Perimeter College Unveils Time Capsule

Students Explore Campus History Through Artifacts

DECATUR, Ga. — Students in Dr. Romney Norwood’s sociology class opened a time capsule that Perimeter College buried 24 years ago.

During the re-dedication of the Decatur Campus Student Center, the capsule was vaulted on April 25, 2001, as a “gift to the future scholars” of the college. It contained rare items from a 1975 time capsule, such as a student handbook and a reel-to-reel recording.

“I enjoyed hosting the time capsule reveal in my class,” Norwood said of the unique opportunity. “The students were very excited and had fun taking turns discovering the treasures that the previous generation buried for them.”

The gift from 2001 included a VHS tape with an orientation video, a cassette tape with samplings of Atlanta area radio stations and a CD with pop music selected by the students.

There were also many college-related items including photos of student life on campus, ribbon and scissors from the student center opening ceremony, a basketball signed by the college’s 2001 team, a poster from when music artist Chuck D visited campus and much more.

“Seeing the items inside that represented the culture of [the former Georgia Perimeter College] GPC and the broader community, 24 years ago, helped to illustrate what we learned earlier in the semester about everything being an aspect of culture,” Norwood said.

Longtime employee Anthony Bush, who served on the Time Capsule Committee in 2000, stopped by the class to offer historical insight on the capsule. Students received a firsthand history lesson about some of the pieces and the story behind the capsule from 1975.

2025 Georgia State University Perimeter College Decatur Campus Time Capsule Opening

Over time, the capsule from 1975 partially deteriorated and had water damage. Bush worked on preserving the water-damaged items and petitioned for new items to be included in the 2001 capsule.

“These capsules mark a generational timestamp for the institution, the students we serve, and the broader Decatur community,” he said.

“If the students engage in making another cumulative capsule to leave for the next generation, it will include the stories and branding for DeKalb College, Georgia Perimeter College and Georgia State University,” Bush noted of the “full circle” possibility.

Professor Norwood shared that her students expressed enthusiasm about taking part in Perimeter’s future time capsules.

“Every artifact that the students pulled from the vault, even the mundane items, reflected the culture of that time. The students would like to pay the opportunity forward by creating a time capsule for the next generation of students to discover.”