Today, spread some joy to the Syracuse campus by performing a random act of kindness in celebration of World Kindness Day.

Introduced in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement, this holiday is celebrated all over the world in countries including Canada, Japan and Australia. The goal is to encourage people to look beyond others’ differences and embrace the idea that deep down, we’re all the same. After all, it’s the little things in life that count.
— Compiled by The Daily Orange feature staff

1. Hold the heavy doors of Schine Student Center open for people walking in and out.

2. When you go to pay for your morning coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts, tell the cashier that you’ll pay for the person behind you, too.

3. Tape money to a vending machine anywhere around campus or leave your change in the coin return to pay for someone else’s soda or snack.

4. Leave a loving note on a Post-it on a bathroom mirror in an academic building to remind people how great they are.

5. Call your family and tell them that you love them and appreciate them.

6. Tip your waiter, waitress or delivery person a little something extra when you pay for your take-out meals.

7. Cook a delicious, warm meal for your roommates when they get home from a long day of classes.

8. Clean out your cluttered closet and get together a pile of clothes to donate to the local Salvation Army or Goodwill.

9. Let someone cut in front of you in the line at Starbucks when he or she is running late for class.

10. Pick up and throw away some stray red Solo cups lying along the side of Comstock Avenue.

11. Wash all of the dirty dishes cluttering the kitchen sink for your roommates.

12. Give someone a hug.

13. Take out the trash for your roommates and bring your neighbor’s trashcans in.

14. Volunteer at a local food bank before the holiday season kicks off.

15. Share your umbrella with someone.

16. Offer to let someone use one of your guest meal swipes at the dining hall.

17. Let someone borrow your phone or laptop charger in Bird Library.

18. Drive someone who doesn’t have a car to the grocery store or the mall.

19. When you are on the South Campus bus, offer to give someone your seat.

20. Pay someone a compliment.

21. Send a surprise order of Insomnia Cookies to a friend who is at work.

22. Offer to wipe the snow off of a friend’s car and start the engine to warm it up.

23. Leave your change at People’s Place.

24. If you see someone sitting alone at dinnertime in the dining hall, ask if you can sit with him or her.

25. Leave a few extra quarters on the washing machine for someone who forgets or runs out of change.

Published on November 13, 2013 at 12:20 am