The Wildcat class of 2022 buried its time capsule in front of Kendall Hall on Tuesday. Students had the chance to submit items for the capsule that represented their experience at Chico State such as textbooks, COVID-19 related items or personal letters. 

Chico State President, Gayle Hutchinson, said that part of the time capsule tradition is digging the capsule up after 50 years so alumni can gather together again and celebrate.

“Our 2022 graduates have been through the Camp Fire and floods and the pandemic,” Hutchinson said. “It’ll be great for them to not only celebrate their 50 years, but to remember the challenges that they faced and hopefully see how much and how well our country and the world has advanced.”

Students were encouraged to pick up a shovel and help bury the capsule, and many did.

Chico State student and Vice President of Business and Finance, Austin Lapic, said that seeing his fellow classmates show up in such a big crowd to the event was amazing.

“It’s exceptional the turnout that we have been pushing for and that we have been receiving from not even just class of ‘22 but all these future classes,” Lapic said. “They want to be involved on campus and they want to be here and experience what campus life is like.”

Lapic said that he put his name tag in the capsule, alongside a signed photograph of him and all of the other student elected representatives. Student government plays a critical role at Chico State and he hopes that in 50 years it will only continue to grow and continue the legacy that the students are building now.

Students put masks, letters and personal artifacts into the capsule that defined their time at Chico State.

A sociology major, Mona Tan, said that she put a veterinary appointment card in the capsule. Tan said her dog Cooper was very important to her, and that he loved being on campus.

“I’ve had Cooper since I was 11. He’s a part of my childhood and he’s a really big part of my college experience,” Tan said.

The time capsule was a collaborative project run by the Alumni Association and Associated Students. 

Chico State Alumni Association intern Gianna Scotto said the time capsule is an important tradition for Chico State to capture students’ memories and celebrate their legacy. She’s excited to come back to see the capsule opened and relive all of the connections and memories she made on campus.

The 2022 time capsule will be opened in 2072. 
Ava Norgrove can be reached at [email protected] or @AvaNorgrove on Twitter.