Does the archives represent Mount Holyoke College as a community?

Holly Mead

I do not think that the archives represent Mount Holyoke as a community.  Even when looking only at past years in which the archives hold information for, the records are not collective enough to form a feeling of community about those time periods.  After looking through various archival materials, I have definitely learned about other's past experiences at Mount Holyoke, but often still feel  oblivious on some levels.  The infamous "yellow cards" kept on students are one representation, being very personal- and yet at the same time they are really not.  Intrusive may be a better word to describe them because although they reveal many statistical facts, they do not sufficiently illustrate students' relationships with other members of the college, which I think is a necessary component of completing the idea of community.

When it comes to representing Mount Holyoke fully as a community, the archives are in need of certain links, and lack the exposure of perhaps some very enlightening information capable of changing our perceptions.  So much more knowledge exists elsewhere that could supplement the present collection.  Memories, feelings, relationships and atmosphere are just a few examples which are not accounted for in the materials.  I still argue that the college itself is a community, but due to its limited medium the archives alone simply cannot encompass all the intangible aspects of Mount Holyoke College as a community.