PRIMS UNITE TO SUPPORT THE LESS FORTUNATE

Amari Mare

@amari.mare

The Big Prims event is held annually, and this year it took place from 16 – 18 July 2025. The purpose of the event is to help raise awareness of the less fortunate. Each residence has a Big Prims portfolio, which is used to gather donations to give to the less fortunate within the residences. The Student Campus Council’s (SCC) Treasurer arranges the Big Prims event, during which the Prim of each residence along with the SCC Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson, spends 48 hours in closed-off quarters without food, as an act of solidarity with the less fortunate.

Throughout the year, each residence’s Big Prims portfolio is responsible for collecting donations. Kasteel Ladies’ Residence thought outside the box – or rather outside of Potch – and had a tuckshop at a tournament in Bloemfontein, while some of the other residences held auctions where they “auctioned off” their residents to another residence. The money collected goes to the residences’ Primfund, which is managed by the residence Prim and is used to provide to the less fortunate within the residence. 

The Big Prims event itself was sponsored, and they collaborated with institutions such as Spur, the Draak, South African National Blood Service (SANBS), Virgin Active, Potch Academy, Oasis and many more. The SCC Treasury team will be announcing who collected the most money, as well as the winner of the Social Cup on 22 August 2025 at the Draak during their dine. 

Each year, a new theme is chosen for the Big Prims event, usually  one where they can make teams and compete in activities. This year’s theme was Pirates of the Caribbean. As pirates, the participants were not allowed to eat or drink anything besides water, Marissa Smit, the Portfolio Committee (PC) member responsible for the portfolio Projects in the SCC Finance office, explained that the pirates are allowed to go to the bathroom with a companion from the treasury team to ensure they don’t wander off to the SS. While the Prims were allowed to use their laptops to continue with their studies, they were not allowed to use their phones – except during a short phone or smoke break, which is used to make sure their residences were still standing. If the Prims asked for permission to attend a class or a special event within their residence, they could attend but with a treasury team companion.

Big Prims or “Cats Away” means that when the cat’s away, the mice will play! During this period, the residents are rebellious and do all the things they aren’t supposed to do. Big Prims isn’t just for awareness but also to build team spirit among the residents. To encourage the participants and support their leaders, the residents had a bucket list.. Some of the activities on the bucket list involved taking a picture with your Prim while they were on the other side of the barricade and providing them with water. 

After a while in the closed-off space, the pirates were bound to get bored, but the treasury team had already thought of ways to conquer the boredom. They planned activities for the teams to compete in, such as ping pong, Noot vir Noot and yoga. To show their support, some residents even showed up in yoga gear, ready to do yoga with their Prims. 

The treasury also organised with the bands, Veervol and Kerkstraat, to fill the Amphi with music. On 7 July, each residence was given a time slot between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. to come to campus and cheer on their Prim, by singing their residence anthem. During this time the Prims were allowed out of their “prison” to sing with their residents. 

Big Prims is a reminder of strength, creativity and compassion within each residence. It is not just a chance to come together to raise awareness, but also to build unity within the community. 

Residents playing ping pong (Source: Quezanne’s photography)

Residents in the closed-off quarters (Source: Quezanne’s photography)

Edited by Isabel Burgers