Badger Springs Middle School Opens 25-Year-Old Time Capsule

Do you remember what you were doing 25 years ago? The staff, students, parents, and alumni of Badger Springs Middle School received a nudge to remember, Tuesday evening, June 3rd, when they witnessed the opening of a time capsule sealed on May 20, 1989. The capsule had been housed since then, for 25 years, in a display case at the school. When the capsule was sealed, gasoline cost about $1 per gallon; the Berlin Wall was still intact and forbidding, and the Soviet Union controlled Eastern Europe; George H. W. Bush had been president for only four months; Hillary Clinton was the First Lady of Arkansas; Barack Obama was a 27-year-old Harvard Law School student; and cleanup of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska had just begun. The 1989 Record of the Year was Bobby McFerrin’s “Don't Worry, Be Happy”; “Rain Man” won the Oscar for Best Picture; and “Roseanne,” “The Cosby Show” and “Cheers” were the hottest shows on TV. Exactly what the capsule contained was a mystery until it's opening at the event. Even Jim Dutton, the school’s first principal of Badger Springs Middle School back in the days when it was K-8 and the time capsule was sealed, shared that he couldn’t remember what they thought important enough at the time to convey to the school’s future students and staff. “There’s a rumor that it contains a videotape,” said Principal Jason Barney. “Just in case, we’ve located a VHS player, which is a technology that most of our students have never even seen. The time capsule has brought excitement to our school and spurred curiosity about what life was like back in 1989.” A VHS tape, a signed basketball, newspapers, yearbook, and many other treasures that took the former students in attendance back to their days on the Badger Springs campus were discovered when the crowd cracked the seal on the 25-year mystery. Remembering became the theme of the evening as items were pulled from the capsule and parents explained what a VHS and cassette tapes were to their children. One former student, Jacklyn Campbell of Crestline, remembered getting off the school bus and being greeted by cows roaming in a field. Another former student, Jennifer Dreher, of Menifee, said she remembered how exciting it was to attend Badger Springs when it was a "brand new school." Dreher wanted to let the current students know that they are "making good memories" and to hold on to them. Both Campbell and Dreher instantly recognized the former Campus Supervisor, Shirley McGrew. Campbell and Dreher both acknowledged that McGrew was a favorite among the students. McGrew's basic philosophy on children? "I like kids, they like me." Current Principal, Jason Barney, welcomed everyone and said that he was "excited to host the event." For the Estrada family, Badger Springs Middle School is a familiar place, Tania Estrada, who attended Badger Springs, sits across from her nephew, Adrian Estrada, who is a current student at the school. They both admitted that "math" was their favorite subject, but Adrian went on to say that he also likes, "lunch and hanging out with friends." Tania added that she remembered "all the great teachers". One current teacher at Badger Springs, Janie Friedl, said, "Badger Springs is a huge family." Friedl and other current staff spendt their off hours passing out cake and Icees and working to make sure the event was a success. When you’re middle-school age, 25 years ago counts as ancient history. And a quick look back at 1989 sure makes it feel that way for adults, too, as the school’s time capsule predates the internet, e-mail, and cell phones, let alone smartphones. In so many ways the past and present met at the opening of the Badger Springs Middle School time capsule.