Every fall, the freshmen are invited to attend the Freshtival, an event lead by the Link Crew Leaders in which freshmen can spend time with their classmates, as well as participate in a community-building volunteering activity.

First, freshmen led a class-wide food drive. Students drove to neighborhoods around BSM and went door-to-door collecting food to donate to the PRISM food shelf, a social service agency that works to provide families who struggle financially with basic needs.

After completing the food drive, the freshmen returned to BSM for the Freshtival, where the Link Crew Leaders organized a fun night of games and activities. During the event, the freshmen had the chance to introduce themselves to their new classmates and get to know each other better. “It’s all about community building. We piggyback [the freshtival] with collecting food to celebrate the work they’re doing,” freshmen religion teacher Becca Meagher said.

The purpose of combining these two events is not only to demonstrate the importance of serving others but also show that it can be fun, too. “It’s to show the freshmen that you can have fun while doing stuff for others,” junior Link Crew Leader Sarah Krieger said.