Thousands of students will disperse to job sites all over Bryan-College Station on March 29 as part of the annual Big Event in an effort to serve the community. The perceived socioeconomic status of some of the residents who request student workers, however, has caused some students to question how the Big Event operates.
Courtney Wiederkehr, senior telecommunication media studies major, said after being assigned to an individual who did not seem in need of assistance, she feels student services can be taken advantage of.
“I feel like sometimes there are people who just see it as free maid service for a day,” Wiederkehr said. “It shouldn’t be that, it should be for those people that really do need help.”
Wiederkehr said she enjoys volunteering for The Big Event, but said there should be a way to determine which job sites are in greater need of assistance, in essence distinguishing between a want and a need.
The Big Event’s website includes a message which reads “Our mission is to say ‘Thank You’ to the community, regardless of a resident’s status or socioeconomic status.”
Kevin Brooks, senior management major and outreach executive for The Big Event, said this message is included because it is not The Big Event’s mission to provide assistance to families in need, but to give back to the entire community.
“We do not do jobs for those who need the help,” Brooks said. “We are here purely just to say ‘thank you’ to residents of the College Station-Bryan community for everything they do for us through jobs depending on need, Brooks said there is a process to assess whether or not the assignment is safe, what tools will be needed for the job and how many students would be appropriate for it.
Part of the process is ensuring that the job is within the range that A&M can send students. Despite the increasing number of students participating, Brooks said A&M cannot send students to areas outside of that range.
“We have extended, however with our students here at Texas A&M, we cannot go any further because of liability,” Brooks said. “That is something that we thought about, but it’s purely up to other communities to start their own big events now.”
Elizabeth Hernandez, senior English major, said she has participated in The Big Event for the past three years and has been assigned to households of varying economic status. Hernandez said she has no preference where she is assigned to work.
“The whole point of Big Event is helping the community, so whether you’re rich, poor, middle class, high class – you’re still part of the community,” Hernandez said. “So if you sign up for it, you’re going to be a part of Big Event. That’s the whole point of Big Event, saying, ‘Thanks College Station for putting up with all the college kids.'”