The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

    Students aid in Big service project

    students paint

    Members of Project Pull and the National Pan-Hellenic Council helped beautify
    Zemurray Park. Rashaud McDonald, a freshman business administration major
    (above left), Nicala Edwards, a senior communication science and disorders
    major (above middle) and Ciara Devau, a sophomore finance major (above
    right) painted the rails circling the park. 
    The Lion’s Roar / Allison Crady

    Five years after its initiation, the 2015 Big Event has continued to expand its outreach of cleaning and beautifying Hammond.

    Depending on the job site, participants painted, shoveled, planted, organized and washed to support the overall community development and appearance. According to Zachary Whitehead, co-director of the Big Event Committee, not only has the number of student participants greatly increased but the list of work sites has also grown. For the 2015 service day, 710 students registered to work for approximately 50 recipients. 

    “My first year, when I helped build a playground because it wasn’t up to code, these folks at the church were crying, and it really hit home for me,” said Whitehead, who has worked with Big Event for four years. “Over my four years here, I’ve fallen in love with Hammond, and I know for sure I can give back through doing this.”

    For the Community Garden on East Iowa Street, rain damage had stymied further expansion of the planting beds. Cheryl Klein, co-chair of the Louisiana Healthy Communities Coalition, along with Dr. Louise Bostic, professor of industrial technology and owner of the lot, helped direct the volunteers.

    “We came out last Saturday to try to build more beds, but we couldn’t do a single thing. We couldn’t even mow the area because there was so much water,” said Klein. “It was just such a huge project. When Ms. Bostic realized the Big Event was coming up, she said, ‘Well, maybe we can get some young men out here who can use a shovel and wheelbarrow and get things moving.’”

    Teams worked at local organizations such as the Hammond Chamber of Commerce, Columbia Theatre, House of Serenity Homeless Shelter, Louisiana Children’s Discovery Center and Heritage Healthcare. This year the job site list extended to include public schools in the area. 

    Some recipient organizations, such as Holy Ghost Catholic Church, have been involved with the Big Event consistently. Although the church utilizes a crew for weed eating and mowing, Parish Secretary Lea Smith explained their appreciation for help with beautification work.

    “Right before Easter it gets really overwhelming, because we have a lot going on,” said Smith. “Having the Southeastern people come here at this time is wonderful, because everything’s beautiful for Easter.”

    A team from Lions for the Lamb swept and washed windows at the Columbia Theatre downtown Hammond.

    [Community service] connects the community to the college and shows that there are young adults who go to school and do care about how it looks and developing a good relationship,” said Camber Robertson, sophomore business marketing major and member of Lions for the Lamb.

    In addition to helping the community, the sweat and volunteer labor encouraged fellowship under a common cause.

    Tre Johnson, senior accounting major and member of Pi Kappa Alpha, worked at the Community Garden for his second year at the Big Event.

    “It gets us involved in the community and brings us closer to the people of Hammond,” said Johnson. “I feel like we’re making a difference because of the way the people that we’re helping look at us. They’re always happy to have us.” 

    For more photos from the Big Event, visit The Lion’s Roar Newspaper’s Facebook page.

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