Senior David Palange will graduate in May 2007 with a degree in history, but he's not done with the University of New Hampshire just yet. In
the fall, he will begin graduate school to get his M.A.T. in teaching and complete an internship at a middle or high school. “As much
as I am nervous about being a teacher, I am also very excited,” Palange said. “There is no better profession, and I hope to
incorporate my experiences with research and primary sources into the classroom.” Originally from Londonderry, New Hampshire,
Palange's Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) project was inspired not only by letters he and his mom read from Iraq soldiers
to their families but also by having a cousin who served in Iraq as a Marine. Exchanging email and letters with his cousin brought the
reality of war home, as did a course Palange took with Professor Harris on the Civil War. His final paper was structured around a letter
from a Civil War soldier. Working with Harris to pursue research on other correspondences from soldiers seemed a worthwhile and meaningful
summer research project. “I loved the entire experience,” Palange said.
In his twenty-second year at the University of New Hampshire, Dr. J. William Harris, professor of history, helps students expand their knowledge and understanding of southern history, particularly the Civil War and the lives of early African Americans. In his Civil War class, Harris introduces students to letters written by soldiers who fought in that war. This provides students like Palange with an opportunity to see a very human side to battle. Research projects like Palange’s also provide an opportunity to work with unpublished manuscripts in the archives collection, which Harris feels is a valuable experience for students of history. Harris mentored Palange on his SURF project, and they worked on four drafts of Palange's paper before they were both satisfied. “David was motivated and conscientious, and he worked hard through the summer,” Harris said.
Read David Palange's commentary, Reading Letters Not Addressed to Me: An Examination of the Personal Correspondence of New England Soldiers >>
