WINONA LAKE – On April 14, Grace College hosted the seventh annual Chicagoland Christian College History Conference for the first time.
The event featured six different schools, including Judson University, Goshen College, Huntington College, Olivet Nazarene University, Trinity Christian College and Trinity International University, as well as 16 different presentations of historical research and commentary.
The conference provided an opportunity for Grace students and professors to dialogue with and learn from other students and professionals from like-minded academic spheres.
The event, says Dr. Jared Burkholder, was “meant to provide students an opportunity to experience what it’s like to give a paper at a professional conference without the pressure of a large audience or intimidating scholars.”
Held in Westminster Hall, the campus building that now houses the Reneker Museum, a historical attraction itself, the conference consisted of lectures ranging from the women’s temperance movement in Elkhart, to an expositional piece on the nomadic tribes of Mongolia.
“It was a very intimate gathering. I didn’t feel like I was lost in a crowd of academia,” said junior Hillary Burgardt, one of three Grace students who presented. “I enjoyed that because I got a lot of feedback about what I had written which you don’t necessarily get at a larger conference.”
“Faculty members come along to be encouraging mentors, not critics,” said Burkholder, who is at the forefront of organizing prospects that give students a chance to simulate a professional scholarly experience. “Just because [this conference was] small doesn't mean that it was not significant. [Students] will get other chances to do this on a more professional or even national level and this helps get them ready.”
Burkholder hopes to discover and initiate other events similar to the History Conference because he knows that they will encourage students like Burgardt not only to hone their academic art, but also build relationships that are encouraging and educational.
“When I get to meet people from other schools, especially from other Christian schools, it’s nice to get a fresh perspective,” said Burgardt. “I appreciate the opportunity to broaden my mind.”
