Trying to find a time capsule at Middletown High School is like trying to find the Holy Grail since it’s hidden with no solid clues to aid in the search. All that is for sure is that it was buried by an anonymous group with unknown objects in it, circa 1974. Due to the growing speculation surrounding this allegedly hidden vessel, it’s make the rumors easy to believe. However, the lack in hard evidence makes them hard to prove.
Time capsules represent a history of a place and time period. They are meant to be found sometime in the future. However, MHS seems to be late in figuring out that the capsule eventually is supposed to be found.
At MHS, very few of the faculty know of a time capsule, and none of them have solid information to aid in its discovery. What they do have an idea of are the contents that may be in the capsule. Since it was buried around the 1970s, teachers were quick to reminisce on ’70s trends that may have been included for memory’s sake all those years ago.
MHS government teacher Jerry Donald said there’d be a smiley face, roller skates, plaid, bell bottoms, lava lamps, mesh hats and a McDonald’s logo since “the first McDonald’s came to Frederick in the ’70s”, and rock-and-roll long-playing records that are themed.
“Roller skates, as well,” said MHS math teacher Tracey Athey said. “There’d be a Teen Beat magazine and a poster of the actor Shaun Cassidy.” While current MHS students had little to add on what the capsule from the ’70s might contain, they didn’t hesitate to add their thoughts about another capsule being buried for the class of 2016, and what would be in it.
“There’d be a One Direction CD and something to represent Snapchat streaks; those are literally the two most important things in my life right now,” said MHS freshman Samantha Johnson.
MHS sophomore Becca Roeder added that the content would represent trends like hoverboards, the controversial dress and a CD with “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae).” MHS sophomore Rachel Heuver agreed, saying there’d be a mixtape of hits from 2016.
MHS students had never heard rumors of a time capsule having already been buried at MHS, so hearing about it made sparked their interest in it being found.
MHS senior Alison Miller said she thought it’d be pretty interesting to open up a time capsule and the contents. “You could see stories in people’s things,” she said.
MHS sophomore Madison Kirchner said, “I would be so happy because we have so much history here at Middletown; we’ve been around for a very long time. I would be so excited to see what the people from the past have brought to the future with their time capsule.”
Many MHS teachers were completely unaware of a time capsule, but most agreed that former MHS track and field coach Don Boyer, who retired this fall after coaching at MHS for 50 years, was the one they thought would have information about the time capsule’s whereabouts.
Boyer said he had limited knowledge as well. “I don’t know a tremendous amount about it, but I think I may know the area where I was told it was buried,” he said. “If I walked around campus for a while, I may be able to find the general area where it may be. I was a teacher when it was buried; it was sort of a secret and on the down low.”
The capsule wasn’t talked about publicly when it was buried, Boyer said. Only some teachers had the opportunity to be a part of it, for fear of students digging it up too early. A time capsule wasn’t mentioned in any edition of an MHS yearbook either, probably for the same reason it wasn’t talked about.
Boyer said former athletes of his showed interest in finding the mystery capsule, but weren’t quite sure where to begin their search. So, with no definitive idea as to where the time capsule may be, the hunt is on as it was all of those years ago. Now, one can only wonder about the whereabouts of the time capsule. Who knows, students could be walking over where the memories lay every day.
