Time Capsule to Be Sealed Into Wall at Academic Center
Thursday, November 18, 2004
A time capsule containing items that reflect Pennsylvania College of Technology, the local community and the world in which we live soon will be placed in a wall at the newly renovated Klump Academic Center.
The capsule which contains items such as aerial photos of the College, a Penn College Police flier on the dangers of jaywalking, and the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce's 2004 Membership Directory will be sealed into a concrete wall in time for an open house at the facility on Friday, Jan. 7, which will immediately follow an all-College meeting at 8:30 a.m. that day.
Other contents of the capsule will be revealed at a Dec. 7 dedication that will commemorate the 90th anniversary of the construction of the Academic Center, the 15th anniversary of the College's affiliation with The Pennsylvania State University and the recent renovation project at the historic facility.
The time capsule, which will be opened in 2054, will be registered with the International Time Capsule Society. The front of the capsule will feature the inscription "Time Will Explain It All" from Euripides, a Greek tragic dramatist from the fifth century B.C.
The capsule initiative was conceived by Veronica M. Muzic, vice president for academic affairs/provost. A Time Capsule Committee consisting of faculty, staff and student appointees who are representative of life at Penn College in Fall 2004 then canvassed the campus community and selected the materials to be included in the capsule.
Committee members include Joshua M. Appleman, student representative; Nancy C. Bowers, associate professor of mathematics; Mindy L. Carr, clinical director for the Paramedic Program; James J. Folmar II, technical support analyst; Jim W. Green, financial aid specialist; and Dr. Mark D. Noe, professor of English.
The Academic Center (the former Williamsport High School) was constructed in 1913, with a wing added in 1934. The building was acquired by the College in 1969. Before the recent project, renovations were completed to the auditorium and corridors in 1984, to the fourth floor in 1988, and to classrooms and hallways in the wing addition in 1996.
Over the years, the Academic Center has housed a variety of majors, including Advertising Art, Civil Engineering, Dental Hygiene, Mass Communications, Nursing, Printing and Radiography. It also has housed various College services, including childcare (Tot Watch), Student Activities and a cafeteria.
The auditorium also has hosted many acclaimed performers, lecturers and theatrical productions, including Wynton Marsalis, Maya Angelou, Rita Mae Brown, Alice Walker, Shirley Chisholm and Pat Schroeder.