GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY IN QATAR (Oct. 9, 2022) Organized by the Office of Student Life, “Random Acts of Kindness Week” was a four-day, week-long event from October 9 to October 12 held in the Atrium. According to Ms. Angela Marongiu, Student Support Manager of Student Life, the purpose of this event was simply “to celebrate and spread some kindness throughout the campus by fostering Georgetown values such as ‘Cura Personalis’ and ‘Women and Men for Others’ so that students, service providers, faculty, and staff could get together for the whole community.”
Along with Ms. Marongiu, other student representatives of Student Life have contributed their efforts to make this event possible. Divided into four, each day had its unique segment to fulfill the goal of spreading kindness. On October 9, Dr. John Wright, Director of Student Life, along with Ms. Marongiu, formally opened the program in the Atrium followed by a few remarks. On October 10, students had the opportunity of making appreciation bracelets and kindness cards for one another. The following day, students gathered as they waited in line to participate in packing a study bag for a friend. On the final day, October 12, a mystery box displayed in the Atrium was filled with names of the faculty and was given to students, from which they received free ice cream coupons that they could redeem at the cafeteria.
Natali Fanik, ‘25, emphasized the importance of this kind of event within our campus. “Even if we’re all busy with our homework, it’s nice to stop and help each other out because we’re human beings and we have to be kind to each other,” she says. Furthermore, she expressed her gratitude to the unsung heroes of this initiative. “It’s nice because, despite the realities of life, our campus and the different offices here do not forget about the well-being of everyone,” she added.
The “Random Acts of Kindness” is an annual event that Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) holds to celebrate Georgetown values, explains Ms. Angela. “It was initially targeted for students, but we do plan a more broad community event in the near future including faculty and staff hopefully next year,” she added. As small as it may be, she believes that this will leave an impact on everybody: “It’s an opportunity for us to show kindness, to make each other happy, and to make them feel good. You know, just happy vibes.”
Indeed, having “Random Acts of Kindness Week” is just as important as all the other social functions that are marked in the GU-Q calendar yearly. It allows the whole community to take a short pause and realize that they can, after all, humanize their university experience. Beyond the academic excellence that GU-Q upholds, personifying their core values is also of importance, hence, why initiatives like this take place. Though the celebration may seem short, a little goes a long way; and a little kindness, no matter how small, is never wasted.
Comments