The University of Iowa’s Iowa Memorial Union is putting together a student time capsule as part of its 100th anniversary celebration, with a planned unveiling in 50 years. 

The centennial celebration kicked off the festivities late September with an open house featuring free food, activities, and building tours, helping students and attendees alike becoming more engaged with renovations to the space. 

The celebration coincides with an $81.4 million renovation project approved in April by the Iowa Board of Regents after contention and concerns surrounding approval of federal grants.

Renovations are underway and are set to be completed by the spring of 2027. The project is funded through undergraduate and graduate student fees as well as UI Student Health reserve funds.

The renovation will include a well-being center offering physical and mental health services, student care projects, and wellness programs. Interior and exterior lounge areas will also be constructed, along with improvements on building wayfinding and circulation to help navigate the IMU, renovated dining spaces, and retail food options.

“We are in a wonderfully unique situation where we’re celebrating our 100th anniversary and at the same time, we’re renovating our building,” Bill Nelson, associate dean and executive director of the IMU, said. “And so it’s an appropriate event to do a time capsule that’s consistent with student unions and remodeling our student union.”

The IMU hosted a time capsule event in the Hawkeye Room on Oct. 15, allowing students to leave notes and photos from a photoshoot in the box. 

A total of 40 students and staff attended the event, Nelson said. 

Twelve photos and 30 notes were submitted into the box during the event. The notes allowed students to write to future versions of themselves. The Oct. 15 print edition of The Daily Iowan was also included in the capsule.

“We have the opportunity for students to leave their mark and their time for students down the road — in our case, 50 years — to be able to learn about those students and their marks,” Nelson said.

Nelson said he predicts different reactions and feelings when the time capsule is unsealed in the future.

“What I think is special is that some of the students wrote from a personal perspective and other students wrote from a student organization perspective,” Wilson said. “So we’ll be able to capture not only individual students’ memories and thoughts, but the same for student organizations.”

Second-year Grace Hochberger attended the time capsule event and shared her enthusiasm for students and faculty viewing the artifacts in half a century from now.

“I love the idea of writing a message for myself,” Hochberger said. “I like that we get to take pictures as well to see what we look like now compared to 50 from now.”

Third-year student Aidan Ulin also attended the time capsule event and said he is excited about the idea of using it to measure the change in half a century when the box is opened. 

“I’m sure the way we talk, the way we look, the way we act is all going to be so much different 50 years from now,” Ulin said. “It’s going  be cool to see what everything looked like 50 years ago.”

The time capsule now sits in the Welcome Center of the IMU to collect more notes and artifacts. Nelson said that they are deciding between two different locations for keeping the box once it is time to seal it for 50 years.

“We’re working with our design and construction colleagues to select the most appropriate one in terms of the building and what makes more sense in terms of accessing it,” Nelson said.

There will be future events for celebrating the IMU’s 100th anniversary, according to UI Student Life. The Campus Activities Board will host the IMU’s 100th Birthday Bash on Nov. 15 in the International Ballroom and will feature a recreated bowling alley, board games, and face painting. The Lunch with the Chefs is another annual event that will take place on Jan. 15. 

The IMU Centennial Gala will be held in February 2026 as the culmination of the 100 year anniversary celebration and will be where the time capsule wil be sealed.

“With how quick things are developing, it’s gonna be cool to see what everything looked like 50 years ago,” Ulin said.