Kindness Day
Brandeis University is preparing our 12th Annual Kindness Day on Thursday, November 11, 2021!
This year, our theme is Brandeis Kindness Day: Back Together Again, celebrating the reunification of the Brandeis community after a long two virtual semesters.
The Kindness Day initiative was started by a faculty member with a vision to further connect Brandeis by promoting morale, building community, and encouraging more small acts of thanks and kindness on campus.
We look forward to celebrating the kindness that exists in the Brandeis community, and we want to invite you to play a part! Everyone (faculty, staff, and students) has the amazing opportunity to add to this wonderful event. Kindness ... pass it on!
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Send a physical kindness card to your friends, faculty, or staff! Kindness cards can be found in Upper Usdan and at both COVID testing centers from Friday, November 5 to Thursday, November 11, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Virtual Kindness Cards
We are also offering a virtual kindness card to send to friends abroad, graduated friends, or anyone beyond the Brandeis community! Fill out this form and a virtual kindness card email will be sent to the recipient! There is no limit, so you can send kindness to as many people as you can!
Create @ Chum's: Make Your Own Kindness Cards
Monday, November 8 - Wednesday, November 10, 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., Cholmondeley's Coffee House, Usen Castle
Create cards for Kindness Day at Chum's. Craft supplies will be provided. Enjoy free coffee, tea, and hot chocolate.
Post-It Notes of Kindness at The Usdan Game Room
Monday, November 8 - Thursday, November 11, Noon-9 p.m., Usdan Game Room
Write notes of kindness and post them in the Game Room window. Supplies and treats will be provided.
Come join us at the Be Kind to Yourself Fair at Fellow's Garden from 1-3! Start off Kindness Week with fun events including lawn games, snacks, and tie-dye! Monday, November 8; 1-3 p.m. in Fellows Garden.
- STAR
Write a kind message and send it to your friends with candy.
- Brandeis Mountain Club
Try your hand at slackline, or enjoy the crisp autumn air in a hammock.
- Brandeis Fitness
Get your blood flowing with a short Zumba session.
- Bridge to Wellness
The Bridge to Wellness team will be curating care packages! Students can sign up and request for a care package to be sent to their friends on-campus. The care packages will be delivered by BTW members!
- PARC
A component of self-kindness is a willingness to be open to and embrace support for yourself when needed. As a peer support resource on campus, we will hand out flyers about our support services, as well as fidget toys/self-preservation items.
- Brandeis 6 Talk
Join the 6Talk Hotline for some doodling and swap a self-care idea
Come together to kick off the 12th annual Kindness Day celebration at Brandeis! Take a break from studying and relax with some music performed by the incredibly talented students of the Brandeis Community. Monday, November 8; 8-10 p.m. in the Rapaporte Treasure Hall.
- Up the Octave
Established in 1994, Up the Octave is one of Brandeis University's premier a cappella groups. UTO sings a range of contemporary music - from Imagine Dragons to Rihanna - as well as upbeat oldies by artists like Journey or Stevie Wonder! We are a close-knit group of people who love to harmonize together. You can catch us both on and off Brandeis campus rocking out black and denim outfits!
- Starving Artists
Starving artists is a gender-inclusive acapella group that sings all genres. The group takes pride in their innovative arrangements, eclectic style, and infectious energy.
- Manginah
Founded in 1994, Manginah is Brandeis University’s premier Jewish a cappella group. Partnered with Hillel, Manginah sings a mixture of Jewish, Israeli pop, and English songs. Our mission is to share our love of Jewish music with people across the greater Boston and New England area. Recently, the group has released its first album, Hakol (Everything) which is now available on all streaming services so give it a listen!
- Sophia Koolpe
- Miles Goldstein
Miles is a guitar and harmonica playing folk-and-blues aficionado.
- Too Cheap for Instruments
Too Cheap for Instruments or TCFI is Brandeis’ folk and folk pop a Cappella group! They sing a variety of music from the folk genre and enjoy spreading happiness and positivity through their music!
