By Michele Ives
LTISD Office of Communications
The year was 1990. Cellular phones were used primarily by the military and emergency services personnel, hardcopy encyclopedias were still used for school research projects, Facebook wasn’t a part of the everyday vernacular; and Alexis Goertz was putting together a time capsule assignment in Marilyn Eichenbaum’s 8th grade Language Arts class at Lake Travis Middle School.
A lot has changed since 1990, but one thing that hasn’t is the 8th grade Language Arts time capsule assignment. The assignment requires students to prepare a box of items reflecting the year in which the time capsule was made. Traditional items have included photographs; newspaper articles; lists of favorite songs, movies, actors, and foods; a description of a recent historical event detailing where they were, what they thought about it, and how it might impact history; a gift to themselves that they think will be useful in the future; and an item they feel is significant to the time period. The students have also asked to write a letter predicting what the future may look like, discussing their dreams, and describing themselves. Students have been encouraged to keep the time capsule sealed for 20 years.
This year, with the use of modern technology defined by the Internet and Facebook, Alexis (now Riley) and Eichenbaum (now Duvon) were reunited. While discussing how life has changed in nearly 19 years, the subject of the time capsule assignment came up. Although not completely sealed, Alexis hasn’t peaked at what she put inside her box nearly 20 years ago. She plans to unveil the contents of her capsule on New Year’s Day 2010.
Recently, Riley, now 31 years old and married with three children, visited Mrs. Duvon’s classroom at LTMS to speak with students who are preparing to make their own time capsules. Toting a faded construction paper clad shoe box, Riley shared with the students what life was like as a 13 year old in 1990. Although Riley did not reveal to them what she had put inside her box, she did open it enough to pull out the letter Mrs. Duvon had written to the students in 1990. Students asked her questions about life as a 13 year old in 1990. Naturally, many questions arose including, “Did you have texting?” “How did you wear your hair?” and “What did you do for fun back then?”
Recalling fashion, hairstyles, and technology from 1990 was comical to everyone in the classroom over the age of 25, but the students themselves seemed shocked at the possibility of a life without the Internet or iPhones. One student mentioned that she is going to place her old water-damaged iPhone in her box because it is so important to her at this stage in her life and it will also show off the technology of 2009 when she opens her box in 2029.
As adults it is sometimes hard to remember who we were or what life was like when we were younger, but Mrs. Duvon’s 8th graders have the chance to look back at themselves and remember forever, as long as they hold onto that box for the next 20 years. Since reuniting through Facebook, Mrs. Duvon and Riley have found several of Riley’s classmates from 1990 and are now considering a class reunion to share the contents of their 20-year-old shoeboxes. It makes one wonder if any of them predicted the future of technology and the power of social networking.