Student Complains after Completing The Big Obligation

With the completion of The Big Obligation 2015, students returned to class sunburnt and anxious for their well-earned afternoon nap. While The Big Obligation may have made the weekend feel shorter, most students are coming away from Saturday with satisfaction, certain that they made a difference in the Bryan/College Station area.

However, one student was less than thrilled with his Big Obligation experience.

“I can’t believe how disorganized it was,” said Mark Portum, junior civil engineering major. “I sat in traffic for hours. Then there weren’t any more ladders when I got to the front of the tool line. On top of that my group got split up!”

He expressed that he felt guilted into participating this year. In years past, it was a fun thing he did with his organizations. But this year, Portum felt that he was just going through the motions.

“I almost didn’t sign up, but when I told my friends, they looked at me like I was some kind of freak,” said Portum.

Upon his arrival to his work site, the middle-aged couple asked them to weed their garden and unclog the gutters. This offended Portum and his fellow engineers, as they felt their mental capacities could be better used for more in-depth jobs, such as painting or building a swing set.

“These people even forgot to order us lunch. So we’re slaving away on their gutters, and they don’t even have the decency to remember to provide food,” Portum said. “I do the Big Obligation to do a good thing. But this year I just realized how little my efforts are appreciated.”

He resolved that this would be his final year, and no guilt-trips of selfless service or fashionable t-shirts will sway him into signing up again after having such a poor experience this year.

-Lone Star Lady