By Sivi Satchithanandan’15, Staff Writer 

Newark Academy has long been a school with a strong belief in serving community, defined by its annual student service requirements. This year, it has further refined its approach by forming a comprehensive new council to oversee and evolve these efforts.

The Community Service Council is made up of 18 people – the co-directors Ms. Fischer and Mr. Morelli, two student representatives from each grade, two juniors and two seniors for the executive board, and the four teachers that are the grade level coordinators. The task of the members is to inform the school about upcoming service opportunities and get students involved. Through this, the council will hopefully be able to reach their main goal, which is, as Mr. Morelli said, “to spearhead a process by which kids can reflect what they are passionate about and how they can take that passion to work for social justice.” The council’s aim is to change the student perception of community service, which many tend to see as simply a requirement that must be done. According to Sam Rosenberg, one of two sophomore representatives, “many people think of community service as something they can push off until May, and get done by stuffing envelopes or bringing in a couple of cans. However, we are trying to change people’s view of service, and teach them the benefits.”

According to the council, getting students more involved is the key. Rosenberg, stated, “Last year, community service was run almost entirely by teachers. This year, we want to get a lot more student involvement, and hopefully have some students share their experiences.” That’s why this year the council is using social media to inform the student body about upcoming events. Throughout the Stuff the Bus event, almost all of the Academy’s students could be told what to bring through the council’s new Facebook group, “Newark Academy Community Service”.  As a result Ms. Fischer stated, “Stuff the Bus was a huge success and even earned Newark Academy recognition from the local media”. In addition, as freshman representative Olympia Kane said, “Among the few big changes we’ve made is the creation of the NA Community Service Twitter feed.” With the establishment of the Facebook group and Twitter feed, students have easy access to community service events, and no longer feel hazy about when and how to fulfill their requirements.

Another major change the council has made is the way in which students report their hours.  Instead of handing in forms, reporting hours is a lot easier and quicker with an online submission. Zach Persing, another sophomore representative on the council, said the goal is to have “students report and reflect on their service as soon as possible after completion.” By handing in the hours earlier, students can ensure their reflections are more accurate. This online method has been positively received by the student body. Grace Alofe ’14 said, “I would definitely say that this new method for handing in service hours is a huge improvement – not only is it extremely comprehensive, but it also captures the service work that we do in an honest and relevant way.”

In all, the council aims to instill a sense of giving, or the “generosity of spirit” that is part of Newark Academy’s mission statement, in students that will accompany them throughout their lives. As Mr. Morelli put it, “we have a moral and civic purpose to give. The service you do is not just for other people, but for yourself.” The evolution of the Academy’s community service program makes this ideal ever more prevalent.