During the rush of midterms, giving a helping hand or a smile can go a long way.
On Feb. 17 the Honors College celebrated National Random Acts of Kindness Day.
Taylor Mitchell, coordinator of campus and community events for the Honors College, said the event was a collaboration between the Honors College and Honors Serves. It was hosted outside of Cater Hall.
Mitchell said the inspiration for the event came from recognizing the difficulty of the past year. The Honors College felt that students needed a pick-me-up to brighten their days and spread the love with their fellow students.
Mitchell said the event had two main projects. First, was a letter-writing station where students wrote a note to a friend, roommate or professor.
“Some students even wrote notes to leave on the table for their peers to find later,” she said
The second event was a “wall of encouragement.” She said for this event, students would leave a positive message on the wall and then take a message that resonated with them in a positive way.
“This station was my favorite as it was so sweet to see students leaving notes for one another,” Mitchell said. “We also passed out goody bags full of snacks.”
You never know what someone else is going through, she said. It is important for us to become more intentional about connecting with others.
Mitchell said this event gave students an opportunity to serve with one another and encourage each other.
“There is always room to be kind,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell said she hopes students left the event inspired to go put a smile on someone’s face.
Sara Matthews, president of Honors Serves, said random acts of kindness are a way to show people we care.
“I think random acts of kindness are important because it can potentially make someone’s day better,” she said. “We never know what could be going on in someone else’s life, so doing something as simple as leaving an encouraging note can leave a big impact.”
Matthews said the event was important for this year because of the barriers the pandemic has caused to create connections.
“This past school year has been very different from previous ones, so we wanted to give students the chance to continue connecting with each other while still being safe,” she said.
Matthews said spreading kindness does not always have to be a huge gesture. You can simply compliment a stranger or help a friend with homework.
“If students want to continue spreading kindness and getting involved in the Auburn community, community service is a great way to do this,” Matthews said. “Any honors students interested in finding a volunteer project can join Honors Serves on AUInvolve.”
Other ideas to participate in random acts of kindness, in general, are to pay for the person in front of you in line, give an unexpected compliment to someone, pick up litter on campus, pick up flowers for your friends, leave an encouraging note on a desk or car, donate to a local fundraiser and to be kind to yourself.
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Abby Winskowicz, sophomore in communication, is a lifestyle writer at The Auburn Plainsman.
