The Greyhound Kickoff Mentor organization (GKOM), a freshmen-mentoring program,  is kicking off the 2011-2012 school year with a new head sponsor as well as a new addition to its program. Mike Meyer, former co-sponsor of the GKOM organization, is now the head sponsor. Meyer is implementing a new program called “No Greyhound Sits Alone.”

“Last year I was co-sponsor with Jennifer Powell, however this year I am now lead sponsor and Leslie Brown is my new co-sponsor,” Meyer said. “The purpose of the ‘No Greyhound Sits Alone’ program is to promote awareness and prevent students from sitting by themselves during lunch.”

As part of the program, Meyer is asking for GKOMs to invite their freshmen to sit with them at lunch if they see that they are eating alone. According to Meyer, the long-term goal for “No Greyhound Sits Alone” is to have the program reach the whole school.

Tessa Haefcke, first-year GKOM and junior, is excited about this new program.

“I applied to be a GKOM because I wanted to help the younger students get around school, but this new program is another fantastic reason to be a GKOM,” Haefcke said. “It is my goal to invite any student I see sitting alone at lunch to come join me, and I encourage the rest of the school to do the same.”

Both Haefcke and Meyer agree that the main purpose of the GKOM program is to encourage the CHS freshmen and their upperclassmen mentors to interact more. The “No Greyhound Sits Alone” program is another way of promoting that interaction.