FEATURES

08 feature A s summer slowly starts creeping towards students on campus, most of them are excited for their long three month break and hot summer days before heading back to school. For staff members Todd Taylor, Dale Streigle and Julie Goldstein they will be enjoying an extra long summer as they venture into retirement.

When the school opened in the fall of 1991 a young 22 year old college student from Minnesota made his way on campus as the new career teacher. Todd Taylor’s job involved teaching students on how to prepare for jobs in the future regarding interviews and preparation skills.Later his job became teaching his favorite subject, U.S. History.

“I was trying to get used to Las Vegas, trying to get used to no snow and being without my family,” Taylor said.

Three years later, Julie Goldstein arrived on campus as a freshman English teacher. According to Goldstein, she was welcomed by phenomenal teachers.

As Goldstein and Taylor were settling in on campus, Dale Striegle arrived in 2002 and started teaching chemistry in the science department. “When I was little I was given a chemistry set for Christmas and ever since that day I’ve had a passion for chemistry,” Streigle said.

Streigle has been teaching since the 1970’s and when he moved to Henderson he got an interview call with the staff here on campus. He decided to check out the campus after the interview, and soon enough he became a teacher.

“It was a big difference moving from a town where the population is the same as the school population,” Striegle said.

A couple more years into the 2000’s and Goldstein, who taught ninth grade English in the tech center, took over the yearbook program. “The yearbook is one of the most By Sebastian Villamil Days on campus come to an end Teachers retire after decades of time spent at GV Time is so fast that in a blink of an eye you have already passed 29 years. Todd Taylor , ,

, , important parts of high school because it is the only thing that you will hold on too after you leave college. I get people who ask me if I have yearbooks from ‘05 or ‘06,” Goldstein said.

Over the 29 years, education has changed a bit. For Goldstein, she believes that the content has turned more skill based rather than content based. This means rather than testing the student on what family Romeo was from, it has turned into questions like, how does Romeo going to the party, foreshadow the ending of the story.

“I think this is a good idea because it gets the student to interact and analyze the text more,” Goldstein said.

For U.S. History and chemistry it has not really changed. Taylor explains that although every New Year adds more history, it definitely changes the perspective on how you think. For chemistry, Streigle explained that although the material has not changed, only formulas for certain equations have.

As teachers and students have cycled throughout the school, campus has always kept to its high standards and it’s commitment excellence as stated by the teachers.

“You know the teachers that opened this school really set that standard of excellence which has been able to persist through all these years,’’ Goldstein said.

As for students, they have not changed according to all three teachers. The only difference would be the new technology that has been introduced into student lives which can interfere with the classroom at times. “The only thing that is different is the development of the cell phone because all they want to do now while in the classroom is be on their phone,” Streigle said.

Over the years these teachers had the opportunity to meet kids from all different types of backgrounds. These teachers were able to be apart in their lives.

“As a teacher you know that you impact kids’ lives on a daily basis but you don’t think about it, however we try to do our best to give these students the best education,” Goldstein said.

As the school years pass these teachers have learned a couple things while being here in campus.

“Time is so fast that in a blink of an eye you have already passed 29 years, and this tells you to be grateful and cherish every small moment even if it’s not the best day,” Taylor said.

For Goldstein, she believes that you always have to look forward in life because you cannot get shut down by little problems.

With the school year coming close to an end the teachers were asked what they were going to do next.

“For the first time in my life I don’t know what is next for me, and it is pretty exciting because I always wanted to go back to Minnesota in the fall and then go down to Florida which I could be able to do for the first time in a long time,” Taylor said. For Goldstein she plans on doing something similar.

“I plan on traveling which is really exciting,” Goldstein said.

As for Striegle he plans to join a couple of friends who have retired this year as well as travel after school ends.

This is the new beginning for these teachers who have taught countless years. Retirement has allowed them to move to the next chapter to a new adventure.

courtesy of Todd Taylor Sebastian Villamil photo courtesey of Todd Taylor

Pumped up kicks fuel expression Custom shoe design business helps students broaden personal style

By Shaelyn Gamiao I believe that everyone should have their own style ... and I’m here for that. ,, E ntrepreneur (n.) - someone who starts their own business, especially when this involves seeing a new opportunity. The road to entrepreneurship is often a treacherous journey filled with unexpected complications. K’Leena Jauregui (also known as “KJ”) can vouch for that. Managing your own business while tackling school and extracurricular activities at the same time is stress-inducing, but Jauregui is no amateur.

