Anya Watson / 2024-2-2
101 years ago, a young man named Joseph Stalin was appointed General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviety Union. The British Broadcasting Corporation was established. Egypt gained independence from the British government.
And Nepean High School came into existence.
Fair to say, our school has been around for a long time. Students have navigated high school life while living through the Great Depression, the Second World War, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the moon landing, and numerous other monumental events. With this rich tapestry of school history, it is no wonder students in 1998 wanted to encapsulate Nepean High School’s enduring legacy.
In 1998, students came up with the idea of creating a time capsule to preserve items of cultural importance for their successors to discover. Fast forward 25 years to November 2023, students and staff at Nepean had the opportunity to witness the momentous opening of the anachronistic capsule during an assembly in the school auditorium.
Items such as a signed ball, a yearbook, and a mathematics textbook were pulled from the large wooden box that had spent its lifetime in the school office. “I would have liked to have read the yearbook from 1998. I was surprised at how similar it looked to our current yearbooks!” exclaimed a student in grade 11. The capsule even contained a box of Kraft Dinner and a can of Pringles, not to mention a telephone machine and dozens of collages showcasing trends at school or the most popular celebrities.
Ms. Hamer, a teacher in the English department heavily involved in the planning and organization of the unveiling assembly, believed the event provided a chance to contemplate the question “What does it mean to live gold?”
“To live gold” can mean various things to different people. Does it mean to succeed academically or athletically? To serve the community? To use your voice? Nepean students will have the opportunity to answer this question for themselves when they open the next time capsule in 2048.
As for what was sealed in the latest time capsule, Ms. Hamer reveals “some swag with the school motto,” “a paintstick of [the school’s] purple paint,” and mementos that demonstrate Nepean winning gold, such as “the gold medal of the senior girls’ basketball team” and “a disc signed by the ultimate team, who have won several tournaments this year.” Other items believed to embody Nepean spirit include a calculator, projector, and chromebook, as well as items from school activities, such as Key Club, Knightwatch, and Student Council.
When asked about the importance of this event to the community. Ms. Hamer says “It’s also important to me that we take a moment to pause from our busy lives and just reflect and celebrate that our school is marking a century of learning.”
We laughed about teachers, cried about tests, and celebrated our achievements together. This was Nepean in 1998, and this is still Nepean in 2023.
Happy 100th anniversary, everyone.