On Saturday, Ole Miss students will once again host the university’s largest community service project. This year, 2,700 students registered to volunteer with more than 215 service projects during the Big Event.
The Big Event has been in Oxford and Lafayette County for 7 years and offers students a way to give back to the community through various service projects.
“Students will be performing tons of different types of community service, such as raking leaves, painting, gardening, cleaning and hanging out with the community members,” Big Event director Miller Richmond said.
Richmond said that although thousands have registered, the Big Event will also accept walk-in volunteers for people who still want to be involved.
Volunteer group leaders will arrive at The Pavilion at 7:15 Saturday morning, while student volunteers will arrive before the opening ceremony begins at 9 a.m. Richmond said Theresa Adams, executive director of the Leapfrog after-school program, will deliver the event’s keynote address. Student volunteer teams will be dismissed at 9:45 a.m. to complete projects around the Oxford-Lafayette area.
A team of student administrators works hard throughout the semester to ensure the day’s events run smoothly each year.
“It takes hundreds of hours of work from the executive committee of around 25 people, and we have three subcommittees of about 80 people total,” Richmond said. “It also takes tons of support from university administration and community leaders.”
Richmond said the Big Event’s goal is always to provide thousands of hours of community service to the Oxford-Lafayette community as a way to give back and to help students make a connection with their local project hosts.
Big Event adviser Bradley Baker said the event is unique and brings people together. He said he enjoys seeing interactions between Ole Miss students and citizens, young and old.
“Students should feel compelled to give back to their community regardless of a planned event or simply showing up to a place to volunteer,” Baker said.
ASB President-elect Dion Kevin said the Big Event is about more than just the physical improvements to the community.
“It is easy for the Oxford community to see students as a nuisance who only take, but Big Event opens the door for positive interaction between students and community residents,” Kevin said.
Kevin said the Big Event is immensely important to Ole Miss because it brings new leaders to the front lines and plants the seeds for the growth of countless student leaders.
“I believe that leaders are born from serving others. Additionally, Big Event bridges the gap between student leaders and community leaders in some capacity, which is invaluable for future planning and cooperation,” Kevin.
Richmond said all college students should experience the Big Event at least once because they will get to meet community members and students while improving the community.
Kevin also said the Big Event helps eliminate some assumptions people may have about the students at Ole Miss.
“When people with internal biases about certain student groups go and see those students giving up part of their weekend to serve, minds are opened, and emotional walls are broken down.”