“I do commissions for painting, but I also do customs on shoes” Jauregui explained. “My customers come to me, give me a pair of their shoes and tell me what design they want. They’ll ask questions about the prices, and when they’re ready to proceed through the process, we meet up, shoes and money are exchanged.”

K’LeenaJauregui ,,

Jauregui had to get acquainted with the idea of people coming to her for the sole reason that she is an aspiring shoe artist. She has been approached by countless individuals, requesting one of her famous pieces of art on an item they wear every day; their shoes.

“Throughout the process, I’ll take pictures to show to my customers, that way, they know what’s happening. They can see the progress, and get updates on the shoes. This is to assure them that I’m not just taking their shoes and running with them. At the end, once it’s all done, I post it on Snapchat and Instagram, and the shoes are given back to the customer.”

Jauregui developed a passion for painting that was sparked by an Instagram post of someone utilizing the same concept and decided to put her skills to the test. As it turns out, her artistic abilities are favored by many people, but it requires much more than she had anticipated.

“I have always really liked painting, but I saw that someone decided to paint on their shoes, and I said ‘I

have to do that, so I bought the paint necessities, and gave it a try” Jauregui said. “I ended up liking it, so I said to myself, ‘I need more; I need more shoes to paint on’”.

According to Jauregui, the patience to perform the task is important. Acquiring the materials necessary, obtaining the information, visualizing the ideal design to fit the customer’s needs, and carrying it out with the highest quality possible all stems from one characteristic that is extremely crucial in the business world: patience. Patience is an aspect of making shoes that Jauregui believes is the most difficult to deal with. Specifcially, meeting the deadling of the customer.

“I did not have the right paint for it, I usually use Angelus Direct paint… so that was a little difficult. Also, my customers want it by a certain time, and with me, I can’t rush it or else it will not look right. That was, in my opinion, the hardest part to deal with,” Jauregui said.

As her popularity has grown, Jauregui began to notice trends as far as requests from her customers are concerned. There is a domino

effect. One person asks for a design, and then everyone else wants it as well; a chain reaction.

“One of the designs that a lot of people ask me for is the Japanese waves. With girls, sunflowers on Vans are popular. The difficulty of painting on the shoes, though, really depends on the design because if it is intricate, it will take me ap

proximately two days to complete, and that is, of course, when I am fully working without taking any breaks.”

Having a target market with such a wide array of preferred styles and favored shoe materials, you are bound to come across customers who request a design done on a shoe that is considerably hard to work on: it is inevitable. So what do you do? “Suede,” KJ so confidently explained, “Is the hardest to work on. If you mess up, it is over. You cannot fix it, it’s stuck; it is just there.”

With that being said, she decides on a reasonable price, accounting

for timeliness, difficulty of design, and type of shoe. Her prices vary with different versions of shoes.

“I never do prices higher than $50. The lowest price would be $25 and that’s for slides. Low-tops would be $30 and high-tops are $40-45.” Of course, this calls for the question “Why not digital art? What is so special about painting on shoes?”

“I could do digital art--I mean, I do that too--but I feel like with painting on shoes, it’s a walking advertisement; it’s shown everywhere you go, and it has to do with style as well. It’s not just ‘Oh, here’s my art. You can hang it on the wall. That’ll be great’ but now it’s part of the style.” Jauregui explained. “I had this one customer, and he gave me his Aqua 8s to do. He wanted a galaxy which was simple, but they came out fire.” It is not necessarily the design that sets everyone’s sights on this trend, but rather the way it is done; the time and effort devoted to producing a quality product. Individuality is an aspect that comes with desgining shoes. Jauregui wants to help kids develop their own sense of style no matter what the shoe.

“I believe that everyone should have their own style because you’ll see people walking around with the same shoes. Vans, Air Forces, they all look the same. Some people have told me ‘I want to develop my own style’ or ‘I want something unique on these’ and I’m here for that.”

For Jauregui, this is more than a mere shoe-painting business. Painting is her passion. She saw an opportunity to use her skills to her advantage, and satisfy those who seek her artistic abilities to “color” their lives.

Stomp stomp- K’Leena Jauregui displays a pair of newly-painted Jordans.

PROTECT THIS HOUSE

Victoria Rodriguez

National epidemic results in new policies and procedures

The InvestiGator t GVHS By Victoria Rodriguez A noise goes off, that of a firework, students’ faces fall as if to say ‘this cannot be happening to us.’ Boom. Another noise runs throughout the now dead silent school and it is confirmed, someone has open fired on campus and everyone’s lives are in danger as a silent panic runs over them.

