1972 Capsule 

The time capsule that was buried in 1971 by students at the American Community School was released from its tomb on Thursday, March 9, 2000.

Prior to the opening, Paul Olson, ICS Director at that time, hosted a luncheon for the three returning alumni and their guests, the current members of the student council, and current employees of ICS who were working at ACS in 1971. Included among these employees were: Zerahun Tilahun, Buta Teklu, Zenaba Mandefero, Hagos Gebre Medehen, Haile Feleke, Zewde Kidane, Lema Haile and Ato Tilahun.

The lock on the time capsule (a small metal foot locker) was opened right after lunch, and the contents were examined by Ruth Doran '72 and the other alumni present. The thrill of discovering the items outweighed the water damage that had occurred to many of the items. Among the items recovered was a cassette tape with the voices of some of the students from 1971 including that of Yilma Dellelgn, who was present for the opening. Imagine his surprise at hearing his voice recorded when he was in the fourth grade almost thirty years ago!
The items in the time capsule and the time capsule itself will be on display in the main high school building until 2001 for any alumni or friends who wish to view the time capsule contents.

Following a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony the alumni and guests joined the current students of ICS for an all school assembly. Ms. Doran gave an excellent speech which captured the ideals, dreams and concerns of 1971-72, and she tied those 1971-72 projections to the current reality.

Members of the current student council then sealed a new time capsule which contains donations from all the current classes at ICS. The new time capsule will be opened in 2025.

Michael Archbold
Secondary Counselor

Speech by Ruth Doran '72

Good afternoon. At last, this long-awaited day has arrived. The last time I stood here alone at the microphone, I was 16 years old and running for Student Council President. Today, I return at 45 years of age. On behalf of my fellow alumni and guests, I thank you all for your heartwarming welcome and hospitality and for making our pilgrimage back to Addis a true homecoming.

I have thought about what I would say to you all here for many, many hours. I have polled dozens of people to try and determine what one thing I could say that would touch your lives and make a permanent impression. The advice I received most often was to keep it short and not too sappy! Well, I'll do my best, but it will be a first! I hope you are all prepared to spend the night just in case!

Mr. Archbold had asked that I reflect upon what we had expected to find in 2000 and what we actually found. Personally and socially, 2000 is greater than my wildest, highest dreams! Addis Ababa even has MTV! The world has changed - there is no question about that. The internet alone is the single most powerful, civilization-changing tool to emerge in history. I believe that humankind has never seen such an age so replete with hope for the future. Lines of diversity, responsible for thousands of years of groundless fear and terrorism, are melting away as the world truly becomes a global village. I pray that humanity respects the technology that is uniting us so that we may reach for higher and higher vistas based on a solid foundation of ethical integrity.

The internet is responsible for my being here today. I had been erroneously informed that this school had burned to the ground in the 1980's. My attempts to make contact had failed. About one year ago, I typed my name into a search engine and this school popped up! Since that time, I have been in contact with many alumni - people I had thought were lost to me forever. We even have a bulletin board on Delphi Forums where we meet regularly. It was on this forum that I had asked the alumni to share their thoughts about the past, present and future for this important day in our collective history. Mark Funk, of Wolfe Creek, Montana, was in the 7th grade when the time capsule was placed. He offers this reflection to share with you today.

I was just of boy of 14. I had the whole world ahead of me.. the world was there for me to change and improve. I had just been in the civil right marches in Washington DC. ...I was worried about Vietnam.. would I know what was the right thing to do when my time came.. would I be brave enough to stand by my convictions.. such as JFK, RFK, Martin Luther Kind, Rosa Parks, the freedom marchers, the kid who burnt his draft card, AND the kid who went to Vietnam .... Would I always keep close to my mind and heart the memory of the little girl sitting on the hill in LBJ's single run anti-Goldwater commercial? ...can I stop the dropping of the bomb?

The young boy soon to become a man, stood at the 'time capsule' and asked the old man of 2000; do you remember?; can I be proud of who I became; did I do my best to improve the lives of my fellow man?

Over this past year, I have shared so much with the alumni of this school and I am happy to report that I AM proud of who we are. We are, by and large, making strong contributions to the communities around us and we are sticking by our convictions. I have every faith that you will be able to stand here in twenty-five years at the opening of the next time capsule and say that you are proud, too. I intend to meet you here!

I stumbled upon a Chinese proverb recently that said something about living your life in such a way so that it will bring pleasure while you relive it for a second time in the memories of old age. Thank you, International Community School, for the foundation that you gave to us so that these memories - and our lives - are pleasurable and rich with meaning. Thank you, Ethiopia, for sharing your beauty with us and for making us the first members of a global village - perhaps the greatest gift from our time here at ICS.

I would like to present this plaque commemorating this day to the administration of the International Community School.

Thank you once again for opening your hearts to us!

Ruth Doran '72