Freshmen, Upperclassmen LINK 
Michelle Nash '09 News Editor, The Lancer
In hopes of helping the freshman class improve its failure rate, juniors and seniors have stepped up as "LINK leaders" to become members of the newest club: LINK Crew.
The idea of the LINK Crew in schools has been around for about 15 years, but Dean of Students Robert Beato was the first to bring it here. Beato nominated science teachers Lindsey Knippenberg and Joe Lambdin to be the advisers of the new group.
"It sounded like a really good idea, and it makes sense," Lambdin said. "freshmen fail because they don't take high school seriously, and we wanted to help them see that it really does matter. "
Being a LINK leader takes a lot of effort and commitment. The requirements for each volunteer included being willing to participate, being a positive role model, writing an essay explaining why he or she wants to participate, and attending three orientation days in August.
While the rest of the student body was sleeping in, the new LINK leaders were in the gym at 7 a.m. preparing for freshman orientation. for five hours each day, the leaders were taught activities that they could share with the freshmen. The LINK leaders also compiled a list of important tips to help the new high schoolers succeed. The idea was to get the freshmen excited about school and to overcome being intimidated.
According to Lambdin, the three main concepts they taught were (I) go big, (2) total support, and (3) the "yes and ... " response. Every time someone gives them a negative comment, it becomes a positive comment by affirming your answer "yes" then turning it into a positive. for example, if a teacher were to say that you received a bad grade on a test, you would reply with "Yes, I did get a bad grade, but I will be sure to study harder next time."
In LINK Crew, eight freshmen are paired with two LINK leaders, usually a boy and a girl, and placed in seminar together. The leaders do activities with them and help the freshmen with their homework, as well as answer questions about high school in general.
"When they ask me for help, it makes me feel really good," junior Danielle Lambert said. "And by answering their questions about stuff other than homework, it lets them know that you can be there for them not only as a tutor, but as a friend, too."
LINK Crew has been getting rave reviews from everyone, including freshman Joe Meldrum.
"LINK Crew is a good idea because it helps us freshmen a lot," Meldrum said. "The most important things I learned were to be organized and to use time management. There is a lot of homework, and you need to stay organized so you don't lose anything. You also need to plan out a specific time when to do your homework or it will never get done."
According to teachers, this year's success of LINK Crew has made a huge impact on the freshman class, and the project will continue next year.
"It's been very effective so far," Lambdin said. "There have been fewer disciplinary actions, better attendance, and an overall better atmosphere at the school."
And with the return of the LINK Crew, some veteran leaders will also be returning for another year.
"I will definitely be applying for next year's LINK Crew," Lambert said. "I really want to reach out to the freshman class and make a difference. I know we can do it."