This situation is too familiar across America. Gun violence is a serious issue, killing thousands of kids every year. In 2019, of the 46 weeks of school, 45 shootings had occurred on campuses across the country -- that averages to almost one a week.

Policies and procedures have been put in place to protect the student’s safety against gun violence; however they were not always safe. Apr. 20, 1999. This date is well known as the Columbine High Massacre -- the blueprint to all future shootings in schools.

“That’s the shooting that gets me because it was one of the first couple years I had started teaching,” science teacher Audrey Yurtinis said. “I was impressed with the bravery of the teachers, but saddened by the fact that students felt they needed to bring guns to school to control a situation they thought was out of control.”

School shootings have become an unfortunate trend across America. The rate of shootings are increasing throughout the nation. Many stu

dents live in fear about coming to school, not knowing what could happen.

“I absolutely hate [gun violence] because people get hurt for no reason,” junior Christopher Cicia said. “There is always that ‘what if’ in the back of your head when going to school.”

Studies have shown that there has been a link between mental illness and shootings. According to Columbia University Medical Center, three to five percent of shootings are due to mental illness. Administration has implemented a new class to make social and emotional problems more of a topic to let students realize they have options.

“More schools and school districts are working to try and identify students who are having psychological issues or having anxiety, anger, and other types of issues on the front end,” principal Kent Roberts said. “This is so we can intercede before they get to the point where they feel like [gun violence and suicide] is an action they have to take.”

One of the new protocols Roberts was able to implement with his budget a one entry policy. On campus, there are more than eight ways to enter the building, not including the doors down the individual hallways. This makes it very easy for someone to walk on campus and into the building.

“Making it a one entry school has

[Gun violence] is a pretty big issue and I would consider it as more of a crisis and less of an issue. ,, contributed to safety because if an intruder were to walk in the school they’d have to walk right past the front office,” senior Sage Remington said. “Which is made mostly from windows instead of being able to enter through the back or the quad where anyone could easily go unnoticed.”

Sage Remington ,,

Along with the one entry policy, admin also added stricter locks on all of the side doors. In order to get into the building from a door that is not the main entrance, a new lock pad and key card are required. This is to prevent anyone from just walking in whenever they please.

“I can speak on behalf of the english teachers in the 200’s hallways. They feel a lot safer knowing that there is that code on the green doors,” english teacher Viviana Garner said. “They’re very vulnerable. Someone can just pull off on the street and put their car right there and that seemed to be a very unsafe situation. Now that there are codes and locks, they feel a lot more secure.”

A real life shooting can compare to a ticking time bomb. A shooter is on a time clock from the second the first shot is fired. They have seconds to envoke chaos and violence before the cops arrive or someone takes them down. The further safety measures put in place are to help ensure the shooter has a shortened time clock.

“You can train people up to a point. Then there is anxiety of when something is on the line. You won’t know until it happens,” Roberts said. “I think teachers are much more prepared now than they used to be because there is so much more awareness about it.”

Throughout the years, there have not only been significant shootings to help play a role in further protecting students, but small local events have occurred to add to the newfound rules to help protect students against gun violence. On campus alone there have been a few incidents which lead to new safety measures.

“Knowing that things are being updated, that’s a pretty good start, but I feel that possibly employing a few more police officers could be more beneficial. Especially on days

like assembly days where were all in one confined space where something could break out,” Remington said.

According to Roberts, adding more personnel to walk around campus and ensure everyone is safe in the future of his plans; however he says that it will depend on the looks of the budget. Ideally he would like to add more social workers and definitely more monitors to help keep students safe and to hopefully help prevent future tragedies.

Within the last few years, social workers have been added on campus to help with mental health issues to contribute to the safety on campus. They are brought on to deal with several tasks on campus. They often work with students to help make sure they all have safe home environments and get any help they might need.

“I think mental health is part of that umbrella [that causes gun violence], which is why I am grateful that our social workers are on campus. There’s three of them for 3100 students. I think there should be 15- 20 more,” Garner said. “From what I’ve heard directly from the social workers, they provide a lot of services that kids are lacking at home. It takes

It takes a village to make sure someone is okay, so by the time they graduate high school, they can be productive citizens. , , a village to make sure that someone is okay, so by the time they graduate high school, they can be a productive citizen.”

