BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Mary Allquist has been a Bow resident for more than 60 years. Her husband was born and raised in town and went to the old, one-room schoolhouse.

While living in Bow, Allquist raised four children who went through the Bow school system.

This year, students at Bow High School decided to give something back to Allquist.

On Friday, April 20, as part of the school’s annual Intersession program, several students arrived at Allquist’s home to help her with a little spring cleaning.

“At first I said, ‘no, no, no, people need it more than I do,’” said Allquist, who broke her arm two weeks ago and couldn’t handle this year’s duties on her own. “But I think it’s just terrific. The kids have gone to extreme efforts to help me out.”

“I thank them so much from the bottom of my heart.”

But it’s not just Allquist that the group of students helped out. As part of the “Making a Difference” option through this year’s Intersession, students volunteered their time at several area homes and nonprofit organization.

They even volunteered at a local senior center to help relieve the daily grind volunteers handle for free.

“Students selected this intersession because they wanted to give back to the community; they wanted to make a difference in somebody’s life,” said Mary Ann Gaschnig, Bow High School’s School to Career coordinator. “Our students just continue to amaze me. They’re just so dedicated to our community.”

Sophomore Jed Sturm saw an additional opportunity through the program.

“It’s a chance to work together as a team with other people who want to improve the community, which makes it a lot more fun than it would be if we had to do it alone,” said Sturm. “I think it’s a good way for people to pursue activities they are fond of with people of like mind, which can lead to friendships in the future.”

Intersession 2007 took place Wednesday, April 18, through Friday, April 20.

According to Gaschnig, Intersession is a three-day student enrichment experience, offering students the opportunity to take part in activities outside the realm of a typical school day.

Outside of the “Making a Difference” students, some took a trip to Gettysburg, and others  took culinary arts, college tours, and several other activities focused on specific student interests.

“It gives students an opportunity to delve into something for three days that they ordinarily wouldn’t have the opportunity to do,’ said Gaschnig. “It’s similar to the kind of opportunities you see on a college or university campus.”