During a month filled with scares and spooky fun, Mission Kindness brought a touch of warmth to Oakland University with its BOO Bag event. On Oct. 28, students gathered in the Lake Erie Room of the Oakland Center from 12 to 1:30 p.m. to partake in the wholesome Halloween activity.

Students were welcome to drop in at their own pace, with no commitment to the club and take part in the activities either individually or with friends.

“We pride ourselves on kindness and we do a lot of things to make sure that we are spreading kindness throughout campus and other organizations as well,” Savannah Broaden, president of Mission Kindness, said. “It means everything to me because I’m helping people and I’m just making sure everybody has a smile on their face.”

Mission Kindness prides itself on spreading compassion throughout campus and the surrounding community through small acts of kindness. The organization aims to inspire others to get involved in these simple yet meaningful efforts to help those around them.

“Small acts of kindness are very important because they add up even though you might not see them doing so,” Emily Paganes, an accelerated second-degree student in the School of Nursing, said. “The kindness kind of adds up in a bigger way because it might inspire someone else to do something small or even bigger.” 

Attendees were welcomed with upbeat music, food and an easy setup for assembling the BOO Bags. Tables were filled with glow sticks, stickers, candy and other small treats, creating a lively and inviting atmosphere.

Events like this offer students an excellent opportunity to get involved and build connections on campus. For many students who commute to the university, it gets difficult to find new ways of getting involved. Mission Kindness provides a simple and meaningful way to do so.

“I thought it would be a fun way to meet new people and to just kind of get out there a little more, especially because I’m a commuter, so I’m not seeing too many people often,” freshman Olivia Palazzolo said. “It’s a nice way to get out of my shell a little bit and making boo bags is fun.”

After assembling the BOO Bags, students could choose to keep them or share them with friends, family or others in their lives, continuing the club’s mission of spreading kindness beyond the event.

“I want to get more involved with actual people and not just an event or something that leads up to my personal gain,” Palazzolo said. “I want to help make a difference and that’s the sort of thing I was looking for when I looked at clubs to join and that’s when I found Mission Kindness. This club is more about giving to others rather than receiving something for yourself.” 

Mission Kindness plans to continue hosting monthly events that promote positivity and campus involvement. Students interested in participating in future activities or keeping up with event times can follow the organization on Instagram at @kindessou.