What would you put in a time capsule to help you remember high school 10 years from now?

Well, The Californian seniors asked themselves that question and came up with some items to  actually put in a “time capsule” that will be stored in the school library.

Here’s what we have.

Fleetwood Mac CD: The item I put into the time capsule is a Fleetwood Mac CD. This was the CD that I played when studying for every test of my entire high school career starting from freshman year to the AP exams during senior year.  

This album is now consistently linked to high school for me, so it will be interesting to know whether I still recognize the album in 10 years the same way I do now. – Hannah Shariff

COVID Test: I chose to put a COVID-19 test into the time capsule for obvious reasons, but mainly because it’s a big part of the 2020-2022 era. A lot of people had COVID, knew people who got COVID, got COVID scares, or all of the above. 

This is an extra COVID-19 rapid test I didn’t use from the day I was sick and thought I had it. – Melody Mulugeta

Face Mask: This had become such an apparent part of what we deemed a new society for two years, something that most of us will never forget. Memories vary from good to bad. Some remember learning how to home-make them, while others remember seeing the constant fluctuation of their price as the pandemic progressed.  

In 10 years the question stands of whether we’ll still need them? – Hannah Shariff

A very special face mask: This mask was the mask I wore when my twin, Ari, crashed my newspaper period and pulled me out to tell me they had been accepted to University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. We hugged and they accidentally ripped one of the strings on the mask. 

The mask represents a happy moment for me, and also brings memories of the especially difficult Class of 2022 college application season. – Nicholas Harvey

The second issue of The Californian from our freshman year: This was an important issue because it mentions events that we still remember, such as the City Center opening. Although the opening feels like a forever ago, seeing the building grow from the ground up to it now becoming a staple in how we live. 

Overall this issue is really fun to look through and see how many stories still apply four years later and see what movies just came out. (By the way, they were “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” and “Bohemian Rhapsody.”) If it applies four years later, will it be 14 years later? – Melody Mulugeta and  Hannah Shariff

Pentel Hi-Polymer Eraser: This was dropped off by a random senior to add to our time capsule, and we know why. These erasers are a prized possession for anyone who encounters any misspelled words, mistakes, and errors on their school papers. 

The Pentel eraser has stuck by our side through our countless days and nights of homework, and we hope to continue using it in our near future.

Pop-It: If it isn’t self-explanatory enough, Pop-Its have been a toy phenomenon since the fidget spinner. It looks like a simple gadget, but people have found it very stress relieving and fun to just pop the silicone bubbles all day. I’m sure there will be another strange worldwide phenomenon by the time this capsule gets opened again. – Hannah Shariff

Toilet paper: This may look very strange at first, but it would be wrong not to add a toilet paper roll to a time capsule made during the COVID-19 pandemic. Once the virus was first announced as pandemic, toilet papers immediately began going out of stock because millions of families were buying it up. 

Hopefully this allows you to appreciate the privilege of getting toilet paper without having to fight for your life for it at Safeway. – Melody Mulugeta

Hair claw and scrunchies: Today, it’s very common to see people wear hair claws and scrunchies in their hair. Whether it’s a top bun or a ponytail, scrunchies and hair claws have been the go-to hair trend for Cal High students. – Melody Mulugeta

An (empty) box of apple juice from the cafeteria: The apple juice craze of brunch that has hit us all is undeniable. It has been the one constant throughout senior year. I mourn for the future generations of Cal High students that will have to go without this holy grail when our budget inevitably gets redirected to pour more money into something that will constitute less use for the students. – Carol Chen

A Minion figurine: My apologies if you are unfamiliar with this yellow magnificent potato. This minion, Tim, was gifted by an awesome minion-loving friend of mine in economics class this year (incentives matter). 

Minions have always been my role model and I hope to pass on their wisdom to those who open this time capsule. This summer “The Minions: Rise of Gru” will be out in theaters, a very big year for minions. In fact, on the day of May 25, my friends all dressed in minion attire and I was their leader, Gru. 

You can say minions mean a lot to me. Kanpai (cheers in minionese)! -Sydney Cicchitto

Among Us stamp: My two boys were so excited when I opened my blind box to see I got my favorite crewmate: the plague doctor. Among Us got us through many boring days of quarantine and my English 9 students have enjoyed the stamp on their work I check off, even though they did find it a bit sus at first. So I don’t seem that way to my future students, I’m making this contribution to the senior time capsule. – Brian Barr, newspaper adviser