Week Four

My work with Helen continues and I continue to gain many fascinating insights into the variety of work she has done over the course of her long career.  It is hard to believe that I am almost coming up on the halfway point of my internship and have been able to learn so much through it.  It is also very nice to see the great progress that me and Dan have been able to make in the organization of Helen’s papers.  Looking at all of the boxes which we have marked and entered into our spreadsheet gives me a weekly reminder of the scale of work we have done.  It was a work that continued this weekend and gave me a fascinating insight into something I had not been previously aware of Helen’s involvement in.  One of the largest boxes I was able to come across in my work was filled with files pertaining to domestic violence laws and response efforts.  While much of it was the usual correspondence, documentation, and occasional news clippings that I have become accustomed to what struck me most was the files that pertained to the policy of many other cities.  That so much cross referencing and research was included in this file clued me in to the fact that this was not some mere passing order of business on Helen’s desk but a long and sustained effort that I was previously totally unaware of.  Hopefully as my work continues there will be many more surprises such as this in store.