Cadet Sarah Nevin wants to bring the past to life. Majoring in intelligence and security studies along with history, the Baltimore native spent this past fall as an intern in The Citadel Archives. Nevin worked on documenting, organizing and preserving key facets of cadet history. One of the most intriguing artifacts of the past: letters from a cadet in the 1940s detailing his freshman year. “A lot of the feelings that a knob had in 1942 are the same that we still have now,” said Nevin, who is a rising junior. “Often, when we imagine history, it seems like a storybook. But being able to see what he wrote is different. He was a real person—a real cadet. He had the same experiences that I had.”
The expanse of the archives was also surprising. Uniforms, swords, rings, letters and photos can be found from a range of time periods and donors. “There are so many hidden treasures back there.” Her favorite piece? “I’m partial to the original kilts of the Pipe Band,” said Nevin, who also happens to be a member. The fact that modern items will someday become history is not lost on her, either. Her own time capsule would include something from her tenure in the Pipe Band.
Sorting through The Citadel’s archives has given Nevin a new appreciation for how important the past can be, as well as how we experience it. Her ultimate goal is to teach history and share it in an immersive way. “The biggest thing I want to bring to the classroom is the reality of it all. In my high school history classes, we just memorized dates and names. When you’re able to see a picture of the person or hear his or her voice, it completely changes things.”