CSC’s The Big Event to co-host national conference

Chadron State College’s Big Event has been chosen to co-host 2020’s  One Big Thanks Conference along with Texas A&M. The event will take place virtually Oct. 24.

“It’s the 15th year,” Big Event Adviser Shaunda French-Collins said of the conference. “Texas A&M started it to help bring the Big Event from across the world together.” It’s a great conference in terms of looking at your own Big Event, improving your own and then networking and collaborating with other schools and individuals that have a Big Event of their own.”

CSC’s Big Event submitted a proposal in late March along with A&M to host this year’s conference. But with the shift in the environment due to COVID-19, their original face-to-face proposal had to be changed to accommodate virtual delivery.

“We are just getting started on our timeline and things like that,” Kaci Waugh, new Big Event graduate assistant said. “We are looking forward to working closely with A&M to develop our schedule and look for speakers. We meet with them like once a week. They take care of some things, we take care of some things, and we meet up and collaborate.”

While the two groups have been working hard to change and schedule their original proposal to meet the needs of the virtual format, French-Collins and Waugh focus on the work their staff has provided, taking control and working well with A&M students to make sure the conference is ready.

 “We are very honored to host conference and be awarded it,” French-Collins said. “Specifically, I would like to thank Emily Hansen, alumni and former Graduate Assistant Kelsey Brummels, and recent graduate Katelyn Lambert. Those three really worked hard on the proposal, then submitted and essentially helped us be able to host.”