A simple act of kindness can have a major impact—and can inspire others to share the positivity as well. This idea is what drives the simple efforts of the Case Western Reserve University Acts of Random Kindness (ARK) Club every day—but especially today, World Kindness Day.
World Kindness Day is an international holiday dedicated to spreading kindness throughout the world. In the past, the club observed the day on a small scale—but this year, members hope to make it a campuswide celebration. They invited other campus groups to get involved, spreading kindness in ways relevant to each organization.
The invitation is not limited to campus groups; all members of the Case Western Reserve community are encouraged to participate in the day any way they can.
“We want to do kind things for people, but we also want other people to do kind things for people,” said ARK President Becky Olson, a junior. “It’s very important to get people involved and spread kindness across the campus.”
Although today’s acts of kindness may not be random, club members hope to spread kindness and joy that inspires others to be kind to people every day.
Kindness doesn’t need to be extraordinary. Try one of these simple suggestions:
- Smile at someone.
- Eat lunch with someone new.
- Say thank you to those who make your day better.
- Reach out to someone who has had a positive impact on you and thank him or her for it properly.
- Give a friend a hug.
- Treat a friend to coffee, tea or a snack.
- Do some volunteering (or make a plan to).
- Go out of your way to give someone a genuine compliment.
Named the best new student organization in 2013, ARK was co-founded by seniors Wade Stewart and Matt Holdren about 2 ½ years ago.
Both campus tour guides, Stewart and Holdren inherited a bundle of balloons from a campus open house after their duties were done. They decided to use the balloons to thank students who were housed in a residence hall commonly used for the tours. They tied the balloons throughout the hall as a simple “thank you.”
That simple thoughtful act inspired them to form a club, with the goal of encouraging others to show kindness as well. The club now boasts more than 60 members.
“Our first official event was during finals in spring 2012,” said Stewart, ARK treasurer and senior. “We chalked the Case Quad with different quotes, both inspirational and funny, so that students could read them on the way to finals.”
Since 2012, ARK has spontaneously shown up at Kelvin Smith Library Oval with bubble wrap and Play-Doh for students, and made appearances at Thwing Study Over, Springfest and Relay for Life, spreading cheer wherever they go
“The CWRU Acts of Random Club truly enhances our community through its activities,” said Vice President for Student Affairs Lou Stark. “This is how we should be treating each other on a daily basis, and they serve as a role model for us all.”
So, today, take a minute to do something kind for someone. One simple act of kindness can go a long way.