school year, which featured
a vibrant series of events, activities, and reflections that connect the country’s
past to its present and future.
These events are sponsored by the Division of Liberal Arts in partnership with the Erb Charitable Fund and Montco's Student Government Association.
For more information about the Justice Bell, contact the Justice Bell Foundation.
Montco’s A “More Perfect Union”: Voices of the American Past, Present, and Future, a 250th U.S. Anniversary project, has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this event do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.