By Rhea Choudhary | Staff Writer
Students spread kindness through a cup of tea given to a stranger, a post-it note with song lyrics on it or a bracelet put on a friend’s wrist in between classes.
Last week, small yet meaningful gestures like these appeared all over campus as Baylor Eats hosted its annual “Delight-Ful Week,” a nationwide initiative led by Chartwells Higher Education to promote acts of kindness through food and positive experiences.
From events like decorating cookies to a “pay-it-forward” coffee chain, the week of events gave students the chance to take time to do something intentional for someone else. Baylor Eats Marketing Manager Jennifer Bohannan emphasized how far little gestures like these can go.
“A kind word or gesture can do so much to lift a person’s spirit,” Bohannan said. “We have noticed that sustaining those activities for a week has an even greater effect on maintaining those good vibes. People enjoy participating and they pass the good feelings on. It seems to lift the mood across campus.”
The week launched with a Kindness Challenge, with students using post-it notes and markers to write affirmations, their favorite book recommendations or meaningful lyrics for friends. Placed inside Moody Memorial Library, students picked up Kindness Affirmation Bookmarks and self-care mug kits, which were filled with tea bags and honey sticks, from a rolling “Kindness Cart.”
At the table with the Mardi Gras cookie decorating station set up, students frosted two sugar cookies, keeping one for themselves and one to pass on. Olympia, Wash., senior Sara Burkhart said the friendship bracelet making station was the most fun.
“It’s such a cute way to build connections with new people and with our close friends,” Burkhart said. “It’s always such a nice gesture to give someone a surprise gift to make their day.”
During the middle of the week, the Warm Fuzzies Tea Bar served 300 students, each encouraged to pour one cup for themselves and one for someone else. On the sleeves of the cups, students wrote optimistic notes before passing along the drinks.
The events concluded Friday morning with a Pay It Forward Challenge at Starbucks. Chartwells covered the first $5 of an order, with students having the option to pay $5 toward the drink of the customer after them. Those who participated in the challenge were gifted a lip balm labeled, “You’re the Balm,” as a thank you.
According to the Baylor Eats press release, Chartwells created Delight-Ful Week several years ago to combine random acts of kindness with fun, theme-filled dining events and First Year Eats programming on college campuses nationwide.
Chartwells organizes dining programs at over 300 universities nationwide with the purpose of strengthening community through food-centered spaces and experiences.
“In a world where everyone is busy and stressed, these little moments matter,” Bohannan said. “If we can create even one interaction that changes someone’s day for the better, that’s worth it.”
