We are linked
The next Link Crew freshman tailgate takes place on Nov. 5.
Walking into a new school and recognizing little to no people is scary and intimidating. But the SMCHS Link Crew program works to solve this problem for incoming freshmen and to make their time at SMCHS as memorable as possible.
On Nov. 5, Link Crew will host the second freshman tailgate of the year. The first tailgate took place Sept. 24 after school on the football field, where students ate hot dogs and drank soda.
“We want the entire freshman class there,” said freshman counselor Dana Reyes. “The idea is that the freshmen will meet not only with their own group, but also with friends they made in the classroom. It reinforces that idea of connection and unity for the freshmen.”
SMCHS lost about 12 freshmen every year because “they had no friends” before the Link Crew program existed according to Link Crew director Wende Borowski.
“Link Crew was established to stop this problem and make it so that freshmen loved their high school experience,” Borowski said. “The job of the Link Crew leader is to find the freshmen that may feel lonely and facilitate communication.”
The leader acts as an adviser who answers questions and helps freshmen learn the ropes of high school.
“We answer questions like what buildings are which lunches [and] what late start is,” said senior Link Crew leader Gio Boccuzzi. “But we also give them the inside scoop to SM — like walk on the right side of the stairs, avoid having a large backpack [and get] involved in as many things as you can.”
The purpose of Link Crew is not only to help students get through their freshman year, but also to prepare them for the rest of high school.
“Link Crew has really been great for me since I was able to meet new people and hang out with my friends,” said freshman Gianna Memo. “I knew hardly anyone going into high school, but now I have a really amazing friend group.”
