Hi there!
I'm Randi Jones, a second semester sophomore this year, and a double major in Anthropology and Africology & African American studies. This is my third semester working in the Anthropology Museum, and it is still by far my favorite class. The class has been a really good opportunity to meet other anthropology majors and get hands on experience with the collection of artifacts, ecofacts, and documents the Temple Anthropology department has in their possession.
When I first came into the museum my second semester freshman year the main goal of all students was to catch the museum up to the 21st century. This meant organizing boxes, updating artifact catalogs, creating an online presence, and scanning lots of scanning. From the outside this all sounds very tedious, but being able to be apart of the museum revamping has been a really satisfying experience. That's why the recent opening to the student body was a very exciting milestone that felt proud to be apart of.
This semester I have mostly been working on cataloging and properly storing the artifacts from the Penn Collection. Essentially I cut out a slab of acid free foam to fit a drawer , outline the artifact that needs preservation, and create a cut out for the artifact to fit in. Its very much like a puzzle . The process of this is another seemingly tedious and detail oriented work, but I honestly preferred staying behind the scenes. That being said some of the artifacts that I have encountered in the Penn collection have definitely sparked an interest in possibly creating an exhibit in the near future. This is my last semester earning credit for the practicum class, but I plan on coming back next semester as a volunteer