Link crew leaders with their freshmen. (Photo by Mia Turco '19)
Link crew leaders with their freshmen.

Photo by Mia Turco '19

What is takes to be a Link Crew Leader

May 15, 2017

It’s a new school, new locker, new hallways. Big hallways. New people to meet. Bigger people. Challenging classes. Long — endless — days. And there’s two people there to help: Link Crew leaders.

According to Link Crew adviser, Dennis Pascoe, being a Link Crew leader isn’t a result of good grades or connections with the student body, it’s a reflection of character.

“What we’re looking for is good people, people that don’t mind giving up their time to help others,” Pascoe said. “Really just people that are going to put somebody else before themselves at times, and want to make sure that they form a bond with the people they’re in charge of.”

According to Pascoe, Link Crew leaders should be ready to do everything they can to help their freshmen succeed in their high school experience.

“The purpose is to be a mentor to incoming freshmen throughout the whole year when they come to South,” Pascoe said. “To make sure that they’re comfortable with things going on, to help guide them with classes if they’re struggling and just to make sure that the process is as easy and painless as possible.”

Candidates will apply via a paper application answering several questions. After that, whomever makes it past that will make it to an interview process with teachers and students. Then the candidates are selected, Pascoe said.

Each year, over a hundred students apply for Link Crew, hoping to grab a spot and work with the next year’s freshmen. Many get in, but many do not.

I had a pretty smooth transition from middle school to high school and the people in Link Crew at the time were definitely part of the reason why,

— applicant Kate Henry ‘18 said.

“They encouraged us to make friends and get involved in the school and that was really helpful. I want to join Link Crew because I want to help give the incoming freshmen the same experience that I did, or better.”

Link Crew has helped people learn that transitioning into a different school is not as bad as people put it out to be according to Josie Monahan ‘20.

“My freshman year has been pretty good, actually a lot better than I expected it to be,” Monahan said. “My experience definitely would have been worse if I hadn’t had Link Crew leaders; they really helped me learn how to get around.”

According to Link Crew members, they have responsibilities to their freshmen. They look out for them when they need it. They make sure they are growing in a safe environment.

“I think Link Crew has made me feel safer at the school because I know there are people, like myself, that want to make the school a better place for incoming freshmen,” president Calyx Turco ‘17 said. “It’s just nice to know that there are people that care.”

In the past, there’s been the issue of glittering and the problem of people getting their lockers zip tied, but the longer Link Crew has been around, things like that have died down, Turco said.

“I consider myself to be a nice and caring person,” Turco said. “I enjoy helping others and I really care about helping the freshmen have a good high school experience. I think I have what it takes.”

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