The time capsule suffered some water damage.
Video screenshot by CNET
Back in the long ago world of 1993, students at Shenandoah University in Virginia were into Stevie Wonder, cassette tapes and fluffy bangs. We know this thanks to a time capsule opened during the university’s Homecoming weekend events this month.
A lot has happened in the intervening 25 years, including the explosion of the internet and smartphones. The time capsule gives us a look back at what feels like simpler times.
The Class of 1993 seems to have been nostalgic for even earlier days. The capsule contained a Beatles record. The university also found a cassette tape of a recital, which is more on point for music in the ’90s era.
Shenandoah University posted a video of the time capsule on Wednesday showing the opening of the container, which didn’t fare well in the damp ground. The lid almost looks melted into place.
While some of the contents suffered damage, you can still make out the glorious bangs worn by a trio of choir students during a 1991 tour in Switzerland. Talk about old-school cool.
These Shenandoah University singers included this photo in a 1993 time capsule.
Shenandoah University
There are a few oddball items in the mix, including a carved stone hippo with an unreadable signature, a Winnie the Pooh figurine, a toy dinosaur meant to mark the impending release of the original Jurassic Park and a pack of condoms that expired in 1997.
While it seems like 25 years isn’t terribly long in time-capsule time, the Class of 1993 did intend for it to be opened in 2018. And now we can all think back to when Sleepless in Seattle ruled the theaters, grunge rock was rising and Myst wowed the gaming world.