You may recognize their bright-colored shirts on the first day of school, but Link Crew does much more than just orientate incoming freshmen.
Link Crew begins preparing for freshman orientation in the spring of the previous year. Before school is out, Link Crew members attend a meeting, called the June Jamboree, to prepare for the upcoming year. This is done through team-building exercises and general preparation. According to Maggie Izzi, a junior in Link Crew, the meeting helped them to “get comfortable with each other and get into the mindset of working on the spot and working with each other.”
In the past, Link Crew has sponsored a freshman tailgate in the fall and assisted the 9th graders through the first couple of days of school. Link Crew member Ruth Padilla added, “I was late to almost every period [of the first day of school] because I was helping someone.” Members also help freshmen through some of high school’s toughest weeks, including midterms.
Outside of helping freshmen, however, Link Crew members participate in large school events and assist staff and students as needed, acting as a general service to the school. This includes running the pep rallies and attending meetings to prepare for events. During an interview, Mrs. Hoglund, who directs Link Crew with Mr. Hansley, stated, “They help out with other events depending on the need.” These other activities help to involve new students with upperclassmen and the high school community.
These Link Crew responsibilities are significant for the transition from 8th to 9th grade. Mason Harward, a freshman at Upper Perk, said, “The hardest part of high school was getting used to the layout … [Link Crew] especially helped a lot with understanding how to get around the school.”
Although all high schoolers have been through freshman orientation, Link Crew is heavily involved in much more than improving students’ first year of high school. Link Crew’s contribution has and will continue to help freshmen acclimate to the new school for years to come and strengthen Upper Perk Pride.
