Mineral County High School is pleased to introduce a new Serpent Union, built by the students for the students. The renovated space, perched above the main floor, features computers, lounge seating, desks/workstations, and a store, where students can screen print their own designs on clothing as well as fulfill orders from others in the community.

“Everything we’re doing is made through the school,” says Principal Jeff Wales while giving a virtual tour through the new Serpent Union. Students built the café and store as part of their CTE curriculum, helping to design the area with these different components that are reminiscent of a co-shared workplace or what you would find at a modern college campus. Thanks to the CTE classes and advisors, MCHS students built walls, put in new electricity, curtains, TVs, and computers.

“We put a table in up here, desks, a quiet space to study, these shirts that the kids made, and a flatscreen TV that will show a menu with prices and rotating pictures of what is going on at the school,” Wales says, gesturing towards racks of Rocket Pride shirts, leather couches, and brand-new computer monitors.

“This used to be a storage area. Last year, down below at the library, there were bookshelves, but books were not being checked out because they were quite old. We worked with Grants Manager Kathy Trujillo to create this,” he adds.

The upstairs store is completely ran by the students in CTE, giving them the opportunity to have real-time experience in customer service, managing inventory, order supplies, and build other valuable skills around running a business that could be highlighted on a resume. On the main floor, there are more seating areas, 22 computers, and a café counter (allowing student baristas to make Frappuccino’s, Italian ices, breakfast items, and serve pastries). There is a large LCD touchscreen in an area ideal for district/staff meetings and presentations as well as an area for dual enrollment courses (for the 43 students who are also getting college credit). The high school also did keep a library element to it, buying copies of top one hundred bestsellers and newer novels that students would want to check out.

The main floor also has a design center, with new equipment that allows students to make its own materials like banner printers, decals, and other weather-resistant items that can promote school pride. The design center holds an embroidery machine, Cricut, heat press, laser engraver, and vinyl cutter… “everything here is all brand new for us,” Principal Wales says.

With its screen printing capabilities, MCHS can even make customized shirts and clothing for Schurz, the elementary school, junior high, and other facilities within the district.

The project began in the 2021/22 school year, making the Class of 2022 instrumental in the new fruition of the new Serpent Union.

“It was quite the big thing last year, everyone has been excited about having this,” Wales says. The new Serpent Union is huge- at least the size of two classrooms- and could ideally be opened in the evenings and on Fridays to the community.

“This has all been done with the cooperation of the CTE classes- Mrs. Hatfield in the Serpent Café, Mr. Schaar getting the business together, and Staci Teeter in CTE coordination was instrumental in training the kids,” Principal Wales acknowledges.

While students have started coming in to use the computers, the school is still in the process of getting inventory and putting the finishing touches on everything before its debut next week. The Serpent Union officially will be holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 6 p.m. on February 8.