The Shank Gives History Majors Chance to Publish and a Leg Up

To most people and to the students on campus the word shank carries the meaning of a makeshift weapon used in prisons. But the history department has another meaning in mind: "shank," the old fashioned term for a leg. "Shank is an old fashioned word for leg, and I liked the way it sounded, it was a short and neat-sounding name," Hubert F. Dubrulle, Ph.D., associate professor of history, said. Dubrulle is editor of The Shank, the history department's first academic journal.

The name for the journal was based off a quotation by the sociologist C. Wright Mills, who said, "History is the shank of the social sciences." Professor Dubrulle interpreted this famous quotation to mean that "history is the legs on which the social sciences stand". The Shank is available online via the History homepage off the Saint Anselm website. This publication is 85 pages long and consisting exclusively of students' work.

"The idea for The Shank began in March at a department meeting," said Dubrulle.

The History Department wanted to give additional recognition to students that were thought to be the best writers, and that this publication would hopefully provide a model of good writing for other students. Each of the students that are published in The Shank's first volume were students that had written essays in History Department courses.

"You don't need to be a history major, in order to get published," says Dubrulle. Work is accepted from all students, majoring in any discipline, so long as they submit an essay written in a History course. The students who appear in the journal were able to gain exposure to the publication process and the long revision process. Each submission is reviewed by two professors, revised by the student, revised by the editor and then submitted to the proofreader.

There were five main reasons for publishing this academic journal, Dubrulle wrote in The Shank's introduction. One of the most intriguing reasons for the beginning of this publication is to show the rest of the world the talent that frequently emerges at small, liberal arts colleges like ours.

"We are not big, but big things can happen here," Dubrulle wrote.

Fifteen students have work published in the first volume of The Shank, including Stephen Shorey '11 and Chris Daniels '11. Both are History majors and are excited about the future of The Shank.

Shorey wrote about Winston Churchill's speech "Their Finest Hour" and worked all summer to revise his essay for publication.

"History is the key to studying anything really, that's why I'm a history major," he said.

Chris wrote about Hugh Gaitskell, leader of the Labour Party from 1955 to 1963.

"It's great to have the opportunity to look at other students' writing so that way I can improve my own writing," Daniels, "it's a really good resource."

The publication is still unknown to many students, including some history majors.

"It's cool that students have the opportunity to get published," history major Justin Mambro '11 said. "Looking at my peers writing will make me a better writer because they are examples of what writers in this discipline should be."

The Shank joins several academic publications of the college, including Global Topics and Religion and Politics. The history department hopes the college's history journal will become a tradition rather than, well, history.