NORFOLK, Neb. -- Today’s flash drive might be tomorrow’s floppy disk, while chances are photos and T-shirts are not likely to become obsolete anytime soon.
Then again, some things like a record album, once about the only way to listen to recorded music then nearly extinct, have made a remarkable comeback.
Time will tell.
That is part of the fun of placing items in a time capsule.
Just ask Cortlynn Cadwallader, who is president of the Northeast Community College Student Leadership Association, which oversaw selecting items to put into a new time capsule at Northeast.
A ceremony to look at items and discuss some of them was moved indoors Thursday, April 25, to the College Welcome Center (CWC) atrium when rain fell off and on all morning. The items will be buried later near the flags in the front of the CWC when the area is dry.
Cadwallader, a second-year student majoring in early childhood education, said it was fun getting items to put in the time capsule.
“A lot of the clubs and different organizations that we have here on campus put stickers in, pictures, and things that might seem like antiques in 25 years or more (like flash drives)," she said.
The stacks of photos showed students in class and some of the activities they did during the school year. Other tables had sports photos, along with such random items as a phone charger, ice pack, ball caps, koozies and an agenda from a meeting.
Lori Trowbridge, executive director of college engagement, said a Northeast time capsule was dug up last September with some interesting items. Those items were in great shape after being placed in a metal box and sealed in plastic baggies.
“They were absolutely perfect when they came out,” Trowbridge said.
The last time capsule from last September was removed after 20 years, with plans to open this one in 25 years.
Leah Barrett, Northeast Community College president, said Northeast has established a tradition of looking at time capsules about 20 to 25 years. The last one brought back so many fond memories, she said.
Barrett said this has been a significant week for Northeast, including a new brand reveal and topping out ceremony with the last beam being installed for the new Maclay building.
“It’s a wonderful week to be a Hawk,” she said. “It’s a wonderful day every day to be a Hawk."
Time capsule cutline
Cortlynn Cadwallader, a second-year student from Stanton and president of the Student Leadership Association, holds up a sandwich holder, one of the items placed in a time capsule at Northeast Community College on Thursday, April 25. (Northeast Community College)
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