2007 LIFE FEST
Program Abstracts and Presentations
Chris Davis and Lara Goldstein
UNIV 101-075 and UNIV 101-076
It's the season of giving, and with that in mind the UNIV 101-075 and 101-076 Psychology clusters took on a rather unique form of community service. Based on the desire to both enhance our daily lives and enrich the world in a positive manner, the clusters decided to think outside the box for this year's project. They started small; they exchanged and shared their personal thoughts and stories about how small acts have made a large impact on their lives, but that wasn't enough for them. They wanted to make a difference in a greater scheme. The clusters decided to remove themselves from their familiar surroundings (UD), and they ventured off to our nations capitol in hopes of making an impact for the better. Primarily psychology majors, they wanted to observe the effects of random acts of kindness on strangers in an unfamiliar region. We administered a plethora of note cards with both a personal random act of kindness written on it by a student, as well as encouragement to pass it on. And what better way to brighten someone's day than by attaching it to one of the most well known symbols of holiday cheer: a candy cane. To our delight, this simple act had the ability to put a smile on a strangers face, among other things. We can only hope that this has a ripple effect, and that people will continue to initiate and promote random acts of kindness throughout this holiday season. Our power-point presentation will explain the basis of the idea of “Random Acts of Kindness,” and how our LIFE clusters implemented this in a community.