The Observer, September 15, 2006
Volume XXXIX, Issue 3
All-American Hallway pays tribute to current and former athletic greats
![The new All-American hallway and memorabilia adorning the hallway overlooking Horsburgh Gym [above] improve the presentation of Veale Center for both alumni and current student-athletes alike.](/Images/961.png)
click to enlarge
Prior to this year, one could have walked just about anywhere in the Veale Center and found a randomly displayed, hopefully framed All-American certificate. Certificates honoring wrestlers were displayed in one area, a few swimming and diving honorees were in another, and at least half were collecting dust in storage boxes throughout Veale.
As one of several noticeable changes that have taken place since Dave Diles becme Director of Athletics, the Veale Center now sports a commemorative hallway dedicated to honoring all those who have achieved the impressive status of All-American.
"We felt it was critical to have an area that displays the accomplishments of some of the university's greatest athletes," said Diles. "The hallway provides a great first step in capturing the unique history and tradition of our athletic department. Historically, the success of these individuals has largely been overlooked, and we in the athletics department feel that they deserve to have their awards proudly displayed."
The new display has several other benefits in addition to serving as commemoration to individual athletic glory. The hallway will also act as a great recruiting tool, helping to demonstrate the department's dedication to its athletic programs and the individuals who make those programs successful. In its short existence, it has already motivated at least one student-athlete here at Case.
"I've spent about 25 minutes reading through all of the names in the hallway and I was a little disappointed," basketball player Chris Deighan said, "that there are no basketball All-Americans. My goal is to work hard over the next four years so that I can have my name on that wall and make my family, teammates, and coaches proud."
Further, the wall will also serve as an effective tool from an alumni relations standpoint. It will help to foster positive relationships with alumni and ideally give them a reason to return to the university when they might otherwise have not.
Currently, the awards displayed on the wall date back to 1977 and progress up to spring of 2006 where Pat Rodjom, a swimmer, has his certificate displayed. Located in the hallway that leads to the varsity swimming and diving pool, the certificates stretch from one end of the hall to the other. Yet according to Diles, there are many others whose certificates are not currently on the wall.
"We've had some trouble tracking down all of the certificates," Diles said. "We are currently working on ways in which we can honor those who achieved the status of All-American, but did not receive, or no longer have the commemorative certificate."
According to Diles, this is just one step in a time-consuming process that ultimately will build a foundation for continued athletic advancement and a culture in the department that helps the university compete at the highest level possible.
In addition, the athletic department has spruced up the second-level hallway that overlooks Horsburgh Gymnasium. This hallway lends a sense of nostalgia to passers-by as it displays pennants, posters, and game programs from years past featuring Western Reserve and Case Institute of Technology.
Both hallways will make anyone's visit to the Veale Center a more meaningful one. Alumni can return to view their All-American certificates and relive the magic of their collegiate careers while current athletes will have a visual that will motivate them to greater success.
