But Still With Pride
I was saddened to hear the news released this week that the Iowa Hall of Pride in Des Moines would be closing its doors at the end of the month.
For 17 years, the facility has showcased excellence in Iowa. Facilitated by the Iowa High School Athletic Association, it began as an idea within the IHSAA headquarters in Boone, then was moved to Des Moines within the then-new Iowa Events Center.
It was a state of the art facility, with interactive exhibits designed for all ages at time when such exhibits were just a dream for most facilities. Originally tied to K-12 achievements…both in athletics and other extracurricular activities, under founding director Jack Lashier, the Hall expanded to include a celebration of all things Iowa and all people with ties to the state.
I have enjoyed being there over the years…whether doing live broadcasts here on KXEL, holding book signing events, or leading public conversations about Iowa’s unique history, the Hall was a great spot for inspiration, particularly for the school children who regularly toured there—especially during high school basketball and wrestling tournament weeks.
Alas, attendance declined over the past few years, and obviously a COVID-related shutdown did not help. Now, IHSAA says the Hall itself will close on June 30. Instead, it will transition to an all-online program called Achieve. They say Achieve will continue the mission to preserve and celebrate the accomplishments of Iowans with searchable databases and photo and video exhibits.
I get it. But no online program will be able to replicate the old state tournament lighted board…the one which hung in Vets Auditorium, with lights in a county if a team from there was in the tournament, with lights being extinguished one by one until a single light was left as the state championship trophy was awarded. That lighted board held a place of honor in the entry to the Hall’s exhibit area. It can’t replicate the sense a group of people—of whatever age—felt as they watched a video in the auditorium, the common experience of interaction that is so different than one person seeing a video on a screen.
You get the idea. Nothing lasts forever, and times change. It’s just too bad that yet another one of these centers for common in-person experience goes by the wayside in favor of the ever-present computer or phone screen.
And, of course, I’m wondering what’s going to happen to that state tournament lighted board.
