High school can be a scary experience, especially for incoming freshmen on their first day. It can be intimidating to be thrown into a new environment and these high school newbies always need a bit of guidance. Luckily, Link Crew is here to help.
“Link Crew is a group of upperclassmen students who gather together to help freshmen have the best experience and feel as welcome possible in their first year of high school,” shares Nicole Boysen, a junior at Capital High School. “Not all schools have a Link Crew, but CHS is fortunate to have such a large, welcoming group of students.”
Every summer, a couple of weeks before school starts, incoming freshmen enter the halls of CHS, some for the first time. They meet with their designated Link leaders and proceed to put on coordinated costumes. When I was a freshman, my Link leaders were sheep herders and made us all sheep costumes out of cotton balls, even giving us cute little ears.
Some leaders dress as spoons and ask their freshmen dress as cereal. Others simply go with a color theme and deck out their freshmen charges in a bright color. After donning their outfits for the day, the ninth graders are taken on a tour through the whole school and are taught tricks to remember how to orient themselves. Upperclassmen explain how the classroom pods are organized and give tips for walking in the crowded hallways.
After the tours, Link leaders bring their groups to the gym where a fun assembly awaits them. During the assembly, it’s all about cutting loose, making the incoming students comfortable with the fun-loving culture of Capital and playing games. In addition, administrators make sure to share school rules and offer a question and answer session.
The new freshmen aren’t the only students to benefit from this program. “I joined because I enjoyed the people who were Link Crew leaders, it looked good on college applications, and because I heard it was super fun,” says sophomore Paris Crawford. “[As a freshman] I thought Link Crew was really cool. I liked how we got a sense of how the school was and how upperclassmen were willing to show the younger classmen around.”
Boysen agrees it is fun, but also beneficial for the freshmen. “As a current junior I wanted to help make sure that new freshman felt like Capital was a safe and welcoming place. I look back at Link Crew from my freshman year as this fun and loving group of older kids I could always go to if I needed anything. It was cool to have that as a freshman entering this big brand new chapter of my life.”
Senior Gaby Mozipo shares that he wanted to be a leader for the fresh faces to look up to. “I want to be a leader in the school and help incoming freshman meld into our high school. I also wanted for freshman to have somebody to look up to when they start high school,” he explains.
Another aspect that sets Capital’s Link Crew apart is the connection the leaders make with their group members. “The leaders keep up with the freshmen the entire year,” shares Boysen. “Most schools only follow them for the first week of school, but we keep up with them the whole year by having activities such as socials and dances.”
A popular event that Link Crew hosts is the freshmen dance. “The dances are really laid back,” says Crawford. “They’re only for freshman and Link Crew [members] and it’s just a fun night where everyone can come hang out, dance if they’d like, or play games.” These dances are a good way for freshmen to cut loose in a comfortable environment and feel accepted by their peers and upperclassmen leaders.
And one of the most unique aspects are the Link Crew tee shirts that really differentiate Capital’s Link Crew members. They are made to stand out so freshmen can distinguish who is a Link Crew leader on the first day of school and can approach the leaders for advice or directions. The shirts are a different theme each year which keeps them interesting and easy to spot. Two years ago, the shirts had a Finding Nemo theme and read “Freshmen are friends, not food”. Last year, the shirts had a Star Wars theme, and said “Link Crew, school spirit awakens”.
“Link Crew is so important. It helps the transition from being a middle schooler to a high schooler easier for the freshman,” shares Boysen. “It’s great how on orientation day they can meet so many people so that they know at least a couple people on their first day. It’s important to us that none of them feel alone.”
