Link Crew is offering a new program in which two representatives from each of the 20 freshman English classes will gather monthly to give feedback on events and suggest ideas for future events.
The program, known as the Freshman Council, operates similarly to the Student Senate, which has a group of representatives from all four grade levels to share their input on school activities.
Led by a team of upperclassmen, Link Crew welcomes and guides freshmen, helping them adjust to their first year of high school while encouraging their participation in various events.
“We’re trying to build more leaders on this campus so that there is more involvement, and I think this [program] is a good way to do that,” Link Crew adviser Lindsay Safe said.
On the council, 40 representatives will decide and suggest ideas for Link Crew events they want to see.
Senior Link Crew leader Syed Ayan, the main coordinator of the council, said past successful activities include Slime a Leader and Cookies and Cram.
“We want new ideas that actually bring forth events that we see [freshman] wanting to go to,” Ayan said. “We want to see a majority of them going to an event, checking in and seeing that participation level increase.”
Safe said she discussed the idea of the Freshman Council with the now-senior Link Crew members last May. During the meeting, they reflected on the previous school year’s positives and negatives and brainstormed ways to create more underclassmen leadership opportunities this semester.
“We want all the feedback,” the adviser said. “We want to know how we can support the freshman class and help them feel successful, welcome and connected.”
Safe said she will assist the Freshman Council but will mainly let students collaborate on their own.
Ayan will lead the program alongside three other Link Crew seniors: Joshua Stewart, Noelani Canotal and Noehlia Reuter.
“Being involved in three different sports and in FFA [Future Farmers of America], I really enjoy giving my knowledge to or trying to give my best knowledge to others,” Canotal said. “So, I was pretty excited to be a part of the Freshman Council community and to be able to introduce my knowledge to these freshmen, knowing that or hoping that it will help them.”
Ayan said one early challenge was spreading awareness about the program and encouraging students to join. Link Crew began advertising the Freshman Council during the last week of September through posters, emails, morning announcements and Sunny Side Up videos.
“As anything new, the beginning is always the hardest part, but hard work and determination can lead to success,” he said.
The Link Crew Leader said another challenge was the scheduling: finding a date when every representative is available, arranging an appropriate time and deciding where to host the meetings. The senior said meeting locations could be the library or Room 64, but it is currently undecided.
The Google Form application to join the council was posted in the Class of 2029 Google Classroom and was due on Friday, Oct. 3; Ayan said the results will be released sometime in late October to early November.
“I think the qualities we’re looking for are someone who can not only speak for their behalf but on the class’s behalf,” he said. “They have to be able to communicate really well and be someone we can depend on.”
Adding to Ayan, Safe said she and the Link Crew seniors are looking for willingness and passion in the representatives.
“You don’t need to be super outgoing; you just want to get involved and want to give back,” she said. “But [the representatives] do need to be responsible because we are asking them to represent their class and share some information.”
Ayan said he anticipates hope for the Freshman Council’s future in addition to valuing certain qualities in its members.
“I think if we can see how it goes this year, we can build on our mistakes for success next year,” he said. “I think a big thing that we need to work on is advertisement, like presenting in every freshman English class, because it was a little hard to do this year with schedules and timings changing constantly.”
MIXED REACTIONS
Freshman Chloe Noriega said she had not heard about the upcoming council and missed the application deadline, but expressed interest in joining.
“I was kind of disappointed and bummed out that I missed the deadline, but I didn’t even know there was an application,” Noriega said. “I didn’t see a lot of posts on it either.”
Even though she was unable to apply, the freshman said she is hopeful about the program.
“I think [the program] is a really exciting idea for students to get involved and have a voice in what happens during our first year,” Noriega said. “I hope our council will make our freshman year more connected and fun by planning events that help everyone meet new people and feel included.”
Noriega said she already has some ideas on events for the Freshman Council.
“For spirit weeks, I was thinking of ‘decade days’ or ‘flashback,’ and it’s when each grade gets a different era,” she said. “For games, I was thinking of water balloon toss or ‘human bowling,’ where there are inflatable pins and someone with a scooter or rolled up in a mat knocks them down.”
Noriega said she has not applied to join the student senate, but she said she likes the collaborative and leadership aspects of the program.
Freshman Ashley Ordoña, who has Safe for her first period Advancement Via Individual Determination, said she is also familiar with the Freshman Council and said she values its mission.
“I feel like [the program] is very inclusive for the freshmen because it gives us a lot of opportunities to express our opinions,” Ordoña said. “I want to see fun activities that incorporate other grades so that freshmen aren’t just talking to freshmen.”
Despite positive responses, not all freshmen share the same enthusiasm for the council, as freshman Ian Mercado said he did not find the program relevant.
“[The program] doesn’t feel really meaningful to me because I just like to do my own thing,” Mercado said. “However, I want to see some art-related activities because I always wanted to learn how to draw myself, and I didn’t know how to do it.”
STARTING A NEW LEGACY
Safe said she hopes to make a lasting impact on student leadership through the Freshman Council.
“Our Link Crew motto is ‘Be good, do good, see good,’ and the more ways you’re showing up and being a leader and being involved, you’re gonna do more good things, and hopefully see more good spread out through everybody,” she said. “I want everyone’s voice to be heard and listened to because I think that is the ultimate job of Link Crew.”
Although an official date for the first Freshman Council meeting has not been finalized yet, it is expected to take place in November after homecoming.
“I really feel like there’s a place for every single person here on this campus,” Safe said. “We just need to help you find it or create it.”
