Student Activities

Link Crew
Link Crew is designed to create an accepting environment among peers. Students involved receive training designed to develop leadership and counseling skills. Activities include new student programs, freshman orientation, promoting positive peer activi-ties, and individual active listening. The Link Crew program promotes and participates in peer pressure programs at the elementary schools and junior high.
Ms. Ewert and Mrs. Rice

Plays
The Drama Department holds great opportunities in every aspect of stage production. Two major plays are per-formed each year—on in the fall and one in the spring.
Directors: Mr. DePauw and Mr. Green

Scholastic Bowl
The Scholastic Bowl Team is an interscholastic activity in which student team members collaborate to earn points by correctly answering questions in competitions against teams from other schools. The questions are in the categories of science, mathematics, literature, art, music, language arts, and miscellaneous. Practice begins in the fall with meets in October through regional, sectional, and state competitions in March. All students are welcome to attend practice. Attendance at practice and availability to attend meets is flexible so that students involved in other seasonal activities can also participate.
Coaches: Mr. Orton

Speech Team
Membership in The Speech Team is achieved by being active in any of these three groups:
I. Individual Events - Speech
The Individual Events Team (Speech Team) consists of twelve different events. Members decide in which events to compete, whether it be the interpretative acting or public speaking events. Some events are: radio, original comedy, verse, humorous or dramatic interpretation, impromptu, and duet acting. After-school practice begins in November. Meets are every Saturday in December and January with the state series in February.
II. Group Interpretation
Group Interpretation is a group selected by tryouts to perform a thirty-minute interpretation of any play, book, or idea they choose. Scripts and a small set may be used, but there are no props or costumes. Tryouts are held in February with practices in the mornings. The group travels on Saturdays to different schools for NCIC and sectionals with the last possible meet being state.
III. Contest Play
A script of up to forty minutes is prepared, and a set is built that must be collapsible and easily transported when going to out-of-town meets. The cast is usually small and the script dramatic. Tryouts are held in late January with practices after school.
Sponsors: Mr. Green

Student Council
The Student Council of J. D. Darnall High School is the student governing body of the high school. Under the direction of its president, this body of students of all classes promotes better student-faculty relationships. They will review any problem a student may bring to their atten-tion. The council also handles social and sporting events such as Homecom-ing, other dances, and other school-spirit activi-ties. Oppor-tunities for participation in leadership workshops and conferences on the local, district and state levels are also provided and encouraged. J. D. Darnall Student Council is a member of the Blackhawk District, the Illinois Association of Student Councils, and the National Association of Student Coun-cils.
Student Council membership is available to the entire student body. Membership may be obtained through
1. Being elected to the Executive Board. These offices include: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Public Liaison.
2. Being elected to a class office. Each class has a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer.
3. General membership is obtained by a student completing a petition of 25 signatures from students in their class requesting membership.

Additional programs are provided for students whose primary interest lies in student leadership skills. A point system is used for determining participation in leadership activities beyond the local level.
Advisor: Mrs. Laingen

Thespian
Thespian Troupe #71 is an honor society for those who work in the Drama Department. To become a Thespian, you must earn fifteen “Thespian Points.” These points are earned by acting, doing stage work, or doing anything else to assist with produc-tion. Ten hours of work equals one Thespian point. During the year, the Thespians help present plays. They also provide ushers and ticket salespeople for the plays. Every spring an initiation banquet is held where awards are given to hard-working Thespians. The “Best Thespian” is chosen from among the “Honor Thespians.” (Thespians with sixty or more points.) New Thespians are also inducted into the Troupe at this banquet.
Sponsor: Mr. Green

Yearbook
The yearbook staff is composed of students interested in record-ing the events at J. D. Darnall High School during the school year. If interested, students should contact the yearbook advisor. This staff has regular meetings after school once a week. The work includes writing copy, taking and planning pictures, selling yearbooks, typing, planning layouts for the pages, and distribut-ing the books. Orders for yearbooks are taken during lunch periods in the fall and again in the spring. Last orders are taken in April. Students will need to present their receipt of proof of payment to get their yearbook when it is received the following fall.
Advisor: Mrs. Anton