We chose a heavy-duty plastic tool box with a dial combination lock to contain the time capsule for its ability to preserve valuables over time. Given our target opening event 100 years in the future, the container not only satisfies the practical need to protect contents against external hazards such as fire, moisture, and biodegradation, but also reduces the risk of the time capsule being lost or thrown away if mistaken for trash.

Within the box, a plastic sharps container designed to safely collect biohazardous material separates students’ masks from the other objects. The container’s disposable nature embodies both current reliance on single-use products available immediately via Amazon Prime and widespread desire to dispose of COVID-19 and move into the future unburdened by isolation and tragedy. Generally a receptacle for used syringes and needles, the sharps container symbolizes hope in our time capsule. The CDC estimates that only 16 months after the Trump

administration declared a global state of emergency, 41.5% of the population in the United States has been fully vaccinated and predicts that the 70% inoculation rate required for herd immunity will be reached over the summer. Thus, even though sharps containers are typically incinerated, we wish to preserve the contents of ours as a testament to the human sacrifice and strength of the past year. We hope future

generations will be able to examine the biomaterial embedded within our masks to investigate the virus, our atmosphere, and our rather intimate relationship with fabric. The plastic container promises longevity and highlights the contemporary reliance on plastics we hope to transcend. 

We will deposit the time capsule in a secure location in a campus building. Although protected from the natural elements that may attack the contents, this location runs the risk of human interference and being opened prematurely. We have included a laminated sign on the exterior asking future generations to respect our intentions. Instructions for finding and accessing the time capsule, a clue to the alphabetical combination code, will be left in the Special Collections Research Center at the University of Chicago Library. We intend for the time capsule to be opened during the Scavenger Hunt in 2121.