Link Crew: Helping schoolmates set their goals

Mike Arnold and Evan Cass kicked furiously at each other Thursday morning in their health class at Carson High School.

It was like two freshmen friends gone wild, and teacher Frank Sakelarios couldn't have paid less attention. He didn't even send them to the principal's office.

In fact, the teacher of two years at Carson High, seemed entirely amused by his 20 students kicking at each other.

It was a game called Toe Tag.

Link Crew members, visiting the classroom for a presentation on goal setting, asked students to play the game. In it, partners try to be the first to touch the other's right foot with their own.

"It's one of those activities for kids to loosen up and have fun," said Misty Harris, the Link Crew adviser. "One of the concepts of the whole program is that you can have fun and learn."

The Link Crew, consisting of about 60 upperclassmen, is a club new to the 2004-05 school year that promotes connections - or links - between upper and lower classmen.

"I love this program," said Sakelarios, Arnold and Cass' teacher. "I think it's a great program for the freshmen. It gives them a chance to see what the seniors have gone through and the seniors a chance to say, 'Hey, we're just like everybody else.'"

This week's presentations at the school - to some 33 freshmen health and computer classes on Wednesday and Thursday - was the fourth this year.

"This one is about planning your future," said Harris. "Basically what it does is encourage students to look at their five- and 10-year goals. It also puts all their graduation requirements on paper and gives them a road map to graduation."

Crew leaders Loren Wooldrige, 17, and Jason Knowles, 18, gave students a two-sided sheet of paper outlining the how-to of calculating a grade point average, the four diplomas available to students and the proficiency tests they need to pass to graduate.

"Every day you guys should have goals," Wooldrige said. "Every day you should wake up and think about what you have to do."

They spoke about the Millennium Scholarship, available to students who maintain a 3.25 cumulative GPA while in high school and worth $10,000.

"It's a big goal to shoot for if you plan to go to UNR or UNLV," said Knowles.

The Toe Tag game over and the Crew leaders done, Arnold and Cass sat next to each other at their desks. Cass had won, but he didn't rub it in. Instead, they talked about their goals.

"It's important to get a good job to be able to have a well-kept family," Cass said.

"... And to support your family and friends if you need to," said Arnold, finishing Cass' sentence like an old friend would.

n Contact reporter Maggie O'Neill at moneill@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1219.

Sharing information

In their presentations this week, the Link Crew shared this information with the freshmen:

Diploma options

• Students can graduate with any of the four diplomas, listed below, which are recognized by different colored cords worn with their gowns on graduation day

• High school diploma: 22.5 credits needed, no required GPA

• Advanced diploma: 24 credits, 3.0 GPA

• Occupational diploma: 22.5 credits, 4 which must be occupational credits, 3.0 GPA

• Honors diploma: 24 credits, 3.33 GPA

Millennium Scholarship

• Available to students who have attended a Nevada high school for at least two years.

• Makes $10,000 available for students attending schools within the University of Nevada system.

• Students graduating in 2007 and later need to have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 to be eligible. For seniors graduating in 2005 and 2006, cumulative GPAs must be 3.1 to be eligible.

• For more information, go to www.nevadatreasurer.gov/millennium.