Randolph-Macon College students expressed their gratitude and support for the Ashland community by participating in The Big Event, which took place November 20, 2016. Volunteers rolled up their sleeves, performing a variety of service projects across the Ashland community, including window washing, mulching, and leaf-raking.

Photos: The Big Event 2016

About The Big Event
The Big Event was founded in 1982 at Texas A&M University by Joe Nussbaum, vice president of the Student Government Association. Today, this one-day community service project occurs on more than 75 campuses throughout the world. In its second year at RMC, 315 students volunteered to work on projects, a remarkable 59 percent increase in participation from last year.

Giving Back
“Throughout the years, the Town of Ashland has shown tremendous support to the students of RMC,” says Jayme Watkins, director of Student Life. “Because of this, the Students Engaged in Responsible Volunteer Experiences (SERVE) program at Randolph-Macon College strives to give back to the residents of Ashland. The Big Event is one more way for the Yellow Jacket community to perform community service in a very hands-on way.”

Volunteers created a courtyard garden at Duncan Memorial United Methodist Church, winterized garden beds for local residents, raked leaves around Ashland, and helped with other home projects. At the end of the day, volunteers enjoyed dinner provided by Jake’s Place, an Ashland restaurant.

Community Connections
Emily Nicholson ’18, an English major, says, “If we as the college want to be valued as members of the community, we need to do something for the community. I think it’s really important that we are a part of the Ashland community.”

Treyvon Paige ’17 is a political science major who enjoyed being outside and meeting residents during The Big Event.

“It’s important to give back to the community because they give us help when we need it,” he says. “We are college students, always looking for something to do in this community…it’s a great place to be.”

Lyn Hodnett, a lifelong member of Duncan Memorial United Methodist Church, says of The Big Event student-volunteers, “It’s just a marvelous gift that they are giving us.” Students created a beautiful courtyard garden for the church. “We simply needed so much help with the heavy lifting,” says Hodnett, “and these great guys showed up from Randolph-Macon who were polite, cordial, willing and able, and we were just very grateful to have their help.”

A Growing Bridge
Biology Professor Nicholas Ruppel, along with a dozen students, gathered at the college’s Brian Moores Native Plant Garden, located at the corner of Smith and Henry Streets, to prepare the garden for the winter by weeding, raking, edging and mulching. All of the students are members of the Service Fellows program, a multi-year experience that integrates service opportunities with an exploration of the contexts and root causes of social needs. Ruppel routinely uses the garden as a teaching space in his plant-themed classes.

“The hard work and effort of The Big Event student-volunteers will help to promote a happy and healthy native plant community for the next growing season,” says Ruppel. “Also, the space is an important bridge between the RMC campus and the Ashland community, and regular upkeep like we did makes it a more inviting space for the students and local residents who pass by it every day. I can’t thank the student volunteers and Big Event organizers enough for all their help to make this happen.”

“The Big Event was a huge success,” says Watkins, “not only for RMC, but the Ashland community as a whole. It is amazing to see the impact this program has on helping our students and residents become more connected. This is always one of my favorite days of the year. Our students have such positive attitudes about the day and always return to campus excited, with stories to share.”

Leadership and Service at RMC
Leadership development is one of the primary focuses of RMC’s Office of Student Life. With programs and initiatives such as the Student Leadership Conference, the Leadership Fellows program, and Leadership Week, RMC prepares students to be the leaders of tomorrow.

The multi-year Leadership Fellows program instructs participants on the theories of leadership, including the Social Change Model, Servant Leadership, and Transformative Leadership. The program is designed to build upon itself year after year, with students helping to direct their own personal experiences and educate their peers.

SERVE (Students Engaged in Responsible Volunteer Experiences)
The SERVE program provides students with dynamic opportunities for service and service- learning, and helps them explore the root causes and contexts of social needs through connections with the greater community.

SERVE students engage in a variety of service activities throughout the year, including Macon a Difference Day, the culmination of a week-long community-service initiative that brings together students, faculty and staff to help beautify the RMC and Ashland communities.

Service Fellows
The Service Fellows program is designed to operate much like a not-for-profit service organization. Fellows have the opportunity to progress through four years of guided service, exploration and reflection in this co-curricular program. Fellows work together and with other community organizations to provide service to others.