ESU makes community service a "big event"

Rainy weather didn’t stop Emporia State students from cleaning up the Emporia community on Saturday for the fourth annual Big Event.

“The Big Event” allowed students and organizations to come together and pick up trash around Emporia. The event was hosted by the Associated Student Government.

“The Emporia community does so much for our students that we wanted to say thank you,” said Angela Blaufuss, senior crime and delinquency studies major and ASG president.

Students and organizations registered Saturday at 9:30 am on the Main Street of Memorial Union and those who made it there early enough received a free t-shirt with the logo “One big day, One big thanks, One big give.” Around 10 a.m., students split off into groups of friends or organizations and went to assigned locations.

Each group had two or more members and a leader from ASG or another organization. At noon, everyone had the opportunity to come back to the union and eat a free lunch. Students cleaned up a large area of the community.

“We go out as far as Camp Alexander so five miles out,” Blaufuss said.

The event happens once a year at the beginning of the fall semester and helps get student organizations community service hours they need each semester in order to remain recognized student organizations. Some students come out just to help out or to get to know Emporia if they have not lived in town very long.

“I came out last year,” said Jonathan Rivers, sophomore secondary education major and ASG member. “It’s great for the community and I made good bonds with the people I met last year.”

Planning for the event started last semester. Blaufuss explained how the idea of the event came together because of a conference ASG attended and heard of different service projects.

“The Emporia community is so important,” Blaufuss said.

Despite the rain, the groups worked their way down the streets and areas of Emporia collecting trash, ripping up weeds that were growing in the sidewalks and cleaning out any debris in the tree beds.

Although most students did not have rain gear to keep dry or warm, they kept on cleaning.

“[The rain] is not really that annoying,” Rivers said. “You get used to it. It’s a good thing to talk about.”

Not only did individual students and organizations attended the event, but residential life and the Greek community came out to show support for the community as well.

“I’m an RA so I had to come but I was excited to help,” said Andrea Lattimer, sophomore elementary education major and RA. “I think it’s a really good event. [It’s] good for the community and makes it look nicer.”

Lattimer explained it was her first year at The Big Event and her area to clean was from 12th to 4th on Commercial Street.

Rivers encouraged everyone to get involved next year and help out the Emporia community.

“Definitely jump in on this,” Rivers said. “Great way especially for freshmen to get involved, plus you get a free lunch and free t-shirt.”