California State University, Bakersfield’s celebration of its 50th anniversary that began in 2020 finally came to an end on Tuesday.
The university buried a time capsule near the Cashier’s Office that contained several items collected from faculty, staff, students and alumni last academic year. The capsule will be reopened in 2070 during CSUB’s 100th anniversary.
“My dear CSUB family, when this time capsule is unsealed 50 years from now, I know that our descendants will find a community of grit and grace who worked together to advance the promise of higher education for all families in our community and in our region,” President Lynnette Zelezny said during the burial ceremony. “It is a piece of our history, and what an incredible legacy we are leaving.”
The time capsule included items that represent life in 2020, such as a SpaceX model, 50th anniversary pennant, president’s coin and even a COVID-19 vaccination card.
The pieces collected for the capsule were available for viewing during the 2021-22 academic year as part of a CSUB at 50 exhibit in the Historical Research Center within the Walter W. Stiern Library. A virtual tour of the CSUB at 50 exhibit can be found here.
“This capsule and its contents are a direct reflection of these unique times we’ve experienced in the year 2020,” said Assistant Students, Inc. President and CEO Carson Vollmer. “The past serves as a chance to allow us to reflect on, and learn from, our previous experiences. I hope that the students who open this capsule one day will appreciate its contents and that it will help them in the future.”
Dr. Kim Flachmann — who first joined CSUB as a faculty member in 1972 when it was still a state college — said the campus has changed a lot in the 50 years she has been here.
In the past, she said she would often hear students talk with each other about things such as who was going to pick them up, what their weekend plans were and how far behind they were in their classes.
Now, Dr. Flachmann — coordinator of the CSUB Writing Program — said she's hearing student conversations more focused on their education, such as how to solve a math problem or sharing their interpretation of a piece of literature.
"The focus of these conversations now is on learning, rather than on leaving campus as quickly as possible," she said. "It is truly a striking transformation, and I give credit for this transformation to everyone who is a part of this campus. What a wonderful place to spend our time every day."
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