{"id":1579,"date":"2013-09-25T10:31:51","date_gmt":"2013-09-25T14:31:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thseagleseye.com\/?p=1579"},"modified":"2013-09-25T11:07:08","modified_gmt":"2013-09-25T15:07:08","slug":"class-of-2017-links-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/thseagleseye.com\/?p=1579","title":{"rendered":"Class of 2017 Links Up"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alison Kuznitz
\nEE<\/em> Senior Opinions Editor<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a bird! It\u2019s a plane! It\u2019s superman\u2026No, it\u2019s Link Crew leaders taking on the characteristics of superheroes for the best possible orientation for freshmen!<\/p>\n

Link Crew Orientation was successfully held on Friday, August 30th<\/sup>, from period 5 through the end of the school day. The event kicked off with a sea of vibrant blue Superman shirts ushering freshmen into the auditorium with overwhelming cheers and applause. After a few short activities inside, over 500 freshmen were split into 68 crews and led to the fields behind the tennis courts. A variety of team-building activities ensued that represented the difficulties freshman will soon encounter in their high school career. Freshmen Orientation is just the first of many phases to support and ease freshman into the overwhelming transition from middle school to high school.<\/p>\n

[slideshow_deploy id=’1595′]<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cFreshmen Orientation is important because it signifies not only a positive and welcoming atmosphere for the incoming freshmen, but it signifies the first big event they took part in as a whole class,\u201d stated senior and Link Crew Commissioner Joey Matera. \u201cThe way Link Crew runs just takes Freshmen Orientation to a whole new level, from cheering on the freshmen as they first walk in to Mrs. Intemann\u2019s closing presentation.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the most popular games by far at orientation is \u201cTeam Juggling.\u201d Each crew of about seven to eight freshman plus its two Link Leaders begin by passing one ball to each other. As the game continues, three more balls are added and this is where the juggling comes into play. It quickly becomes utter chaos as balls fly everywhere and people are frantically calling out their crew members\u2019 names.<\/p>\n

Of course Link Crew strives to create a fun and enjoyable experience for freshman. However, there is actually a deeper meaning to this game in particular. It reflects how important \u201cjuggling\u201d is to high school. Freshmen must learn to find a balance in their schoolwork and extracurricular activities. Not to mention, \u201cTeam Juggling,\u201d gives the crew a better sense of unity.<\/p>\n

\u201cActivities progress from group success and failure to individual success,\u201d said Link Crew Coordinator, Mrs. Intemann. \u201cEvery activity has a success connection.\u201d<\/p>\n

Throughout orientation, the energy that began in the auditorium surged on and created an extremely upbeat environment. The enthusiasm was practically tangible amongst the majority of Link Leaders and freshmen, which enhanced the productivity of Freshman Orientation. Additionally, it significantly helped Link Crew achieve its mission and goals.<\/p>\n

According to Link Crew Coordinator Mrs. DeNunzio,\u201cMy favorite part about orientation was the freshman\u2019s energy and the way the Link Leaders helped to create that energy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Similar to the way \u201cTeam Juggling\u201d is the most popular, \u201cWEFSs\u201d have proven to be highly informative. This acronym stands for \u201cWhat Every Freshman Should Know,\u201d and sheets with pertinent facts regarding THS are passed out to every freshman in the crew. Freshman Nicole Thompson found WEFSK and the overall orientation very helpful.<\/p>\n

\u201cI met new people and the sheet about what freshmen need to know helped a lot. \u2026It was positive and the orientation did help me,\u201d said Thompson.<\/p>\n

Besides \u201cTeam Juggling\u201d and \u201cWEFSK\u201d other activities included \u201cCount Off,\u201d where the crew must count consecutively from one to twenty. This may not seem challenging at first, but the teaser is that the group cannot discuss strategy or follow any patterns when calling out numbers. Also, \u201cLifestory,\u201d \u201cName Tag,\u201d and \u201cQuestions List\u201d allow the crew to learn personal information about one another and connect on a deeper level.<\/p>\n

