e Battalion Aggielife Page 3 • Friday, March 26, 1999 s Duarte, and. ikey to be thi: as said Vallejc who just sigr d, will also p io was verypo; Southwest rr >mas said. “B|. signed with a are playing r. ikey on Frida Canyon." as said there r the festival thil > will add tothfil year there wil Disc-Go-Rouniij y night,” ThoirJ aooth will also:*| 1 which will fc| ds playing at l*u is said an add:: .;< aside The fo ind-greet se$J 1 be Friday air 1 the pavilion™ ■ area before a: y- going throuf with the oper: here," Powis: don to prewr ntal notificat: )men young?' mg to the lev ; at the rally. 1 posted on car vill be a sited at the same 1 of the proche ive from the S t in Rudder It t illegal, as lo cipating in theft rsically abuse ff i paling in the prt Students given chance to say 'thank you' to community through service on Saturday Story by Amy Daugherty • Photo Illustration by Guy Rogers & Sallie Turner cc o ne big day...One big thanks...One Big Event.” What started in 1982 with six Texas A&M stu dents cleaning out a local ceme tery has transformed into the largest single-day student-run ser vice project in the nation, and this Saturday will mark its 18th year. The Big Event was originally proposed by Joe Nussbaum, an ex ecutive vice president in The Stu dent Government Association. Nussbaum’s original idea was a one-day community service pro ject for Texas A&M students. He envisioned The Big Event as a way to thank the Bryan-College Station community for supporting A&M students throughout the year. Nussbaum presented his idea to the Student Senate, and The Big Event was born. Since its inception. The Big Event has grown larger and more popular thanks in part to strong or ganization and public involve ment. Tiffany Tsumpis, community interest committee member and a sophomore biomedical science major, said merchants in the area play a large role in The Big Event’s funding. “We go to local businesses and ask for support to help us out throughout the year,” Tsumpis said. “With the money, we buy paint and new supplies and save money for the next year.” Tsumpis said there are over 500 projects to be done this year. She also noted that it is not necessary to belong to an organization to help out. “People come individually and in groups and we match people up,” Tsumpis said. “It’s a good way to meet people. Any Aggie who wants to come out can help.” She said The Big Event does not just benefit the less fortunate. “We don’t just help the needy, but also the elderly,” Tsumpis said. “They [the elderly] love us to come out and keep them compa ny.” Bowie Hogg, student involve ment committee sub-chair and a sophomore business management major, said the committees work many extra hours each day. "We go to Margaret Rudder's house each year and clean windows." — Bowie Hogg Student involvement committee sub-chair “What our committee does is if jobs aren’t finished, we break up and work from three until six to finish jobs,” Hogg said. “At 4 p.m. our whole committee is gone. We work the whole year on it [The Big Event].” Hogg said nearly 4,600 students are signed up to participate this year. The projects taken on range from painting to laying concrete. “The majority [of the jobs] are painting, inside and outside,” Hogg said. “We do lots of garden work, we cleaned gutters last year. We do everything. We go to Mar garet Rudder’s house each year and clean windows. We rake leaves. We’re going to a church this year and helping them set up for a garage sale.” Hogg said The Big Event rarely says no to a job. “We’ve never just turned down a job,” Hogg said. “Every job we get we try to do. Any job we can physically do, we do. We get in teresting job requests.” Ashley McAlpine, a Big Event staff assistant and a sophomore in dustrial engineering major, said she plays a part in The Big Event’s job search and match-up process. “We [staff assistants] come on at the semester and help out checking job sites,” McAlpine said. “We determine how many jobs there are and how many peo ple and supplies we need.” McAlpine said the job request process is easily accessible and The Big Event makes every effort to fulfill the requests. “The job sites are anywhere on campus,” McAlpine said. “You fill out a job request form and as long as you get it in on time, we’ll get someone out there.” McAlpine said she volunteered last year and loves being a part of The Big Event. “Last year we raked leaves and we dug up rocks out of a yard,” McAlpine said. “I love it and I re ally enjoy working with all the people and working towards something. I can’t wait to see it all pay off on Saturday.” Tsumpis said she finds her work with The Big Event very re warding. “It’s amazing, going out and helping people,” Tsumpis said. “It’s the one chance we have to go out to the Bryan-College Station area and tell them ‘thank you.’ We’re really proud of it.” '660 arsitv DtW 5PM ‘Wfui Be ‘MisemBCe ? < MSC Cepfteid VariaBCe (Presents: yiacjieCon XXX ^‘March 25-28 Beni OVER!* THE XJL OF via Slfc \RDl RY e of what is nalabor-int^l outstanding 1 lirman, ? reS ^ e> ^ ■ r, iMwe's Comf X(igeC (Bennet LaCroi?c on ( TecC