Tubbs Presents History Paper at Conference

–By Casey Huisenga, ’18

When Ryan Tubbs ’17 was in fifth grade, he asked his father, a 14-year U.S. Army Veteran, some questions about the Battle of Bunker Hill for a homework project. Years later, Tubbs’ abiding interest in the Battle of Bunker Hill inspired him to write a research paper that he presented at the Faith and History Chicagoland Regional Student Conference on April 2.

A history education major, Tubbs wrote “The Battle of Bunker Hill: A British Victory but an American Triumph,” for Dr. John Fry’s History 200 class. Fry, a professor of history, selected that paper to include at the conference. “He was also very influential in helping me prepare for this conference,” Tubbs said.

According to Fry, Tubbs’ paper tackled a tricky question—whether the Battle of Bunker Hill represented a defeat or victory for the American Colonies—and answered it in a convincing way. “The History Department invited Ryan to present his paper because it was the best paper written for a class he took with me last fall,” Fry said. “He did a very good job presenting the paper clearly. Several faculty members from other schools congratulated him afterwards.”

The conference, which was held at Judson University this year, is an annual gathering of student scholars who explore the relationship between Christian faith and history. The purpose of the conference is to give students experience presenting their research to a broader audience, and for students and faculty to get to talk with people from other schools who love and are interested in history, Fry said.