By Erica Thomas, managing editor
CLAY —When the class of 2001 graduated, the world was a different place. There wasn’t Facebook, Twitter, or even MySpace. Not everyone had a cell phone and Apple hadn’t even introduced the iPod yet. It wasn’t long after graduation that 9/11 happened, so many of the students that graduated that year probably remember a simpler time. Despite a global war on terrorism, the beginning of the 21st century brought about the most transformative advances in technology and social characteristics.
For graduates at Clay-Chalkville High School, a plan was hatched that would ensure their time at the school would be remembered. In order to preserve its history, the class decided to create a time capsule only to be opened 20 years later…in 2021.
The school was only five years old at the time and the class of 2001 wanted to encapsulate the memories and history from the first five years of the school’s existence. The plan for the time capsule was put together by Rodney Basenburg’s government and economics class. They planned the design and Wayne Standridge built it to fit into a computer carousel. It wasn’t long before the capsule was full of letters, photos, a scrapbook, magazines, shirts and other memorabilia.
The time capsule was dedicated on Tuesday, May 22, 2001. Fast-forward 20 years later, and the capsule was opened on Friday, May 21, 2021, by students and teachers at CCHS. Even Clay Mayor Charles Webster was in attendance to loosen one of the six screws holding the capsule closed.
Inside the capsule, nostalgia abounded. There were panoramic photos from classes ’96 to 2001, bundles of letters from teachers, seniors and community members, and the Last Will and Testament booklet. Left untouched in the capsule for 20 years, all of the items were in pristine condition. One by one, students removed the items and displayed them on a table. Even VHS tapes were played, showing how many times the class made television news and showing the seniors of 2001 letting loose on Senior Day.
There was also a school newspaper with a story about the time capsule and how it came to be.
Julia Petty, a 2021 senior, said she worked on a story about the time capsule ahead of time and heard what the 2001 class president said about it. Petty said what the interview gave her insight on what the time capsule meant to the class that put it together.
“Some of her classmates have passed away, so they want to see those letters and stuff,” said Petty. “And they’re hearing from people that they haven’t heard from in a while so she said that was really cool.”
Among the most touching items found was a letter from Hal McIntosh. The beloved theater teacher passed away after being hospitalized with COVID-19 in 2020, giving an even stronger meaning to the words he wrote in the letter.
“May this be a time of great celebration and fond memories for you, and may you always think kindly of the old bald-headed man and of the work we did together to create magic moments on our stage!” McIntosh wrote to the Seniors of 2001.
When the Class of 2001 has its 20-year reunion later this year, they will go through the items left in the time capsule. In the meantime, the Class of 2021 is planning to continue the tradition. When they walk across the field to get their diplomas at graduation, each student will be able to place something in the time capsule for it to be sealed once again.
“I’m excited to put in a letter to myself that I can read when I’m 38,” Petty said. “I listed some of my friends to see if I would be friends with them in 20 years. I also talked about softball, family and my dreams for when I grow up to see if they actually came true.”
2021 Class President Gabby Kirk said she hopes to compile a Last Will and Testament booklet for her class. She is already planning what items she will place in the box.
Despite their senior year being during a pandemic, the class of 2021 has moved along and has stayed strong. Petty said she has grown closer to her classmates than she would’ve ever imagined. She said her teachers have gone above and beyond to make this year the best year possible. She said in 20 years she will be excited to look back at all of the positive memories.
“What will stick out for me 20 years from now will probably be the way that we all came together,” Petty said. “We didn’t know if we were going to have a prom this year and some of the senior activities that everybody has always done like the Senior Breakfast and stuff, but we all got together with our class president, Gabby Kirk, and got our plans made and promised the teachers we would wear our mask and do all of the things we were supposed to do because of coronavirus. So, I think it really just brought us all more together.”
Clay-Chalkville High School’s graduation will be at Cougar Stadium, at 10 a.m., on Tuesday, May 25.
More photos from the opening of the time capsule can be viewed in the gallery below.