Former Gresham Middle School students returned to Fountain City Friday to dig up a piece of their history from 30 years ago.
Back in 1989, students had put together a time capsule and buried it outside the school.
Over the summer, Principal Donna Parker discovered an envelope at the bottom of a filing cabinet with a label that said to 'Open in 2019.' Inside was a map and poem written by former student Mark Carringer to guide future students to the site of the capsule.
Another letter asked to try and contact as many of the then-seventh and eight graders as possible so they could come out and "feel all sentimental about our youth."
Carringer, who now lives in Alabama, arrived along with many other of his fellow classmates to dig up the capsule as current eight graders watched on.
The elements had taken their toll of some of the artifacts, but a few were in good enough condition to appreciate and get an idea of what life had been like.
Leigh Anne Smith Hartman, another former student, said it brought back a lot of good memories.
"It makes me think of my good friends, my two best friends now are best friends that I made while I was in Gresham Middle School and we're still best friends 30 plus years later," she said.
Inside the capsule were newspaper clippings, cassette tapes, pictures, collages, school reports, and other items. Some had been soaked by rainwater, but a few of the findings were able to shed light on the end of the 80s.
Included were an old Wall Street Journal newspaper that featured headlines about Boris Yeltsin, an old catalog highlighting fashion, and a VHS cassette that was simply labeled 'Music.'
As they sifted through the artifacts, music from the 80s played in he background. Teachers even dressed up in 80s-style clothes. Asst. principal Glen Price even parked his 1983 Datsun 280ZX in front of the school for extra effect.
Current students are planning to create their own time capsule, featuring items such as an iPhone, a copy of "Old Town Road," a hydro flask, and more.
"Time will go fast. Stop and look around you and take stock of where you are at the time and be in the present, because things will change, but they will seem very familiar when they come back to you," Carringer said.