University of Mississippi students came together for the 15th annual Big Event on Saturday. Volunteers collaborated on a series of service-oriented activities for the betterment of Oxford and Lafayette County.
Senior exercise science major Erin Crawford, the assistant director of projects and leadership for the Big Event, talked about the purpose and importance of the event.
“It’s the largest student organized day of service in the state of Mississippi,” Crawford said. “(We) send out Ole Miss students to community project sites in order for them to give back to the community that houses us here.”
Crawford said that this year’s Big Event included projects such as doing yard work, painting fences and spreading pine straw, as well as some indoor projects. As of Friday, there were 864 volunteers signed up and 115 project leaders for the Big Event, each leading a different service effort.
The Big Event began at Texas A&M University in 1982 as part of a nationwide movement. UM started participating in 2011 and has continued every year excluding 2020 according to the university’s website. Since then, the Big Event has been the largest community service project in the university’s history.
Executive director Eron Hendrix, a junior public health and public policy leadership major from Tupelo, Miss., said she looked forward to giving back to the Oxford-Lafayette community.
“This community gives so much to UM students, so we are honored to give back to the community that gives so much to us,” Hendrix said. “We hope our community feels the love from UM students and knows how much we appreciate them.”
Makayla Smith, junior nutrition major and assistant director of volunteer recruitment and retention from Hattiesburg, Miss., also highlighted the importance of giving back to the Lafayette-Oxford County community.
“Our hope is to have as many students come and serve the Lafayette-Oxford County community as possible. Oxford homes us so well during our time at the University of Mississippi and this event is such a great way to give back and say ‘thank you,’” Smith said.
Sophomore forensic chemistry major Sydney Sudduth, a project leader for the Big Event, talked about continuing the tradition of service that she started in highschool.
“Throughout high school, I was always involved in community service and giving back to my town,” Sudduth said. “I’m from a very small coastal town, so it was very important to me that I poured into my community. Coming to Ole Miss, I wanted to be able to continue to do the same, so I decided to be a project leader this year for the Ole Miss Big Event.”
Sneha Vuyyuru, a freshman finance major and Big Event volunteer, emphasized community service as her primary reason for participating.
“I just feel like giving back to the Oxford community is so important because everything they give back to us and Ole Miss in general,” Vuyyuru said. “Ever since I’ve been here it’s been such a welcoming experience and I wanted to be able to give back.”
Freshman biochemistry major and Big Event volunteer Margaux Whitcomb also talked about the importance of her volunteer experience.
“Now that I live here and go to school here, I think it’s really important to get involved,” Whitcomb said. “My friends were doing it, and I wanted to be a part of something. I love all these events and I think it’s such an exciting thing. We are going to do some yard work at a woman’s house who I think works for the university, so it’s super exciting to be able to give back to somebody who works and contributes to where we go to school.”
For Co-Executive Director Meredith Whited, a senior English education major from Marion, Ark., this is the last Big Event she will participate in.
“Each year that I get to be a part of Big Event, I see the impact that student-volunteers have on their home away from home,” Whited said. “I can’t think of a better way to spend my undergraduate career here at the University of Mississippi than planning for a day that thanks our community so well. We’re looking forward to saying thank you to the greatest community with the greatest student volunteers.”