- Company B
Founded in 1984, Company B is the oldest performing group at Brandeis University. The group is a co-ed classic hits a cappella group, singing music released at least 25 years prior to the current date.
- Jesse Blackman
Join the departments from around campus in the “Usdan Neighborhood” to relax after a long semester with hot cocoa, Lizzy’s ice cream, treats, and resources to help you get through the end of the semester. Tuesday, November 9; 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Usdan courtyard
- Share Messages of Kindness with Students Abroad!
Join the Office of Study Abroad to include students around the world (studying abroad or just off-campus this semester) in our global messages of kindness. And pick up a free map to display in your room!
- Celebrate Kindness with Spiritual Life & Lizzy's Ice Cream
Visit the Center for Spiritual Life at the Usdan Neighborhood Social for treats from beloved Lizzy's Ice Cream and mindfulness & spirituality resources to help you prepare for the rest of the semester with kindness towards yourself and others
- Cocoa and Kindness with Academic Services
Join Academic Services for some delicious hot chocolate!
- Practicing Kindness with SFS
Come enjoy a bag of treats from Student Financial Services
- Feeling Deflated? Make Someone’s Day and Get Pumped Up!
Come chat with Hiatt staff and create a note and/or customized balloon to share a kind message with someone else.
- Stick with Kindness!
Grab a sticky note. Leave a sticky note. MKTYP has positive vibes for all of us.
- Kindness with Gen One Network and Roosevelt Fellows
Join Roosevelt Fellows and members of the Gen One Advisory Board and the Academic Services staff for some kindness. This is sure to be the "highlight" of your day!
- The Butterfly Effect
When one small change has larger effects elsewhere. Decorate and become a kindness butterfly with the Roosevelt Fellows, Gen One Advisory Board, and the Academic Services staff.
- Accessibility is Kind!
Visit the SAS fellows and staff for some giveaways and a raffle, and help us spread the word about why accessibility is not only required, but also a form of kindness. If you have an example of how faculty, staff, or students have showed kindness while making an experience more accessible to you or someone else, you can submit your story to us at the table either anonymously or with your name and we'll share these examples with the community to celebrate inclusion and continue our mission toward access for all!
- Gratitude from the Brandeis Library!
We are so thankful our students are back on campus and in our library! Come check out some library resources, upcoming workshops, and grab some sweet library swag!
- Spread Kindness with the ICC
Connect with the ICC and share your reflections with experiencing kindness at Brandeis to be entered into a raffle to win ICC swag!
- Cozy up with the GSC
The GSC pride reps will be giving out beanies and face masks to help keep students warm this winter!
Join Brandeis community engagement organizations to participate in hands-on direct service projects, and get a sweet treat while you’re there! Wednesday, November 10; 1-3 p.m. in Fellows Garden.
- Decorate Pillowcases with the Kindness Day Committee
Help the Kindness Day Committee in celebrating Veterans Day by decorating pillowcases to send to hospitalized veterans!
- Big Sibs Bookmarks
Join the Big Siblings program in creating and decorating colorful bookmarks to give to Waltham elementary school students. Big Siblings is a community service program that is part of Brandeis' larger Waltham Group. Brandeis students are "Bigs" to elementary school students, who play and work with their "Littles" as mentors and role models during their school day. These bookmarks will bring smiles to young children's faces and motivate them to read more!
- Advocates for Community Transformation: Letter Writing to Legislators
ACT will be hosting a letter writing campaign for volunteers to write to legislators advocating for causes they are passionate about.
- Habitat for Humanity x Symbiosis: Bee Kind to the Planet
Habitat for Humanity and Symbiosis will be signing petitions, painting birdhouses, and filling them with positive affirmations for community partners across Waltham Group’s twenty programs to enjoy.
