Digital Hall of Fame experience showcases Tabor sports history

Wiebe Family stands next to the Hall of Fame Experience
Members of the John F Wiebe family stand beside the newly created Tabor College Athletics Hall of Fame. This experience was made possible by the generosity of family and friends of John F. Wiebe in memory of his faithful support of Bluejay Athletics.

 

Tabor College has added a new feature to its newly redesigned student center. With help from the athletic, communication and maintenance departments, a new way to showcase Tabor students and athletes is now available with an interactive touch-screen display.

The display is located next to the freshly installed trophy cases and presents the athletic history of Tabor College. Hall of Fame inductees and weekly athletic success will be a key feature showcased on the screen.

This is a place for the community, alumni and current and future students to engage with the school in a digitally advanced way.

“It’s exciting to see how this area has transformed,” said Mike Klaassen, digital content manager at Tabor. “This screen certainly sweetens the space and puts the cherry on top. God brought a lot of good talent onto our campus and were trying to give credit back where credit is due”

The idea behind the project was to honor the past and encourage the future, according to Rusty Allen, executive vice president of operations at Tabor.

“When we built the athletic center, we had envisioned putting up a wall dedicated to the hall of fame inductees,” Allen said. “For a number of years this

idea was on my list of goals. Our vision grew from an idea to what we see now, and is still growing.”

The primary goal was to showcase Tabor College athletic history in an accessible way for everyone to enjoy. The project also allows Tabor fans and supporters to review the successes that have helped define the college.

“I’ve learned a lot about Tabor College in the past 50 years by going through all the yearbooks,” Klaassen said. “It’s cool and exciting to move through time and see all the hard work and dedication throughout the years.”

The display includes Hall of Fame inductees, weekly awards, Champion of Character winners, national awards and possibly an honor role as the program grows. Other features will include Tabor facts and maps to assist those who are new to campus.

“I’m excited to be a part of the project,” said David Ediger, sports information director. “Any time you can bring something fresh and exciting to the campus is an exciting time. It is nice for me to be able to be a small part of it.”

The goal is to develop the project as time goes on. The content is somewhat limited now, but will grow and evolve for students and visitors.

“This could not have been done without the generosity of John Wiebe and his family,” Allen said. “We are very thankful for John’s faithfulness as a fan and his family’s generosity.”

–Madison Byrd, Tabor College