By: Daiyu Tang
It’s been a little while since we featured Nara last in the Observer there have been many changes at Columtreal both from a staffing and a building perspective. We’ve seen brand new facilities for learning, we’ve also seen tentacle ‘dance’ clubs spring up. The influx of money and social-media attention seeking has reached a crescendo and it’s a relief to be able to sit down with someone grounded and chat through how it’s impacted them.
Nara is one of the staff who is carrying furniture, answering student messages at midnight and trying to recruit talent all at the same time. I got the feeling, and I can see it from my own academic view that solving timetable disasters and generally keeping the place moving through sheer force of will and caffeine is well within her skillset. It has became pretty obvious that her role on campus has expanded well beyond coaching students how to run faster, lift heavier or stop treating warmups like optional activities.
“With the refresh of campus, and influx of new involved professors, my involvement with needing to take charge has changed,” Nueva explained. “I suppose you could say that I’ve reverted back to my Team Captain roots.”
That ‘team captain‘ phrasing fits her well. Even outside the athletics department, Nara has become one of the more visible points of contact between administration, faculty and students; part athletics director, part outreach lead, part unofficial campus shepherd trying to keep the University’s momentum moving in the same direction. She can often be found on the various social groups setup to facilitate contact between students and between students and faculty. Keeping the peace as it were, CU style.
Getting Involved
“I try to actually be involved,” she told me, which sounds simple until you’ve spent enough time around CU where ‘leadership’ has sometimes meant attracting bimbo science funding and ranking students by the size of their breasts or penis. This has often meant that some poor students sends an email and instead of an academic response, gets a viagra spam mail in return. It’s amazing to see the real focus that new and existing staff like Nara are putting into the University to push up the rankings in sport and academics.
Speaking of athletics, it remains the core driver to her work. Nueva continues to teach general coaching and training classes while also scouting for new talent both locally and further afield. What matters to her, though, is less polished perfection (Sorry Pi’s) and more willingness to commit (Lambda you got this!)
“I’m happy to help any student at any level of fitness to become an athlete,” she said. “I don’t expect anyone to be on a high level. I just expect them to try.”
Nara also confirmed that she has officially stepped away from competitive athletics herself, ending her own career intentionally rather than simply fading out. “I decided to end things on a high note instead of fading into obscurity competitively.” I felt that was real honesty. And honestly? Fair. Hathian has a habit of chewing people up slowly if they linger too long waiting for one last perfect moment. I know I feel some of that myself and eye that New York job market with a growing sense of need.
New Facilities – New Ways To Get Fit
The University facilities themselves were another major focus of discussion, particularly after years where CU’s athletics (and just about anything) infrastructure had a reputation somewhere between ‘underfunded’ and ‘surviving on prayers and duct tape.’ My personal recollection is that the old buildings felt like you were in an asylum that had somehow become a college.
“Our facilities after years of neglect meet or exceed the standards for which the SEC Conference happens to be known for,” she said. “Previously our facilities could have been eclipsed by a well-funded high school. That’s no longer the case.”
That may be one of the clearest summaries yet of what Columtreal is currently trying to become. Not merely surviving. Not merely reopening. Competing.
A Commitment
Of course, because this is still Hathian in the wider context, the interview was not entirely free from gossip, flirting, relationship disclosures or Poundr references that I slipped in. Nara confirmed she is currently in a committed relationship. As for student interest in faculty profiles, attractiveness rankings and campus gossip? She seems realistic about it.
“Feel free to do a Hot or Not with me,” she laughed. “I’m well aware due to my physique that I’d be a controversial pick.”
For the record, I continue to believe that judging people solely on appearance is both shallow and deeply embedded into modern campus culture, so the contradiction remains unresolved. I’d also rate Nara as hot because there’s smarts, a different appearance and a kind streak. Still, beneath the jokes and campus flirtation, what comes across most strongly is that Nueva genuinely believes in the institution she is helping rebuild. At the end of our interview, Nara offered one final line that probably sums up both her coaching philosophy and her approach to rebuilding herself alongside the University:
“The only goal posts that should be moved are the ones you set for yourself. Progress never quits.”
Not a bad motto for Columtreal these days, one that I, working in the Observer can really get behind. We work hard at things, or ourselves because we have goals. We make progress. Let’s do better Hathian, let’s follow Nara’s example.
