Time capsule dedication closes Penn State's 150th birthday celebration

Greg Grieco For video, click on the image above.

University Park, Pa. -- Penn State brought its 150th birthday celebration to an official conclusion on Nov. 30 with the dedication of a sesquicentennial time capsule at the HUB-Robeson Center. For photos, check http://live.psu.edu/still_life/2005_11_30_capsule/index.html and to view the video, go to http://live.psu.edu/video/36 online.

The time capsule and its contents will be installed permanently after the holidays in a wall near the HUB Historical Murals, on the first floor. It will be reopened in 2055.

At the dedication, student representatives Ed Rowe and Cassie Massaker from Undergraduate Student Government and the Council of Commonwealth Student Governments presented the time capsule and its contents to the University. Vicky Triponey, vice president for Student Affairs, accepted the capsule on the University's behalf.

"Our purpose was to capture the essence of student life in 2005," said Rowe, a junior in English and co-coordinator of the time capsule project with Massaker, who is a senior in human development and family studies. "Through this project, we as students get to tell our audience in 50 years all about our unique university experience. It will be very interesting to see what changes happen over the next half-century."

Triponey noted that the time capsule, as part of the sesquicentennial, "allows us to pay tribute to the incredibly rich history, traditions and people that make Penn State such a remarkable University. I am pleased and proud to accept this wonderful gift on Penn State's behalf. It will remind us of a very special moment in time." The University's 150th birthday celebration began July 1, 2004.

Students selected items for the capsule, which will include photos, post cards, pins, DVDs, brochures, newsletters and objects meant to represent current activities, events and technology at Penn State, such as a cell phone, a THON bracelet and LED lights from the Beaver Stadium scoreboard. Various units across the University made donations, including the Penn State Blue Band, the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, Intercollegiate Athletics, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, and the Office of Physical Plant. A special commemorative ornament depicting the Allen Street Gates and honoring the sesquicentennial was donated by Easter Seals of Central Pennsylvania. Each item adds to a collection that overall is meant to convey a "snapshot" of where the University stands at this moment in time.

Of particular note is a 45-minute video which includes interviews with Penn State President Graham B. Spanier, Triponey and a number of current Penn State students, as well as extensive footage of the University Park campus and its students. Current events are discussed as well as hopes for the University 50 years into the future. The Office of University Relations produced the video.

"The video has been one of the most exciting parts of this project," said Rowe. "The opportunity to hear from students and a few administrators, talking about their Penn State experience and hopes for the University's future, is something very important to the mission of this capsule."

The time capsule also will contain photos from the dedication and a letter explaining its purpose and contents. Visit http://sesquicentennial.psu.edu/timecapsule.html for a complete list of items. Photos from the dedication can be seen at http://live.psu.edu/still_life/2005_11_30_capsule/index.html