Further safety measures are usually a result of other major shootings. One shooting that affected students

Viviana Garner ,,

who are currently in high school is the Marjory Stonelass Douglas High

School shooting, also known as Parkland. In 2018 on Feb. 14 Nikolas Cruz used a semi-automatic rifle and open fired on a group of kids, killing 17 people and injuring 17 more.

“A school shooting that ended with a lot of deaths. It was on a random day and I think with the amount of people that lost their lives in that one really opened up everyone’s eyes as there were just so many lives lost,” Remington said.

Directly after, students in Florida took immediate action to try and bring awareness to the problem of gun violence. A movement popularly known as March For Our Lives movement broke out. In association to the movement, a nationwide walk out was scheduled by students. At 10 a.m. on March 14 in 2018 thousands of students walked out in the middle of class for 17 minutes -- a minute for each life lost. This was to prove a point to teachers, admin, congress, and to anyone who has power -- stricter safety measures were needed. “I think [protests] do help, especially when it’s nationwide; It is a way of peacefully protesting and making it a way to raise awareness,” Remington said. However, not everyone feels that the walkout was a successful message. Cicia goes on to explain how the protest could have been more successful if more students actually took it seriously.

“Kids at our school are immature at times and just used it as a get out class free card,” Cicia said. “It would have been a bigger thing around the school if they showed that they cared and thought it was useful.”

On campus that day, administration made the decision to have an optional assembly that allowed students to come and speak on how they feel and what they felt was needed. Individuals from Congress and the school district were invited to attend the assembly to listen to the concerns of the students. Then later that night, parents got the opportunity to speak up. “That brought awareness for sure, and hearing what students had to say was super important as if the kids at the school don’t feel safe, it’s not going to be smooth and happy running school and I think it could have brought some ideas and I’m glad admin listened and they updated some things,” Remington said. “It makes me feel safer knowing that they’re

I think teachers are much more prepared now than they used to be because there is so much more awarness about [gun violence]. ,, slowly updating things.”

Another addition was the implementation of a cell phone to every administrators and teachers on campus. If an active shooter was on campus, or a firearm went off, all they have to do is push a button and it sends an immediate signal to every other phone informing teachers to go into a hard lockdown. This new implementation is a product of the Parkland shooting.

Kent Roberts ,, Aside from new protocols and procedures, some teachers and staff members go through numerous training sessions to help prepare them for a real life situation. This training gives teachers more skills in www.cnn.com

Victoria Rodriguez

order to better prepare for a school shooting. One common training is known as the ‘Stop the Bleed’ training. This teaches them how to stop a student from bleeding out if something were to happen. They also have frequent drills and reviews to ensure everyone knows what to do in case of an emergency.

Aside from the school not getting the funding they need, there are other issues once they receive funding. Often times administration is faced with the problem of investing into further school materials to help students advance, or implementing further safety measures.

“Training students how to write in every classroom. The research says the more you write the better you learn that subject. That scenario is 100% likely to happen. The armed assailant scenario while it happens on a weekly basis, you are far more likely to be injured in a car accident than in a school shooting,” Roberts said.

Gun violence has affected thousands of lives across America. It has affected parents who have lost children, teachers who have lost students, children who have lost classmates, and the chain continues. Gun violence has not slowed down, but done the opposite. Now, more than ever, finding better ways to combate violence in schools has risen. As a result, new resources have been redirected towards a situation that is far less likely to happen. The sad reality is that gun violence has taken over the classroom, it has instilled fears in students about going to school, and it is only growing more rapidly. With that being said, Principal Roberts notes that one can not be 100% garuteed in regards to safetey measures. In other words one cannot accout for ev

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ery variable considering there are so many. Not only that, Principal Roberts highlights on the fact that teachers are more prepared for an intruder nowadays because the awareness of gun violence has increased. Not only that but some may say that gun violence is not a minor issue. Rather, gun violence is a crisis. Esssentially gun violence is not minor.

“Considering the statistics, I would say that [gun violence] is a pretty severe issue and I would almost consider it as more of a crisis and less of an issue,” Remington said. “I think teachers are much more prepared now than what they used to be just because there is so much more awareness than what there used to be,” Roberts said. “I am pretty confident that our staff here would handle things the right way, but there are just so many variables in that situation and you just can’t account for them all.”

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Victoria Rodriguez 1 - On every door leading to the school there is a paper informing guests to go the front of the school because all doors are locked. The new policy began during the last month of the 2018-19 school year.

