The necessary job of accepting and rejecting service hours to decide whether or not each student graduates is now all in the hands of basketball coach Tony Martin.

For over 20 years, the position of Outreach Director has been filled by a Sister of St. Joseph, the most recent of which being Sister Maryanne Zakreski. When this year called for a replacement, it also called for a deep look into the service aspect of student life. While the requirements of sixty hours of service by graduation will remain the same, the new goal for this year is to have “more students doing direct service and being happy about it,” according to Principal Paul Barker.

“I needed someone interested in dealing with students and service that could make students positive about the requirement… and the solution seemed right there in front of me,” said Barker. The result of this epiphany is coach Tony Martin.

“I’m excited to get to know the entire student body and get them excited about the spirit of service” said Martin. His goal as Outreach Director is to “encourage students to participate actively and not scrutinize them about every aspect of service hours.”

Barker realizes the challenge of getting students excited about service.

“[Martin’s] doing a terrific job already of contacting service providers in the area and developing a relationship with them,” said Barker. Through this effort, Martin will be opening doors for students to do their service in places that were either discouraged or not considered in years past. Such places include Care Night Food Ministry and My Sister’s Place Women’s Center.

Barker hopes that once this contact is initiated and relationships are built, getting service hours will be less of a hassle and more of a natural habit. It will also be less of an individual task and more in the form of groups of students going to service venues every day after school. “Once you get this rolling, it will continue to happen by itself…we can make this happen,” said Barker.

The process of strengthening the outreach department has just begun. “I’ll be a happy man when at 3PM the mini-bus is out front and you don’t know if it’s taking 14 kids to a sports event or a service event,” said Barker.

Kaitlin Bobbin can be reached for comment at [email protected].