This past Feb. 11, for the Office for Student Involvement (OSI), it was OU Day of Kindness, an event centered around intentional positivity and care.

There were many things to do in the room ranging from writing cards to using t-shirts to create designs.

Daniel Vital-Puente, a fourth-year student who participated in the event, said the card-writing station stood out to him.

“I was able to create postcards for people that need kind messages and people that are going through tough times,” Vital-Puente said. “One thing that I’ve learned is that words are really powerful. When reading kind words, that can make your day even better and have an impact.”

Tables were lined with colorful markers, many stickers and stacks of blank cards. Students could write notes to individuals in hospitals or to a valentine or to anyone who might need encouragement showing the beauty in choosing words meant to brighten someone’s day.

Vital-Puente said kindness does not always have to be complicated.

“Just trying to put a smile out there when walking around campus and asking people how their day is going…that alone can change someone’s day,” he said. “You don’t know what people are dealing with.”

Across the room, piles of donated T-shirts were sorted and repurposed for community outreach efforts. According to event organizers, many of the shirts were donated by a graduate student’s family and collected over time for service projects like this one.

Jen Yetter, the coordinator of student organization programs in the OSI, said the steady turnout throughout the day was encouraging.

“The turnout was pretty good, especially since we just did something similar not even a month ago,” Yetter said. “We had a steady flow of people coming in, and a lot of projects were completed.”

While the event was structured around service, the atmosphere remained very very calm. Students stopped in between classes or just throughout the day during th multiple hours it was open, some staying for a few minutes and others lingering longer.

Yetter noted that the card-making station continues to be one of the most popular aspects of OU Day of Kindness.

“We set it up where they could write whatever message they want, and they could create their own design too,” she said. “Card-making is always super popular.”

OU Day of Kindness is part of a broader effort by OSI to encourage positive campus culture, “Leading with kindness every day is always the best thing to do,” Yetter said. “You don’t know what people are going through in their own life.”

As the afternoon wrapped up, stacks of completed cards sat ready to be delivered, all this just a small part of the spectacle that was OU Kindness week. 

OU Day of Kindness offered a pause to check in, to write something thoughtful, and to remember that community is built through everyday actions.