Octorara Student Council Volunteers in the Community

"We wanted to show the kids the enjoyment of helping the community and to build up school spirit," said Adam Udell, co-adviser of the Octorara Junior-High School Student Council, whose members took part in a Day of Service on May 23.

On that day, students completed yard work and painting at the Atglen Borough building and volunteered at the William J. Brinton House in Christiana, which is currently undergoing renovation by the Christiana Historical Society.

"We also used it as a recruiting tool and asked (other students) to join our Day of Service," Udell added. "We had five or six kids come with us and try it out and get to see what Student Council is like."

The Student Council program was recently reinvigorated by Udell, along with co-adviser Jen Watson. "Jen and I took over Student Council last year and found that student participation had been on the decline, (which began) during the pandemic," Udell said. "We have both been here awhile and have ties to the school. Jen went to Octorara and is a longtime resident."

The project in Atglen was approved by Atglen Mayor Darren Hodorovich, who also teaches at Octorara, while the work at the Brinton House was approved by members of the historical society. "Students arranged their own transportation, or parents dropped them off; one student lived close enough to walk," Udell noted. "We had this planned six or eight weeks in advance."

Students were told the historical significance of the Brinton House, which is associated with the Christiana Resistance of 1851. The Brinton family was also involved in the Underground Railroad, and the house was reportedly a stop on that network.

The historical society is currently renovating the structure to use as its headquarters. While the building is not currently open to the public, "Saturday on the Porch" events, which are free and open to the community, are held on the porch on the first Saturday of each month, offering music and refreshments.

On the Day of Service, the students spent most of the day scraping and removing layers of old wallpaper. "They were removing wallpaper and found initials and the date the wallpaper was hung," Udell noted. "(Society members) are going to do research into the company. They also showed us the cooling cellar and a pit used for natural refrigeration."

The Student Council at Octorara currently has 24 members in grades nine through 12. Club officers are Liz Murphy, president; Sebastian Hess, vice president; and Bridget Whitfield, treasurer, who will be next year's Student Council president.

The club plans several major events each year. "We are responsible for helping to coordinate Spirit Week and homecoming and the choice of the homecoming queen and king," said Udell. "We create signs for Hall of Fame (recipients) and other dignitaries in the homecoming parade."

The club runs a Family Fun Night around Halloween, which is a series of indoor activities where children can play games and receive candy. "We recruit donations and staff those rooms, and the Student Council runs the haunted house in the library," noted Udell.

The Student Council's other major event is the annual Powder Puff flag football game, where the senior girls' team plays against the junior girls' team. "The high school football players act as coaches and put plays together," Udell noted.

This past holiday season, Student Council members volunteered to assemble luminarias for Light Up Christiana, and they hosted a winter dance.

Finally, the Student Council hosts a teacher appreciation lunch in the spring, which is catered by students in the Octorara Culinary Arts program. "We buy eight to 10 gift baskets, like a coffee basket, and we award them to the teachers," Udell pointed out.

At one time, Udell noted, students were required to apply for Student Council, and elections were held for officers. Today, students only need to demonstrate a willingness to volunteer. "We are hoping to get back to the time where (students) apply and people run elections," he said. "We want to have kids come and be involved. We are trying to make it exciting again."