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Somerset Community College Time Capsule Marks 50 Years of Growth

Somerset Community College

Somerset Community College has opened a time capsule that was sealed into a wall when the school opened in 1965.  

The vault for the time capsule was in the blueprints for the building, but current school leaders only found out about it when they were interviewing alumni for a 50th anniversary story on the college.

SCC Director of Advancement Cindy Clouse said one thing that stood out about the 50-year-old items was the most common material of the day – paper.

"It kind of does kind of signify the times of 1965. You know, everything was probably a little bit simpler," said Clouse. "Technology wasn't around , so everything then was on paper. So most of the items we received were paper."

The time capsule included newspapers and brochures about the school, as well as the signatures of all the 16 members of the faculty and staff at the time. Those items from 1965 provide a clear comparison that shows the growth of the school. The faculty and staff now numbers more 300. The school opened with 275 students in 1965 and current enrollment is more than 7,000.

Clouse said the school is gathering items to re-load the  time capsule, which will be opened 50 years from now.

“We have a list of all the faculty and staff that we’re going to place inside. A lot of students put in pictures of their clubs. Our student government association wants to burn a CD of the music that people are listening to now,” said Clouse.

Students decided there’s one important item that has to go into the time capsule because it’s so symbolic of our time. That item is a cell phone.