With spring around the corner, I’m starting my honey-do list for projects around the house.

However, I’m not married, so my honey-doers will be a handful of Ole Miss students come March 25 during the University of Mississippi’s Big Event.

The first year the Big Event was held, I signed up to have a few students come over and clean out my outdoor shed, which was a disaster and something I could not tackle myself. There were boxes and boxes full of stuff that needed going through and some thrown away. It was one of those projects I would get ready to do, stand in the doorway, shake my head and think, “Maybe next weekend.”

When I heard about the Big Event, I decided to give it a try. These kids were looking for jobs and I had a doozy.

They arrived, all smiles and when I opened the shed doors, I expected to hear groans. Instead, they clapped their hands together and said, “Let’s do this.”

And they did it. It took them two hours. They wouldn’t let me help other than to guide them what to put where. Then they thanked me for letting them help.

Huh.

These weren’t the horrible student’s people talk about, here only to trash our town and get drunk on the Square.

These were students who wanted to thank us for allowing them to come to Oxford and share our town with them.

I asked them if my project was one of the smaller ones. I assumed most were going to be large jobs for nonprofits and felt a bit guilty taking away some of the students for my own selfish need.

They assured me the Big Event was to simply show the community their gratitude and that included cleaning kennels at the animal shelter, or helping someone paint their fence or reorganizing storage units. There was no job too small for them, no too big, as many of the students spend hours on the side of our highways picking up trash.

This year’s Big Event is March 25 and organizers are looking for projects now.

I know there’s many single mothers out there who could use help organizing toys, putting together a crib, or simply giving the house a good cleaning. Wouldn’t it be nice to give Dad a break from having to clean out the gutters this year? If you have elderly neighbors, sign them up to help them rake leaves, organize an attic or kitchen cabinets.

While the nation is at odds, there are students in Oxford willing to take a day and work to make our life a little easier.

We could all use a helping hand, and in turn, they learn about helping their neighbors and somewhere in between, they may make a few new friends.

To sign up for a project, visit http://bigevent.olemiss.edu.

Alyssa Schnugg is Senior Writer at the Oxford Eagle. Email her at alyssa.schnugg@oxfordeagle.com