The year-long celebration of President Thomas Haas’ 10th year at Grand Valley State University will be commemorated by Laker Traditions with something the university has never done before – a time capsule.

To continue the celebration of Haas’ 10th year at GVSU, the Laker Traditions Team wanted to do something unique to recognize the popular university leader. The team settled on the idea of a time capsule featuring student submissions, to only be opened only when the next GVSU president reaches their 10th year at the university. The Power of 10 time capsule is now open for submissions.

“We wanted to do something really special, because it’s not often that a president reaches their 10th year at a university,” said Brandi Barno, co-coordinator of the Power of 10 time capsule. “We had to find a way to make it super special.”

Laker Traditions originally had the idea for the time capsule in October, around Founders Day. After planning and working out the idea, they settled on opening the time capsule in January and making it a semester-long initiative where students can submit anything they want until the end of April.

“This gets students involved and makes them feel like they’re a part of something,” said Danielle O’Connor, co-coordinator of the event. “They’re a part of Laker history.”

Students, faculty and staff can submit anything they want, as long as it relates to GVSU in some way. Submissions should be items that will make Lakers remember GVSU in 10 years or something that holds a significant memory of their time at GVSU.

“It’s kind of a reflection,” Barno said. “Out of every university, why Grand Valley? It’s a self-reflection.”

Submissions opened on Jan. 10 and the Laker Traditions Team has received a few submissions so far. Students have until April 10 to submit anything they like, then the time capsule will be closed. After a closing ceremony at the end of April, the time capsule will be placed in the Seidman House archives on GVSU’s Allendale Campus.

To submit an artifact or memento, students can take one of three routes. They can email the Laker Traditions Team, use the hashtag “#GVPowerof10” on social media, or drop physical items off at the Office of Student Life in the Kirkhof Center.

There are no physical guidelines for what can be submitted, other than it has to fit into the time capsule box, so O’Connor urges students to get creative with their submissions.

“We just want something cool,” she said.

The co-coordinators said they are excited for students to get involved and to see what everyone submits.

“I hope (students) know that they can make an impact on something so small,” O’Connor said. “Down the road, you can see why T. Haas stayed 10 years, because of the people.”

For more information, email the Laker Traditions Team at [email protected] or visit the Laker Traditions website at www.gvsu.edu/traditions.