Looking back, looking forward, saying goodbye

MT. PLEASANT — Wednesday, May 31, a group of faculty, staff, and community members gathered in the heart of Iowa Wesleyan University Campus to bid a final farewell to the beloved University by opening a time capsule buried in 1992.

An IW Alumna responsible for helping bury the just over 30-year-old time capsule, Elizabeth Garrels, shared a few sentiments at the gathering.

According to Garrels, the time capsule was originally buried in what was the center of campus at the time in honor of the school’s yearlong Sesquicentennial Celebration.

While the Sesquicentennial Celebration committee that originally buried the capsule originally intended to open it at the bicentennial celebration in 2042, opening it on the last day of University history, held special significance, as well.

“SO, this truly is in the heart of the campus,” she said.

Garrels spoke about time as a something that one cannot always get a proper perspective of as she shared a little of the changes the 181-year-old campus has seen.

“When you think about 1842 and this area north of downtown, it was high prairie,” Garrels said. “It was rock solid ground. It was rich ground with a few trees …”

“If you can think a minute about time,” she invited attendees. “Time evidenced by 181 years of Iowa Wesleyan of place and purpose, that is all contained in a tribute in our time capsule.”

While former IW Vice President for Strategic Initiatives Meg Richtman said that most of the contents from the time capsule were ruined due it not being sealed well, the sentiments from Garrels still held true.

According to information about the capsule, it contained many items including photos of campus and people, a signed copy of the book A sesquicentennial History of Iowa Wesleyan College, music from “Wesleyan Hymn,” year books, a college catalog, student art work, sport memorabilia, and many other sweet memories.

“Just think of what this place has seen through time,” she encouraged. “When you walk around campus there is time marked on every building.”

“Can you find the corner stone date of every building on campus?” Garrels asked. “There is time marked everywhere.”

“So, from the first male graduate in 1856 Winfield Scott Maine, and then the first female graduate in 1859 Lucy Webster Killpatrick, to the last graduate May 5, 2023, from all the alums, from all the colleagues, from all the friends from all the townspeople, the regional support from this place and in this time we are remembering today,” Garrels said.

“But in addition to time place and purpose, today, we celebrate legacy,” she said. “So, from this place in concentric circles going forward around the globe we celebrate Iowa Wesleyan’s Legacy 181 strong purposeful years from this place.”

Former IW President Christine Plunkett also shared a few words at the small farewell ceremony.

“One of the most difficult things is saying goodbye to something beautiful that you have helped to create and that’s what everyone here has been doing for decades and almost two centuries worth of dedicated staff and trustees and faculty and I think that we all have great confidence that something else beautiful will end up in this spot,” Plunkett said.

“Iowa Wesleyan isn’t only a place,” she said. “It is something that is going to live inside each of us as we go on and each of us will remember the University and will remember each other whether we’re standing on this campus or not.”

As this chapter for Iowa Wesleyan University and Mt. Pleasant ends, Richtman encouraged hope looking forward.

“We do believe that there is going to be something that grows here, that’s new, and something that is going to be beautiful and we look forward to that,” she said.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com