Victor Viking Guards Senior Courtyard At Hoover

By DONNA NICKEL

The Big Man on Campus at Hoover High: “Victor” Viking

Two thousand pounds of hulking team spirit greeted Hoover students as they returned to school last month. A gift from the Class of 2007, “Victor” Viking, a larger-that-life size statue of the district's mascot stands in the outdoors senior courtyard ajacent to the Hoover Commons.
Principal Tony Pallija said the idea of a Viking statue had been in the back of his mind for years. Last year he was sorting through his mail and came across an advertisement postcard from California sculpter Bruce Carty. “I almost threw it away,” Pallja said. Among the photos of school mascot statues on the card was one of a Viking. “I thought, 'hey, that's our Viking!'
Almost, but not quite. The statue on the postcard depicted a bearded man with a helmet that was different from Hoover's mascot. Pallja sent drawings of the Hoover Viking and Carty responded he could customize the statue.
Principal Peggy Savage said she was very pleased with the final product. “The scultor really did a nice job custominzing it to be the Hoover Viking, right down to the mouth, it really is our Viking.”
It's tradition for each graduating class to leave something behind as a gift to Hoover, such as a bench, picnic table or other lasting memento. The principals met with the 2007 class representatives and presented the idea for the statue.
Class president Tyler Callon said the idea was well received. “As soon as we saw the picture, we knew that's what we wanted,” he said. “It's big and because it's in the courtyard, everyone will see it. It's a great way to leave the mark of the Class of 2007.”
The class used the $4,000 left in their account to pay for the statue, sculpted from a durable, new synthetic material, but they did not have the funds to cover the cost of shipping. Pallja said the $2,000 was donated by Hoover's student council from money raised at the annual Powderpuff Football Game. “No outside funds were used,” he said. “The money came from the students.”
Visitors to Hoover High School will
plan on adding lighting and landscaping around the statue, along with a placque at his feet indicating the statue is a gift from Hoover's Class of 2007