Given the current world situation, many students would agree that good news is more than welcome. In the spirit of friendship and altruism, three sophomores have founded the Kindness Week program as a way of promoting random acts of love and helpfulness on campus.
Sophomores Beth Wecksell, Lindsay Levy, and Nora Merbaum created Kindness Week in memory of their high school friend Roya Davoodnia, who passed away from cancer last year. Davoodnia was president of the Key Club and started Kindness Week at Great Neck South High School in New York.
"We wanted to do something for her because she was the most amazing person and did so many good things," Wecksell said.
Levy thought of the idea after walking into an LCS Cancer Outreach meeting by accident. She thought of her friend and decided to stay.
"I thought about what an amazing person she was. One example was her initiation of Kindness Week, and I thought we could start it here," Levy said. Wecksell and Merbaum were excited about the idea and the three Great Neck South graduates met with the presidents of LCS, who gave their approval and donated letterhead. The Cancer Outreach group used most of its semester budget for the cause, and the Neco company donated candy.
As part of their programming, the girls collected 31 inspiring stories of kindness from Tufts students and have printed them on table tents distributed in both dining halls.
"We sent out mass e-mails through LCS and mostly by word of mouth," Levy said. "It was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. People poured in stories immediately."
Levy was pleasantly surprised by students' reactions on campus.
"There are so many resources and so many motivated people willing to help," she said. "I never really envisioned myself starting anything so widespread, and to see how easily possible it is, is pretty empowering."
Kindness Week volunteers are giving out candy in the dining halls with attached suggestions of small acts of kindness, and have hung balloons all over campus. Passersby in the campus center can also write thank-you cards to professors, decorate cookies for friends, or make cards for kids with cancer.
Wecksell, Levy, and Merbaum hope to spread their friend's spirit of giving to the University community.
"Roya had such a good message to send to people and it's not fair that people couldn't get to meet her," Wecksell said. "I wanted to get her story out to inspire people. I don't think the little story on the table tents does her justice, but I wanted to show that it's very simple to make someone's day."
According to Wecksell, Davoodnia would have started Kindness Week in college if given the chance. "I think she would be thrilled to know that we are expanding this to another school and on a bigger campus," she said. But Wecksell has additional ambitions for the event.
"If one thing touches one person then I'll feel like this was a success and I know Roya would be proud," she said.
According to Merbaum, the Kindness Week coordinators would like to incorporate Kindness Week into LCS and bring in more participants.
Many students are impressed by the event. Freshman Shasta Jean-Mary read three of the table tents in Carmichael, and said that she would like to see Kindness Week take place again in the future.
"It shouldn't be [limited] to one week though; it should be all the time," she said. "I liked how [the table tent stories] weren't huge things, [but] things you do everyday," she said.
Freshman Erika Rivero was touched by a particular random act of kindness story in which a girl lost her wallet, but had it returned to her intact.
"It's nice to show... that there are some people like that," she said. "It's a good story." She added that putting the stories on table tents, where many students could read them, was a good idea.
Wecksell hopes that students will come away from the week's activities realizing how a little kindness can go a long way.
"The biggest thing is to get people thinking about kindness and how little things can really mean a lot," she said.
Kindness Week will run through Friday. The week is sponsored by LCS, and with particular help and funding from the Cancer Outreach group. Kindness Week is part of LCS' "Leap into Spring" event this week and next week, when one-day volunteer opportunities are available for students who don't volunteer on a regular basis.
