Freshmen History Majors Hard at Work in the University Archives (by Marshall Rice)

The freshman history majors in Dr. Marinari’s History 100 class have been busy doing research on friars' missionary work in China from 1939 to 1952. The Shashi mission that these friars embarked on saw monumental changes from the Japanese occupation to the communist regime coming into power in China. The adjustment for the friars is well noted in the provincial annals from their treatment by each group to their ability to complete their work. For the freshmen already to be able to experience archival research at the SBU university archives is a tremendous opportunity. The first challenge these students faced was to divide up the research evenly and construct a full annotated bibliography of every source to use as a reference. Once that was accomplished, each student had to use their research to come up with a thesis to propose. Using multiple sources from the provincial annals, obituaries, and other information identified with the help of senior archivist Dennis Frank and assistant archivist Amber Cheladyn, each student backed up their proposal with primary sources. The next task for these freshmen is to make an attractive and engaging website to display their research paper. All the student pages can be found on the course webpage. Students are responsible for their own page, bringing together effective use of pictures, videos, and graphics to make their page unique. They will then give a formal presentation to the rest of the class, showcasing their hard work and new-found knowledge. This presentation will serve as a chance to receive feedback from their peers and another opportunity to present in front of people, thereby giving the students a chance to professionalize themselves and be better prepared for their life in college and beyond.

Introducing Our Incoming History Majors, Part V: Marshall Rice

Hi, my name is Marshall Rice, and I am a freshman history major from Bath NY. Bath is a very small town with absolutely nothing to do. It does, however, have a unique history with the flood in the 1970s and the host of the longest continuing running fair in the United States. I chose to be a history major because it was always something I was passionate about and enjoyed learning about in school. I love to learn about the past and how we got to where we are now. I’d rather remember a date that never changes than a formula whose outcome changes. I am uncertain about which path to take with a history degree, but I am looking into a few. Being a teacher has always been a strong choice of mine because of my passion for history. As a teacher, I could share that passion with other students and hopefully show them that history is a fun subject. I would love to work in a museum as well. To be able to go to work and see physical evidence of history everyday would be really rewarding.

My interests besides history include being a big Buffalo Bills fan along with many other sports and my love for music. I have been a Bills fan my whole life, perfect timing for their long slump. I also love to follow college football and the NBA. My music interests revolve around rock, country, alternative, and some rap. Some of my favorite bands/artists include Imagine Dragons, Mumford & Sons, Eminem, and Macklemore. I am excited for my journey at St. Bonaventure and can’t wait to see where my path leads me.