Over the Spring Break, South Mountain Community College professors Dr. Summer Cherland and Maria Bailey Benson led 13 SMCC students in the preliminary intake of the newest community archive: The Links, Inc. The Links, Inc. is an international volunteer organization founded in 1946, with a South Phoenix chapter established in 1952.
“They have donated their precious archives to our college for long-term maintenance and stewardship,” said Cherland. “It is our intention to process over 70 years of records to make them available to the public for viewing and research.”
Students involved in the project provide crucial support, including sorting over 50 linear feet of documents, images, letters and memorabilia. Two students also led the team in creating a chronology of the documents.
Some student reflections on the activity include:
- "I really enjoyed the experience of opening folders, and getting to see the lives of others through images and personal documents."
- "My history buddy and I were surprised to see historical information about the elementary school district that I attended. I did not know the racial makeup of these local schools beyond who attends there today."
- "I most enjoyed looking
at the financial documents - I want to become an accountant, so I found it fascinating to see the difference in the value of money over time. It was interesting to compare the value of materials then and now." - "I was impressed by local women's impact over time, it was fascinating to see."
- "My favorite artifact I discovered today was a picture with a caption that said something about dog racing in Phoenix, which I never knew we had."
- "I learned a valuable lesson, that there are many histories around us that we are not aware of."
