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The CSC Eagle Newspaper – Chadron, NE
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The CSC Eagle Newspaper – Chadron, NE
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Campus community preps for day of service

T.J. Thomson

Chadron State College students are hosting a student-led community service project that will focus on giving back to the community of Chadron for their continual support of Chadron State College throughout the years called The Big Event. The kickoff for this event will be at Elliot Field and is projected to start at 11 a.m., Saturday.

An advertisement for The Big Event promotes the student-led day of community service April 20.
An advertisement for The Big Event promotes the student-led day of community service April 20.

The Big Event is expected to involve more than 400 students, staff and faculty that will be painting, cleaning up trash, planting trees and collecting items for a canned food drive. Lunch will be provided and after lunch, students, faculty and staff will disperse to their assigned job sites.

“It is so important to appreciate and cultivate the relationship between the college and community. The community supports the college in so many different ways; whether it be attending a music concert, or cheering on the Eagles at home games for athletics. The least we can do as a CSC family is give a few hours of our time to get out in the town and help serve others,” Shaunda French, assistant professor of Social & Communication Arts said.

The Big Event was founded at Texas A&M in the early 1980s and now more than 75 academic institutions partake in The Big Event. Several CSC students such as, Stephanie Eggleston, 22, of North Platte and Apolognia Calleja, 22, of San Diego, Calif., have been planning The Big Event for months.

“This is a student-led event; they are all actively involved and this is their event! They deserve all the credit, not me,” French said.

“I have called Chadron home for the past four years of my college experience. In those four years, I fell in love with the town and community; the constant support the community gives the college is unbelievable. I am so excited to have the chance to work with The Big Event staff to make this day all about thanking the community,” Eggleston said.

This event gives CSC students, staff, and faculty the opportunity to volunteer their services to show appreciation for all the support that their community has given them.

“I think The Big Event should focus more towards college students having fun giving back through community service,” Calleja said.