By Sydney Perkins |    For the past three years, LHS has been on a search for a freshman transition program. As a result, a new club has been created: Link Crew has been assembled. Assistant Principle: Penny Holm and Counselor, Scott Gillespie will sponsor this new club. Their goal is to make the incoming class feel welcomed and help them understand the important role they will play as Blue Jays.
“Link crew is a freshmen transition and support group, designed to have students leading students,” Holm said.
The club offered two informational meetings, one before school and another after school. In addition, numerous flyers were posted around school.  A whopping 257 students attended the meeting and 207 of the students continued on to apply for Link Crew.
“People are either paying attention or somebody is getting out there and doing a good job getting the word out and they’re all very, very positive things that are really going to build the school culture and connect kids,” said Holm.
“I was interested in the Link Crew because I’ve always liked helping get people adjusted to situations” junior Hannah Goodwin said. “I think it will help the overall climate of the school, just be better for this big transition.”
Out of the 207 students who applied, the club plans to accept around 100 students, which is no easy task.
“I don’t even know how we’re going to do it! Every one of them are absolutely worthy of student representation,” Holm said.
To become a member of this club, students had to fill out an application and sign up for an interview.  After all 207 kids have been interviewed, the decisions will be made of who will be in the club.
“The mantra in this whole program is that Link Crew leaders need to be kind.”  Said Holm. “The kids you’re looking for need to be completely and totally representative of all your populations, not just your smartest, brightest, most involved. It needs to be every single walk-of-life that can be a role model at some point.”
Link Crew will give incoming freshmen and sophomores the opportunity to get extra guidance around the high school towards the beginning of the year. Whereas, in past years, students were not always offered personal help.
“I was really lost and we didn’t really have anyone to help us and show us around so, it was really intimidating.” junior Mikaela Vittoria said. “I think that with the program, people will be less intimidated and scared.”
“I wish I would have and someone helping me out my first year here, because I did not know anybody going into it and it would have been nice to be able to walk through a big school and meet some new people,” sophomore Kyle Tomc said.
Link Crew leaders will have a lot of responsibilities throughout the school year.  Over summer, there will be two mandatory training days a link leader will have to attend in order to learn how the orientation days will run. They will participate in both the sophomore and freshman orientation days before the official first day of school.
Members of Link Crew will wear official Link Crew t-shirts on the first day of school so an underclassman can recognize them, and ask for help.
Link Crew leaders plan to be very involved with the underclassmen advisories. Four Link Leaders will be assigned per advisory and meet with them once a month to teach lessons and catch up throughout the year. Link leaders will not only help students on a teaching and learning level but also, on a social level.
“If a kid is having an issue they can text you and say, ‘Hey, can I meet you for a minute during Liberty Hour?’ and you’ll say yes, and say what’s the deal? And they will say some issue they may have, it may be a boyfriend broke up with me, my mom is mad at me or I failed a geometry test, who is the best tutor? That kind of stuff. It gives them a chance to meet them on a social level,” Holm said.
Link Crew will take over starting next school year in hopes to make a difference in the student body.
“We would just like to thank the whole student body and the teachers for pumping this whole thing up and making this a pretty incredible, overwhelming opportunity for so many kids,” Holm said.