When seniors in the College of Business graduate, they are able to leave momentos to be buried for another time.

Each graduating class has its own time capsule. Any given class keeps its capsule in the Dean’s Office during the year, where mementos are added. It is then buried after graduation, to be unearthed for the 30th class reunion.

Part of the Class Stewardship Program, the time capsule project aims to build class identity, said Ray Braun, dean of the College of Business.

“It starts with the freshmen by greeting them at orientation … the college also has social events, class dinners every semester,” Braun said.

Students are also aware of the time capsule by asking the classes what they would want to put in the capsule at their dinners.

Senior Blake Berryhill was one student chosen to be a class representative. He asked for student suggestions at class dinners.

“We asked what they would want to put into the time capsule and what’s most important to put in the capsules,” said Berryhill.

As a way to get students involved, the college offers the “CBA Reward Point Program,” which earns participating students points for prizes from the college. Points are rewarded this upcoming spring for those who put things into the time capsules.

But what has been included in the time capsules so far includes the shirts business students get their freshman year and the class pennants that are signed while the students are freshmen.

Other ideas include favorite songs from the semester, programs from social events, along with the class pictures that are hanging in the entrance of Business Administration Building.

At the end of freshman year, Braun assigns “Dean’s homework,” asking for students to email Braun their best memory of the semester.

“The class decided they wanted a copy of every email in the capsule,” Braun said.

Other items get placed into the time capsule based on what students accomplish while at the University.

“The toughest class for business majors is the third calculus class. It’s what weeds out people who can’t be business majors,” said sophomore Shannon Jordan. “Someone put their final in with their grade.”

Jordan suggested adding something from the 2012 elections to the capsule.

“For my class, this was the first time we could vote,” she said.

Lost in time

While the University now has time capsules it is aware of, past time capsules have been lost.

The 1940 graduating class at the University buried a time capsule where the Family and Consumer Sciences Building and Founders Hall stand today.

In the time capsule were two pennies, a class roll and a dedication to the tree the capsule was buried under. Also in the capsule was a copy of the May 15, 1940, “Bee Gee News” and a written account of the day, according to a 1958 copy of The BG News.

When constructing what was then known as the Home Economics building, a construction worker uncovered the time capsule and gave it to the University. The top had come off and water damaged the contents.

Then in 1966 a time capsule was found in the Maintenance Building [now known as Centrex]. The BG News said in the story that it was believed the capsule was unburied when the driveway that circled in front of University Hall was removed. A later article the same year said a time capsule was buried where the Home Economics [now where Founders and the Family and Consumer Science buildings] stand. A professor at the time, Donald S. Longworth recounted when the capsule was buried, and said the original tree the time capsule was buried under had died and the time capsule had been moved for the time being.

Since the 1966 articles, nothing else can be found about the 1940 time capsule, other than it is to be opened 75 years from the date it was buried— in 2015.