Time Capsule
The 2047 Time Capsule
When the addition to the School of Nursing building in Baltimore, what we call “the new building,” was completed in 1998, a time capsule was enclosed behind the cornerstone. In conjunction with a building renovation and expansion (lower level and first and second floors) completed in 2022, the School developed another time capsule.
In September 2022, just before the School’s All-Alumni Reunion, UMSON sealed the time capsule in the granite base of the newly constructed sculptural replica of Parsons Hall (the School’s former residence hall, 1922 - 98) in the School of Nursing courtyard, with instructions to open it in a quarter-century (that’s 2047).
What’s enclosed in the stainless-steel capsule?
A collection of items — sourced from ideas contributed by School of Nursing faculty, staff, and students initially through a survey — that we believe reflect what it’s like to be a member of the UMSON community in 2022. Among many other items, here are some examples:
- BLACK LIVES MATTER AND CICADAS: A photo commemorating the Black Lives Matter social movement shows a banner on the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus. A cicada statue, part of an art installation recognizing the emergence of the 17-year Brood X cicada in 2021, appears in the foreground.
- TEXTBOOK: Fundamentals of Nursing is the current, well, fundamental textbook for entry-into-practice students.
- RECENT NEWS STORIES: Among others, Baltimore Sun clippings from 2020 recognize the first identified COVID-19 cases in Maryland and Kamala Harris, the nation’s first woman, first African-American, and first South Asian American vice president.
- VACCINE CLINIC VEST: Worn by Ann Mech, JD, MS ’78, BSN ’76, RN, assistant professor and director of legal affairs, supervisor of students at the 2021 COVID-19 vaccine clinic at the UMB Southern Management Corporation Campus Center, an included vest is a reminder of UMSON’s efforts there.
- PINS: COVID-19 vaccine and UMB Together pins commemorate the nation’s massive effort to vaccinate Americans against COVID-19 and UMB’s campaign to celebrate the return to in-person learning and working after 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT: We all quickly learned what PPE stands for during the pandemic, and a photo shows what some PPE looked like in summer 2020.
- IN UNISON MOUSEPAD: A mouse pad features excerpts of the School’s In UniSON: Together We Commit, Together We Act anti-oppression position statement, launched in 2021.
- HONOR CORDS: The time capsule includes a sample of honor cords that signify organization membership and other honors, worn at graduation ceremonies.
- KN95 MASK: From fall 2021 - March 2022, KN95 masks were either strongly encouraged or required for everyone at UMB-owned and -operated facilities as the nation rode out the Delta and Omicron waves of COVID-19. So a KN95 mask is included.
- VACCINE VIALS AND SYRINGES: You cannot create a record of modern times without including COVID-19 vaccine vials and syringes.
- COVID-19 ANTIGEN AT-HOME TEST KIT: COVID-19 antigen home test kits are a household staple not only for evaluating symptoms to determine if they are a result of COVID-19 but for preventing the spread of the illness by testing prior to attending events and other gatherings.
- 1807: The time capsule contains all three issues (2019, 2020, and 2021) of 1807, UMB’s literary journal, published by the time the time capsule was sealed.