Dubai: Students from Bradenton Preparatory Academy, a GEMS Global Network School, buried their very own time capsule at the construction site of the new City Centre Me’aisem opening soon in the International Media Production Zone.
City Centre Me’aisem, the sixth City Centre shopping mall built by Majid Al Futtaim, granted students from grades six to twelve the opportunity to gather items they wish to bury in the time capsule. Students lined up to put on their yellow fluorescent vests and helmets before heading towards the designated burial place for the time capsule at the construction site.
Once they were ready, they proceeded to the location where the president and vice-president of the students’ council government buried the time capsule along with Ali Al Abdullah, Senior Director-Community, Neighbourhood Malls Development and Government Affairs for Majid Al Futtaim.
Al Abdullah explained that time capsules have been buried worldwide to help future generations get a better understanding of the past.
“In a country such as the UAE and especially with the city of Dubai growing rapidly, burying such time capsules is good to give people a better understanding of what was once upon a time,” he said. “I encourage more of these to give people a little insight of the past of Dubai.”
Judy Al Mohtadi, a 17-year-old 11 grade student in Bradenton Preparatory Academy, is the vice president of the student council and one of the people responsible for the burying of the time capsule.
“We included a Polaroid picture that we took today. It’s the school’s first student council so it’s great to show the future students the kind of progress the school has made over the years,” she said.
Mehryaer Zafarullah, an 18-year-old 12th grader and president of the student council, added that they also buried last year’s school yearbook to show how the school has changed and, hopefully, become bigger.
“We also put in letters written by the students to their future selves and future generations,” he said. “Some of it is advising future generations and it will be interesting to see what we wrote, 10 years from now, as students.”
Zafarullah and Judy guaranteed that they will return in 2025 to dig up the time capsule to bring back the memories they left behind. In addition to the Polaroid picture, letters by students and a school yearbook, other items such as a Fifa 15 game, publications of the present day, a notebook with the school logo and an old school uniform were buried in the time capsule.
Students were given invitations to return in 2025 to dig up the time capsule that was buried yesterday.
Maria Botros is a trainee at Gulf News
