A residential life celebration, indeed.
After breaking ground on its newest residence hall, Tabor College capped May 6 by celebrating “Residential Living Through the Years” at its annual President’s Dinner and Program. Speakers spanned nearly 60 years of Tabor’s history, ranging from graduates of 1968 to present day.
The day served as a catalyst as Tabor seeks to raise an additional $2,236,229 for its newest residence hall. If that number is hit by April 2023, the Mabee Foundation will provide an additional $1.5 million (see more on page 5). Construction timelines have the project set to be finished by August 2023.
The evening’s program showcased Tabor’s residence life through skits, music, testimonies, and President David Janzen’s closing address.
Student testimonies included Natalie Ford (JR, Fort Collins, Colo.), David Moss (SO, Haysville, Kan.), and Jakim Ricketts (SR, Livingston, Mont.). Moss and Ricketts are first-year roommates and have formed a tight friendship in just 10 months.
“I had a lot of personal struggles with basketball, and I wasn’t performing to my expectations,” Ricketts said. “That led to some confidence issues as a person, but Moss was there every day to encourage me. He still is. He reminded me that I’m not just a basketball player and a student…. I’m a child of God.”
Alumni testimonies included Celeste Worthy (g’17), Paul and Gladys Klassen (g’68), and Barry Raugust (g’72).
“We look for opportunities through the year to get together,” Raugust said of his family’s connections at Tabor. “It’s friends from 15, 20-plus years ago for my kids. That doesn’t happen at most colleges. It’s something that really makes Tabor special. The dorms are changing in a good way, but the students who shared earlier in the program remind us that the dorms are still a feature of Tabor College.”
The Tabor Concert Choir and iChoir, from Interterm, shared two songs that they performed earlier in the semester and on tour. Those pieces included “I Will Rise,” written by Chris Tomlin, and “Oh Love,” written by Elaine Hagenberg and George Matheson.
London Eichelberger (FR, Higginsville, Mo.) and Aubrey Laird (FR, Wichita, Kan.) performed a set of three skits based on the relationship dynamics of the 1968 film “The Odd Couple.”
From laughs, relationships, joys, and triumphs, the tenor of the evening struck at the heart of Tabor’s residence life.
“A residence hall is not simply a home for our students,” President David Janzen said. “It represents a milestone in life transformation, celebrating and learning of how God led them to Tabor and the plans He has for their lives. We’re incredibly grateful for the gifts that have been given, helping us provide new, quality housing for our students.”