By Mari Mejia

With the recent discovery of a time capsule in the old athletic building, Macalester is now looking to capture the present and preserve it for the future through a new 2008 capsule.The discovery of the old time capsule happened when the construction crew unearthed it while tearing down the rubble of old athletic center. It was buried in the wall of the gymnasium, which dates back to the 1920s. This makes the time capsule over 75 years old. “We had no records telling us there was a memory box in the building, so we’re just fortunate that the construction crew found it,” said Laurie Hamre, dean of students.

The contents of the capsule were revealed just this past week. Inside it were a variety of objects reflecting campus life at Macalester, including a photo of the class of 1924, Mac Weeklys from 1920, and a year book.

The college hopes to carry on this tradition of preserving snapshots of Macalester life through the creation of new time capsule. This fall, in conjunction with the grand opening of the MARC, students will not only have the opportunity to see the contents of the old capsule but also make suggestions for what should go inside the new 2008 time capsule.

During this time, there will be a contest in which students write in and voice their ideas of what they believe should go in the capsule. “If you were going to fill this memory box, knowing people won’t open it until 2090, what would you like those people to find in the box that really depicts what 2008 is?” is a question Hamre suggested students should think about when writing their suggestions.

The submissions will be reviewed by a committee of students, faculty and staff, who will make the final decision of the 2008 capsule’s contents. Then at the dedication ceremony of the MARC on October 11, the time capsule will be filled, sealed and placed into the MARC on the brick wall facing Shaw Field.

As many Macalester students have found out (especially at this point in the year), time is precious and the clock is ticking away, so it’s never too early to get a head start on time capsule submission ideas. Students wishing to get involved with 2008 capsule can contact Grand Opening Committee members Nate Wegmann, Oliva Abbot or Ali Nystrom.

MARI MEJIA