The game “Bigger is Better,” in which the goal is to trade something small, such as a paper clip, for a bigger object and keep repeating this to get the largest object possible, is one that many students are familiar with. Now the Honors College is using that game as a platform to raise money for a homeless shelter. The Honors College is asking students to see what they can get after a week of exchanging items on campus, starting with a paper clip. The contest will start Nov. 28 and ends with an auction on Dec. 3, with all of the proceeds going to Jacob’s Place, a homeless mission in Searcy where families without homes can temporarily live.
“You would start off with something small, like a paper clip, and you would go door to door to trade that paper clip for maybe a comb,” Honors College President Stephen McBride said. “You would trade the comb for maybe a shoe or something like that. Eventually it gets so ridiculous that one time a guy got a house for a paper clip in 14 trades.”
McBride said he came up with the idea one day when he was talking to Dr. Warren Casey, the dean of the Honors College, trying to think of things the Honors College could do to serve the community. As this idea developed, it became the focus of the semester.
McBride said he chose Jacob’s Place because it teaches families budgeting and shopping skills.
“It’s not an issue of too many or too little; it’s just getting as many as possible to get the biggest benefit for Jacob’s Place,” McBride said.
Every student on campus is invited to participate in the fundraiser and to make as many trades as possible throughout the week. There are no restrictions on items that can and cannot be traded and students are encouraged to involve the faculty in the trading process. Students can either trade by themselves, in groups of three or more, or trade with their social club.
“The idea of the service project is actually fun,” sophomore Jessie Boyd said. “It’s not just raising money; it’s a game.”
Because the fundraiser is in December and toward the end of the semester, the Honors College is hoping people will like the idea of getting items for cheaper than they could anywhere else.
“It’s the end of the semester and I’m hoping that seniors will be more likely to give away that refrigerator and make those trades because they’re hoping to get rid of them anyway,” McBride said.
The auction will be open to the entire student body along with the Searcy community, with prizes being given away to the people who bring the items that sell the highest.
To participate in this fundraiser, sign up at the table outside the bookstore or locate the event on Facebook. For any questions, contact McBride at smcbride@harding.edu.
