Time capsule, plaque dedicated at El Capitan High in Merced

El Capitan High students and alumni mingled Thursday to dedicate a plaque and a time capsule during a ceremony meant to bring the newest and oldest Gauchos together.

Hundreds of students gathered near what the school calls the Alumni Circle as leaders gave speeches filled with school spirit. The time capsule will be buried with the old campus’s cornerstone and both will be topped with a plaque.

Anthony Johnson, principal at the new campus, addressed students during the ceremony. “I’m proud to say that, 50 years later, it’s as if we have never skipped a beat,” he said. “El Capitan High School is back and better than ever.”

The new campus has embraced the alumni from the old school, going as far as to dedicate a room on campus to them. The $85 million north Merced campus is a nod to the historical name of the school established in 1959 on West Olive Avenue. The school name was changed at the end of the 1962-63 school year.

Officials broke ground on the current Merced High campus Sept. 18, 1958. A cornerstone was placed at El Capitan High on Sept. 3, 1959; the school opened a week later.

Ultimately, El Capitan combined with Merced High School to become what was known as North Campus. The original Merced High School on G Street became East Campus and only housed ninth- and 10th-graders.

Mike Bik, president of the alumni, told the students and alumni that being able to set the cornerstone a second time carried much meaning for him, as his voice cracked with emotion. “This is a very special moment for me and the alumni of the original El Capitan High School,” he said. “It’s taken us 50 years to get our school back.”

The capsule is filled with several items, including newspaper clippings, a Google Chromebook (which every student on campus has) and a yearbook from the old campus’s first year and one from the new campus’s first year, among other items. It also has a number of keepsakes from the 1960s.

Aurora Castillo, 70, of Merced, a member of the Class of 1962, was at the ceremony. She said she has many fond memories of the campus.

“It’s been a long time coming,” she said. “I never thought I’d see this again.”

The old campus’s first graduating class in 1961 had 160 students. The last El Capitan graduating class, before the name change, was the Class of 1962 with 193 graduates.

The new campus will have its first senior class in the fall.

This story was originally published April 30, 2015 at 5:14 PM with the headline "Time capsule, plaque dedicated at El Capitan High in Merced."