The Big Event offers UHCL community opportunity to give back
On Saturday, March 2, 2019, UHCL is participating in the national day of service known as The Big Event. The university is encouraging students, staff, faculty, alumni and community members to come out and join in completing service projects around the Houston metropolitan area.
The event was originally started in 1982 by Joe Nussbaum, then vice president of the Student Government Association at Texas A&M University. Nussbaum started The Big Event as a way for students to say “thank you” to their surrounding community. He believed that it was the least the students could do – give one big thanks to their community on one big day each year. Now the event has turned into the largest one-day, student-run service project in the nation with over 100 universities participating throughout the world.
“The Big Event this year has a ‘Park’ theme,” said Dillon Nash, coordinator of student life-organizations and activities in the Student Life Office. “Working in tandem with the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, we will be volunteering at Beverly Hills and Blackhawk Parks.”
UHCL’s purpose for joining The Big Event is to connect students with opportunities to volunteer in the surrounding community. The event will allow participants to volunteer in the parks this year to clean up trash, repair structures and even learn about the sites.
“My favorite part about The Big Event is that all UHCL students are encouraged to help a variety of people through the different causes, and in doing so we make a bigger impact than we could have on our own through just one cause,” said Yekaterina (Katia) Ivanov, education major, who participated in the event last year.
Nash said that if a student is not able to attend this event, there are ample opportunities for students to volunteer on campus.
“There are many student organizations that are community service based focusing on volunteerism,” Nash said. “Hawks 4 Community and Habitat for Humanity are two that come to mind that students could get involved in, to volunteer. Many other student organizations have volunteer requirements as well. I also encourage students to reach out to offices around campus, as many offices on campus are looking for volunteers each semester to help out with their events and programming efforts. Lastly, students who are interested in volunteering can visit UHCL.edu/GetInvolved to see upcoming volunteer opportunities, or stop by the Student Life Office if they’d like to help [find] opportunities.”
Nash points out that many professors are offering credit for participating in the event, and a lot of the registered student organizations are participating to gain community service hours.
“I think participating in this event will not only be a rewarding experience but also something that you could be proud of and talk about for years to come,” Nash said.
UHCL is providing transportation for this event if needed. The kickoff and sign in will begin at 9 a.m. at UHCL in the Student Services and Classroom Building Lobby before volunteers are bused to the sites. Deadline to register for this event is Monday, Feb. 25. If students have any questions about The Big Event or any of our other Student Life programs, they can contact the Student Life Office at slice@uhcl.edu or (281) 283-2560.