2 - According to CCSD policy 4380, parents and guests must visit the main office in order to be on campus. All guests are required to sign in from there.

3 - A lock pad requiring a key card is placed on all doors that lead to the Tech Center to prevent having to leave the doors open and unlocked.

feature 13 SHOWSTOPPER Sophomore takes reins while riding competitively

By Cherie Franklin

Five o’clock in the morning. The barn is already open and hoofprints line the dirt of the arena. The smell of hay and saddle leather fills the air. Horses patiently wait in their stalls to be brushed and prepped for riding. Then, each course that is being run must be memorized and perfected. This would seem like a daunting task for most students on campus, but for sophomore Sarah Malchow, who has been riding horses competitively for five years, it is just another show day.

“Being able to work with a 1300 pound animal that doesn’t speak English and communicating and bonding with them is probably my favorite thing about riding,” Malchow said.

Malchow has grown up riding horses and she has fond memories of her experiences with them at a young age.

“The first time I ever got on a horse was at my aunt’s barn in New York. I remember her putting me on one of her littler ponies and then holding my hand and leading me around the arena. Seeing pictures of that when I got older really made it one of my happiest memories as a kid,” Malchow said. Malchow doesn’t just ride horses, however. She is in Equestrian. More specifically, Malchow rides English, which includes the disciplines of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses. This broad description includes the use of horses for competitive sport, but it differs from a similar style of riding Equestrian called Western. Western-style riding is different in many aspects, including the style of the saddle (Western-style is much less streamlined). The events

Not her first rodeo - Sophomore Sarah Malchow poses for the camera with her horse and ribbons.

Knees up! - Sophomore Sarah Malchow leaps over a jump on a course at a competition in 2017. Malchow placed second in the show at Horseman’s Park.

in Western and English also differ. Western events are more likely to be seen in a rodeo, such as barrel racing. English’s most common event is jumping horses. Riding English is also more strict and organized.

“We take really good care of our horses, and we make sure their coats are always nice and clean. For the rider, we have a very strict attire. We have our tan breeches, black riding boots, a button-up shirt, and a coat, so there is not a whole ton of color,” Malchow said.

However, Malchow is used to the rigorous and high standards of English riding, as she has been competing since the age of nine. She says it was always her goal to eventually ride competitively.

“My barn is a show barn, so at one point the majority of the students will go on to compete. Once I got to a certain level, my trainer said ‘Do you want to do a show?’ and then it kept going from there and I never stopped,” Malchow said.

Nevertheless, riding horseback does not come without its challenges. Malchow notes the bias that can often come with competing, especially in the eyes of the judges.

“At a show, the judge won’t necessarily be looking at the best rider or the best horse. They’ll probably go for the person that they know in the arena. If they like a certain color of a horse, they’ll pick that over who they actually think the best rider is,” Mal

courtesy of Sarah Malchow

chow said.

Despite this, Malchow remains committed to her sport and is dedicated to improving even outside of the arena.

“I watch a lot of videos of Olympic riders to see what they do differently and what I can improve on. But My trainer said ‘Do you want to do a show?’ and then it kept going from there and I never stopped. ,,

Sarah Malchow ,,

the hardest thing for me is definitely staying in shape for it because riding uses a lot of muscles that other sports don’t,” Malchow said. “And horses also have off days too. So if they’re not performing their best one day then sometimes it can be tough to work through that and not get down on yourself because of it.”

Like many other sports, Malchow says it is just a matter of pushing through the rough days, but also balancing rest and discipline.

“The horse can get just as stressed as I do, especially because things are always changing. So if there is a day where I warm up and either my horse or myself seems off I might spend some extra time in the practice arena to see if we can get through it. If it is really bad, then those are the days that I cancel my classes and rest,” Malchow said.

To keep herself focused on days that she competes, Malchow says that she tries to keep her routine for those days consistent.

“I don’t sleep a lot the night before a show because we’re usually at the show grounds getting everything ready for the next day. And that night I’m usually out with my barn friends getting something to eat and just hanging out,” Malchow said. “The morning of, I always get Starbucks because we have to be there at 5:00 a.m. to set up. From that point on, we just try to relax and make sure our courses that we’re jumping are memorized so we can focus.”

This year, Malchow hopes to improve her skills overall, as well as to continue to become a fearless rider. “When I was younger, I had almost no fear when it came to horses. I’ve never said no to my trainer if she asks me to jump a jump or do something, but I feel like I have lost some of that because I have taken some really bad falls,” Malchow said. “So being able to find a good horse that I really bond with definitely helps me get over my fears.”

