Imagine it’s the year 2040. Students are lining up to discover what is inside the time capsule buried in the 30-year-old Media Production Center.  Inside, articles from 2010 Columbia students paint a portrait of what life was like at Columbia at the time.

On Feb. 5, 2010, Columbia will celebrate the opening of the new Media Production Center with a ribbon cutting ceremony, along with the placement of a time capsule that will be sealed inside of the interior wall.

The time capsule, which measures 30 inches by 25 inches by 14 inches, will be reopened in the year 2040, which will also mark the college’s 150 year  anniversary.

The Media Production Center will be the first building that Columbia has built from the ground up,  as most of the buildings on campus are retrofitted buildings from the early 1900s.  The time capsule is registered with the International Time  Capsule  Society and will  be  included in  their database.

The college chose to create this  project to give students a chance to place articles inside of the capsule that pertain to the thriving, artistic community  that comprises Columbia.

“All of this is to have fun,” said Mark Kelly, vice president of Student Affairs. “It’s a ritual that allows the community to come together in a creative, playful way and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Students are asked to submit articles that will highlight the college and life at Columbia.  Suggestions include objects found that  connect to Columbia, such as U-Passes,  a course syllabus, media pieces and reflections of the students’ experiences at the college. Students are asked to contribute to the capsule and to provide suggestions as to what should be included within it.

“What we hope to do is use it as a moment of reflection of who we are,” Kelly said. “There are not many playful moments when the college can come together and this will be one of them.”

One faculty member involved in the project is Mary Ford, assistant vice president for Creative Print Services at Columbia. Ford was asked to help with the marketing plan, messaging, Web site and any print that was needed to get the buzz going about submissions to the time capsule. The Web site Ford helped create provides details about the project and how students can become more engaged with the time capsule.

“It’s a great opportunity to get creative, whether it’s a menu from the sushi place, a personal object or a little video in the day of the life,” Ford said. “It’s a great opportunity to be involved in the legacy and history of the college. I mean, how many people have an opportunity to put something in their college’s time capsule?”

Another faculty member involved in the project is Heidi Marshall, head of the college’s archives.  Marshall has worked in the past with collections that had time capsules, but she wasn’t part of the planning.  She is excited to be working on this  specific project. To prepare for the project, Marshall studied similar events that had been done in the past. She said that time capsules buried in 1999 were very helpful in her research to study other institutional

time capsules.

Marshall said the college will keep track of the capsule throughout the  years through the International Time Capsule Society. She also said that this sort of  project is common within other institutions and will pay a marvelous testament to the  college itself. Submissions are welcomed through Nov. 20. Following the submissions, a vote will be held to decide which items  will be included in the capsule.

For more information on the time capsule and the Media Productions Center, visit ColumbiasMoment.org/timecapsule.php.