These activities are Link Crew Coordinator Mr. Artese\u2019s favorite part of the entire orientation. He truly appreciates how these games are designed to forge connections and new relationships.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what Link Crew is all about: taking people that didn\u2019t know each other and giving them the opportunity to have fun,\u201d said Mr. Artese.<\/p>\n

Although Link Crew hosted a positive and effective Freshman Orientation, there are still several aspects they would like to improve upon for next year. The main goal is to hold orientation before the first day of school. This will cause the freshmen to feel more comfortable and be aware that they can rely on Link Crew as their support system.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is important for them to know that they belong here,\u201d stated Mrs. DeNunzio. \u201cThis would be incredibly helpful to give freshmen a sense of belonging.\u201d<\/p>\n

If construction does not continue to interfere with Link Crew\u2019s plans, hopefully freshman orientation will be able to occur before the start of the next school year. A tour, another highlight that Link Crew is looking forward to, will also be made possible if this is the case. Considering THS is such a large school and that the hallways now look the same without any distinctive differences, a tour is absolutely critical.<\/p>\n

Many people wrongly assume that Link Crew is primarily focused on this one event each year. Actually, Link Crew is designed as an all-year program that continuously aids freshman with any struggles or transitional issues. Mrs. Intemman introduced Link Crew, a subdivision of the Boomerang Project, to THS four years ago. This program is a nationwide and global initiative for freshmen. All three Link Coordinators \u2013 Mrs. Intemann, Mr. Artese, and Mrs. DeNunzio- attended special four day training sessions and then passed on their knowledge to the Link Leaders. Every Link Crew follows the same curriculum, and therefore the programs are very similar from high school to high school.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis program is not just about orientation, it\u2019s supposed to be all year,\u201d commented Mrs. Intemann. \u201c[It] offers icebreakers, connection, inspiration, new friendships, and a positive approach to high school.\u201d<\/p>\n

Link Crew conducts follow-ups in academic classes, Coco and Cram for midterms, a study session for finals, the Link Crew \u201cHelp Desk\u201d every Friday and more.<\/p>\n

Link Leaders are encouraged to remain in contact with their freshman throughout the school year and stay active in their leadership roles.<\/p>\n

\u201c Link Crew is there every step of the way\u2026to support freshmen and to make sure they are successful academically and socially,\u201d added Mr. Artese.<\/p>\n

Aspiring Link Leaders should realize the high level of commitment that this club demands before they consider applying for a position. For instance, on the last week of summer vacation, Link Leaders have to attend two five hour training sessions early in morning. An earlier training session was conducted in May, where leaders had to miss their last few classes of the day. During the first week of school, leaders are expected to wear their T-shirts everyday, along with giving directions and even leading freshman to their classes as well. They also have to participate in the year-round activities stated above, while having a positive, confident attitude. Furthermore, they always need to exhibit a willingness to commit to the program and their freshmen.<\/p>\n

Jessica Deaky, a senior and Link Crew Commissioner, advises underclassmen to take on the qualities of a leader, or in this year\u2019s case, a hero like Superman. She encourages students to \u201cbuild a friendly relationship\u201d with freshmen.<\/p>\n

Moreover, Matera wanted to share a few words of advice for students who hope to join Link Crew as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re not enthusiastic and you are not ready to make a commitment, don’t choose Link Crew. Link Crew will only succeed with positive people ready to do what it takes to ensure comfort in the freshmen,\u201d said Matera. \u201cFreshmen come before Leaders.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Alison Kuznitz EE Senior Opinions Editor It\u2019s a bird! It\u2019s a plane! It\u2019s superman\u2026No, it\u2019s Link Crew leaders taking on the characteristics of superheroes for the best possible orientation for freshmen! Link…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1592,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1579","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/thseagleseye.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1579","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/thseagleseye.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/thseagleseye.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thseagleseye.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thseagleseye.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1579"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"http:\/\/thseagleseye.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1579\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1618,"href":"http:\/\/thseagleseye.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1579\/revisions\/1618"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thseagleseye.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1592"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/thseagleseye.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1579"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thseagleseye.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1579"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thseagleseye.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1579"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}