By Dan Sokil

UPPER GWYNEDD — Local U.S. House candidate Frank Custer's campaign office has a different feel these days, but not because Election Day is getting imminent.

No, the difference is actually due to the current teachers strike in the Souderton Area School District, as several students have decided to help out his campaign to keep busy.

"We've been here pretty much all day; we started putting yard signs together on Monday and we have a pile of about a million of them," said Maura Fisher.

Maura, who would be going to Indian Valley Middle School, has also been helping out her friend, Indian Crest eighth-grader Klara Abraham, in all sorts of ways.

The pair has decorated Custer's office with various campaign posters, made phone calls to area voters, and plugged the data from those calls into the campaign office's computer system.

"We have to call these whole big lists of people, and put into the computer what they say," said Klara. "It's fun, but sometimes you call older people and they can't hear you."

Both agreed that the teachers and school board need to take a step back and pay more attention to students like themselves, as did Maura's older sister Karen.

"I think that the teachers should get what they need, and that all of the students are being really disrespectful toward them," Karen said.

"If kids really believe in something, then they should be out here doing things like that, and not fighting against people who are fighting for what they think they deserve," she said.

Her friend (and Klara's older sister) Katie Abraham, while stenciling "Register to vote," had a different take.

"I think it's pretty unfair for the teachers to have a strike at the beginning of the year, but I understand where they're coming from in wanting to get more health benefits and higher salaries," Katie said.

And Maura had a different problem with the teachers going on strike so early in the year.

"I'm kind of annoyed at them, because we're not going to have any vacations now. And they're going to have to work those days too, so they're kind of punishing themselves with the strike," she said.

Regardless of what they think about the strike, Drew Albert, the office's field director, is glad the girls have decided to spend their newfound free time helping out in Custer's office.

"They've done everything from stuff envelopes, to data entry, to making phone calls, to creating posters," said Albert. "They're a huge, huge help, and they're really trying to help us get organized and to help get Frank elected."