- Companions to Elders: Goodie Bags
Goodie bag assembly for Maristhill Nursing & Rehabilitation Center residents.
- Paper Flowers for the Community Day Center of Waltham
Join us to create flowers from paper for a local organization.
- Coloring Pages for Seniors
Take a break and color for your seniors
- EngageDeis: Learn about logging Service Hours
Do you know about our new platform for volunteer engagement and logging service hours? Come find out more.
- Make a Message Bracelet
Come craft a bracelet with letter beads for your community.
Thursday, November 11, 2021
Donuts and Voter Registration with Brandeis Dems and Students Demand ActionRegistration to vote with Brandeis Democrats and Students Demand Action and get some breakfast goodies!
8:30-10:30 a.m., outside Usdan.
Prints from Nature
Nature and kindness come together in this art activity. Using leaves and berries and a simple gel printing technique, make a one-of-a-kind card for a friend and spread the love with Kindness Day colors. Sponsored by Brandeis Arts Engagement. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. in Fellows Garden
Pizza with the Heller Students Association
Grad students, join the Heller Students Association for a pizza lunch! 12-2 p.m. in Heller
Box of Sunshine with Department of Community Service
DCS in partnership with Kindness Day wants to celebrate student leaders and volunteers who have been actively involved in their communities. We want to let you know that you are making a huge difference in these partnerships and are appreciated by us. On this Kindness Day, we want to celebrate our students in service and invite you to stop by our office located on the 2nd floor of Shapiro Campus Center in Room 201 to pick up a little something as a sign of our appreciation from our "Box of Sunshine". Look forward to seeing you there. Continue to spread sunshine!
Club Tabling
Join clubs at Brandeis in celebrating Kindness! 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in the SCC atrium.
- Name a woman in STEM you are inspired by with BeWise
Join BeWise in acknowledging all the hardworking and inspirational women in STEM around us!
- DIY with Brandeis Drawing Club
Join the Brandeis Drawing Club in designing your own tote bag!
- Be Kind to Others and Your Teeth with the Pre-Dental Society
Join the Pre-Dental Society to learn how to be kind to your teeth by having good hygiene! Be kind to others and to how you treat your teeth!
- Write Compliments with BOO
Join the Brandeis Orthodox Organization in writing a kind compliment for all to see!
- Take One Leave One with IFC
Join the Intersectional Feminist Coalition in writing and recieving kind notes!
- Mold Your Body With Kindness with Liquid Latex
Come to our table and play with some play doh to love your body! Mold the play doh into a part of your body that needs more love or is a favorite feature of yours!
- Make Friendship Bracelets with your Student Union
Join the Brandeis Student Union in making friendship bracelets for your friends and loved ones
- Pose with the Rose
Join SCRAM at the Rose Art Museum in expressing yourself in the kindest ways!
- Friendship Bracelet Braiding with CFH
Join Challah for Hunger in braiding bracelets for your friends!
- Song Suggestions with OMIC!
Join Open Mic Intercultural Club in sharing fun song recommendations!
- Native Language Sayings with BGC
Join the Brandeis German Club for Apfelschorle and inspiring quotes in your native language!
- Take-a-Note, Leave-a-Note with Hillel
Join Brandeis Hillel to write kind notes and drink some coffee!
- Make Blankets with Brandeis Pre-Vet
Join Brandeis Pre-Vet in making blankets in need across MA!
- Campfires and Compliments with UTC
Enjoy a take home smores kit from the Undergraduate Theater Collective and the production staff of Firebringer and write a comedic appreciation card to someone who you feel brings the fire to your life
- Trivia
Participate in a round of Kindness trivia at The Stein! 9-11 p.m. in the Stein
Thank you to the sponsors of Kindness Day: Academic Services, Admissions, Community Service, Community Living, Dean of Students Office, Graduate Student Affairs, Human Resources, International Students and Scholars Office, Sodexo, Spiritual Life, Student Activities and Division of Student Affairs.