Alexandria students, staff greeted today with Wall of Tradition principal hopes will be a point of pride for current, future generations of Valley Cubs
By Al Muskewitz
Students, faculty and staff making their way into Alexandria High School early Wednesday morning were greeted by a sight that wasn’t there when they left the building the day before.
Right there in the hallway, across from the main office on the way to the library where the old trophies were displayed there’s a vivid Wall of Tradition principal Jason Deason hopes instills pride for generations of Valley Cubs to come.
“Alexandria is so enriched in tradition,” he said. “Our school is old. You can’t just flip a coin and get a new school. You’ve got to take pride in what we have. I want this to be something people can take pride in.”
Deason isn’t from Alexandria, he’s a Glencoe guy, but it didn’t take him long to embrace all things Alexandria. This is his way of giving back to a community that quickly made him one of their own.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t on hand to see the initial reactions of the campus constituency to the Wall; he was attending an off-site seminar that was expected to keep him away until the Valley Cubs play in tonight’s Calhoun County Baseball Tournament championship game at Jacksonville State.
But judging from the immediate responses to the big reveal on social media Tuesday night, it’s been a huge hit.
The idea had been spinning in Deason’s mind since seeing something similar at Russellville during last year’s baseball quarterfinals. After getting the financial clearance to proceed, he reached out to long-time Alexandria supporter Robert Smith for the artwork and commissioned Southern Custom Exhibits of Anniston, the same firm that did the displays in JSU’s Pete Mathews Coliseum, the Anniston Museum of Natural History and several national parks, to turn vision into reality.
The project was undertaken with great secrecy so not to spoil the surprise; only a few people knew what was coming. Deason waited until the building cleared Tuesday before bringing in the crew to start the installation and it was completed well in time to greet the first bell of the new school day.
Stage One of the Wall starts out with a scene of the old high school then flows into a 30-foot section featuring the four individuals Deason says “laid the foundation for Alexandria” – beloved principals Frank Little (the high school’s first principal) and Ronald Chambless, and legendary coaches Lou Scales and Larry Ginn.
Although the school has a strong athletics tradition, the wall isn’t just reserved for Valley Cubs sports greats. Deason said it will be representative of all walks of campus life. Criteria for inclusion is simple – anyone who has had a major impact on the Alexandria community, and Deason is open to suggestions.
“The kids in the building don’t know any of them,” Deason said. “To me, history is really important; (the late teacher and coach) Tres Payne taught me that. That first section of the wall and those four guys are the epitome of Alexandria tradition. I want the kids to understand the foundation that was laid for them and they are people I think of who laid the foundation for Alexandria.
“I think it’s the tradition of Alexandria. I would love for people to come in and look at it. It would be a joy for me to have people who graduated years and years ago to come up there and walk around and look at it almost like a museum.”
Valley Cubs’ football coach Todd Ginn saw the wall when he signed in for the day and was moved — as the son of one of the first honorees, an Alexandria employee and a Valley Cubs alum.
“Seeing that every morning when I sign in makes me both happy and sad,” Ginn said. “Sad, because personally it makes me miss his presence here and in my life even more. Happy, because I recall how Dad lived his life: Faith, Family, Friends and Alexandria were his top priorities — in that order.
“I think it’s an honor that he’s up there on that wall, at a place that meant so much to him and where he meant so much to others. I know if he were still alive he wouldn’t think he ever deserved to be on that wall or wouldn’t want to draw any attention to himself. That’s exactly why he is on that wall though.”
Eventually, Deason hopes to cover the entire 112-foot length of the hall with luminaries. In time, he can see it encompassing the entire school.
“The more the merrier; we have more than one hall,” he said. “It’s all about making a vision into a reality. This was a good start. I’m more than pleased about how it began, but there are a lot of people worthy of being on that wall.”
This story will be updated. [*** read more]
