Virginia Tech presents its Sesquicentennial Time Capsule

On Saturday, Oct. 15, Virginia Tech revealed its Sesquicentennial Time Capsule outside of Burruss Hall. The capsule itself is built out of locally sourced Hokie Stone which will hold the featured items inside its walls.

Chris Kiwus, interim senior vice president and chief business officer at Virginia Tech, explained the intention behind the capsule.

“It celebrates not only the history of Virginia Tech … but it’s going to be for future Hokies 50 years from now to open it up and get a feel for what life (was) like and what was happening at Virginia Tech back 50 years ago,” Kiwus said.

A few of the items in the capsule include digital publications, maps, physical publications, yearbooks and symbols of the sesquicentennial celebration brought together by Virginia Tech Special Collections. A Blu-Ray reader will also be put in the capsule in order to ensure Hokies of the future can access the digital records. Some of the physical items are on display in Room 1010 of the Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room in Newman Library until Nov. 11.

Additionally, the unveiling is just one part of the sesquicentennial celebration at Virginia Tech that started in July 2021. Virginia Tech saw celebrations across the state and internationally at the Steger Center in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland.

Rosemary Blieszner, interim dean of the College of Architecture, Arts and Design and the chair of the Sesquicentennial Steering Committee, enjoyed seeing the collaboration among the community.

“It’s just been really fun to see everybody come together and work on the sesquicentennial celebration from whatever their area is,” Blieszner said.

The capsule also serves an architectural purpose for Virginia Tech’s campus. Jack Rosenberger, the campus landscape architect at Virginia Tech facilities, said the morphology of the project built itself. The time capsule construction is a counterpart to the Alwood plaza that was dedicated on the west side of Burruss Hall in 2013. Rosenberger said the plaza “set a precedent for this space because this east side of Burruss did not have the counterpart.”

According to Tom Tillar, former vice president for alumni relations, the capsule is front and center to show the value of Virginia Tech traditions and achievements. A sealing ceremony will take place in December, and the capsule will be opened 50 years from now in the year 2072.