14 sports New coach called into action Irvin takes charge of men’s basketball program

New decade, new coach. For the first time since 2010, the men’s basketball program has a new face on the sidelines. Ezra Irvin has taken over head coaching duties along with his assistant coach, Keith Starr. They have been diligently working with the team to ensure that each and every player on the team is at the top of their game, while also balancing time to teach science classes on campus.

Irvin takes over a program that has finished with a winning record only once in the past seven years and last saw the State tournament in 2012.

Irvin takes over the position with prior experience in the district. He has worked for CCSD as both a coach and a teacher for several years now.

“I coached JV and B-Team at Rancho High School. Prior to that, I coached in Salt Lake City for about two years,” Irvin said. “I’ve been the head coach for other sports in town as well.”

Irvin joined the campus faculty at the beginning of the 2019-20 school year after being named head coach of the varsity boys’ basketball team in April of last school year. This will be his first time serving as the head coach of a varsity basketball team and being in charge of a program after having mostly been an assistant coach throughout his teaching career. “I’m lucky to have the opportunity to come be head coach here,” Irvin said. “I grew up around the game. My dad was a college coach and I played. Basketball is what I know.”

In the first few weeks of his arrival, there were struggles to be dealt with in the new work environment that is to be presented by not just a new coach, but the dynamic of having a head coach as well as a new assistant coach being involved in the process. Though it took some doing, the By Tyler Bonnette

Sebastian Villamil

On the same page - Head coach Ezra Irvin talks to senior Kaden Jackson during a break in the action at a home basketball game.

,, players got used to the change, and the coaches each use their own tactics to assist.

“It’s definitely interesting because both coaches bring something different to the table,” senior Kaden Jackson said.

Irvin and Starr work together to make sure the players are working hard and bettering themselves every single day of practice. Irvin will often take a one-on-one approach with the players, helping them individually to strengthen their skills. When a player makes a mistake, he takes a more personal approach with them, pulling them aside afterward and talking to them separately from the other players.

“We’re trying to make sure they’re good kids, that they’re accountable, that they follow the rules, and that they’re respectful and honest,” Irvin said.

Irvin’s methods of coaching have been beneficial to the team’s abilities, and contrast some of the methods used by Starr. This creates a dynamic between the two that helps strengthen the team in every way possible.

“He’s mostly seeing how we as a

Sebastian Villamil

Huddle up - At a home game on Feb. 6 vs. Basic, head coach Ezra Irvin addresses the team during a timeout. The Gators escaped with a 61-57 victory.

I grew up around the game. My dad was a college coach and I played. Basketball is what I know.

Ezra Irvin ,,

team work together,” Jackson said. “He isn’t very controlling, like ‘do this, do that,’ but he’s letting us figure it out and helping when he can.”

The two coaches working together gives the players a good balance of hands-on work as well as team building and problem solving with each other. In this way, the coaches aren’t constantly involved and controlling of the players.

“We’re figuring it out,” Irvin said. “It’s our first year working together, so we may disagree on things from time to time.” Coach Irvin plans on working not just on the team and their abilities, but also the basketball program as a whole. As the head coach, he looks for ways that he can improve the team outside of just strengthening their skills. He has already taken notice of several ways to get the program moving in a new and different direction as a whole.

“It’s more about a change of culture than it is necessarily about specifics,” Irvin said. “I want to change the attitude about it; I want the kids to feel like they deserve to win, like they’ve worked really hard and deserve it.”

There is always difficulty for coaches with balancing their time between classes and their teams. Worrying about games and scheduling is already nerve wracking at times; combine the coaching responsibilities with grading, writing tests and other parts of being a teacher and the result is a huge time commitment. Not only that, but Irvin has to keep track of the grades and behavior of the athletes as well to make sure that they are all still qualified to remain players on the basketball team.

“It’s a really big time commitment of course,” Irvin said. “And it’s a big responsibility too. If something goes wrong or if there’s an error, I’m responsible for it.”

The team is optimistic about the future of this season as they work more and more with the coaches. After a difficult start, most have gotten used to the dynamic and are hopeful about the time ahead for the team. Everyone is excited to see how the rest of the season will go with this new development, and how Irvin’s contributions will help the program throughout the next several seasons. “I’m glad to be here,” Irvin said. “Since I’ve gotten here, everyone’s been really supportive. It’s a great culture to be a part of and I’m thankful.”