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The Richter Center Ambassadors

The student group for the Jan & Bud Richter Center at Fresno State

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Random Acts of Kindness

Random Acts of Kindness Week 2016

This year, from November 7-11, we celebrated Random Acts of Kindness week at Fresno State. The week consisted of spreading kindness and letting others know the significance of it. Our week initiated with the Wheel of Kindness. Students were able to spin the wheel to gain ideas on different ways they can help spread kindness around campus or among the community. The kindness acts on the wheel included: share a smile with a stranger, serve at the Bulldog Pantry, compliment a stranger, feed the hungry, and rak1donate to a charity. Continue reading “Random Acts of Kindness Week 2016” →

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My Day with Paul

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I was fifteen when I first came to the Tenderloin District of San Francisco. Coming from a relatively sheltered background, the things I saw in that first day was a massive shift from the definition I had previously used to describe American poverty. I grew up in a stable, safe home with two parents who loved me. It was shocking to me that just a couple of blocks marked the divide between what seemed to me like two different worlds. The first was shining in its middle class splendor, much like what I had known growing up. The other, however, was a place of sidewalks littered with heroine needles and blank stares. Continue reading “My Day with Paul” →

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Kindness: Spread the Word & Spread the Love

What does it mean to be kind? What are some ways to show kindness? Well, let me tell you what I know about kindness. An act of kindness does not have to be big to be considered great or significant because the smallest acts and gestures could make the biggest difference. I think we could all agree on this. However, how can you do acts of kindness when we do not have time because we work, go to school, and have all these activities going on? I understand that the lack of time is a problem for many people who would like to participate in service efforts. This is one of the reasons why I love the idea of contributing to all kinds of service efforts in a variety of ways in a campaign effort that starts today: Random Acts of Kindness Week (RAK Week).

Random Acts of Kindness Week is taking place November 10 through November 15. Aside from promoting a culture of kindness on our campus, RAK week gives us the opportunity to serve others in a small but impactful way. The acts may be holding the door open to people, paying a compliment to a stranger, or just writing a note to a loved one, etc. There is a million things one can do, but if you need some ideas, you can always visit the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation website.

Last year was my first year experiencing the effects that a small act of kindness could have on others. I saw people making an interaction with others that were complete strangers instead of being on their phone while waiting in line. Students let the staff and professors know they were appreciated. There were people buying Starbucks or a meal for the person that was behind them in line; kind notes were written and spread; people looked happy and cheerful.

This is just a great and huge service campaign that Fresno State gets to participate in, and we are part of it. We just have to take the initiative to spread kindness.

We have to let fear of the unknown go because “when we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace.”- The 14th Dalai Lama (1935)

So, with this said, what do you plan to do for your act of kindness? What act of kindness do you do on a daily basis? How could you help spread kindness?

-Ambassador Jazmin De La Torre

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Talk About Kindness

What random acts of kindness have you witnessed or done in your life? Random Acts of Kindness Week is coming to a close, but what kinds of things can you continue to do on a daily basis to bring kindness to others? How does doing random acts of kindness towards others affect your own life?

Dr. Robert Levine
Dr. Robert Levine
Dr. Honora Chapman
Dr. Honora Chapman

On Friday, November 15, at 12:00 pm Dr. Robert Levine and Dr. Honora Chapman will be featured on our Random Acts of Kindness Week panel in North Gym 160. Dr. Levine is a Professor of Psychology and Dr. Chapman is a Professor of Classics and Humanities. Both will speak about how kindness can impact your life and those around you, and how kindness can come about from service.

 
Barbara de Angelis once said, “Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless you, the giver.” Doing simple acts of kindness each day will have a positive impact on you as well as the receiver of the act. Join us at in North Gym 160 on Friday to listen about how significant kindness can be and how easy it is to adopt into our daily lives. Let us know your random act of kindness ideas by using #FresnoStateServes and #RAKWeek13 or posting to our Facebook (www.facebook.com/richtercenter).  Also, stop by our other events happening during Random Acts of Kindness Week.
 
Spread the word to spread the love!
-Ambassador Alexi

 
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Random Acts of Kindness: Pay it Forward!

“I guess it’s hard for people who are so used to things the way they are—even if they’re bad—to change. ‘Cause they kind of give up. And when they do, everybody kind of loses.”  -Trevor McKenney from Pay It Forward

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From Nov. 13 to Nov. 16, Fresno State had its first ever Random Acts of Kindness Week. The week was designed to not only promote kindness throughout our campus in simple acts like opening the door for people or saying thank you, but also to encourage people to “go out of their way to make someone’s day.” I heard of several instances of people purchasing coffee for the person behind them in line, students baking cookies or passing out treats for those they regularly see, and small notes given to express appreciation.

On Wednesday, the Richter Center hosted a movie night for students to watch Pay it Forward. The movie showed how a boy with an assignment to change the world tackled the task and trusted people to do it. The quote above captures the importance of not being stagnant with how things are, and emphasizes how each of our actions brings about consequences.

Fresno State students, I propose a challenge for each of us. Let’s try to start our own kindness chain. With each kind act you receive, pay it forward to three other people. These acts, for example, may be too difficult for one to accomplish alone, but with help, could be accomplished. We will see the effects of this not only in the people or causes we choose to partake in, but also a change in our lives. Are you up for it?

-Ambassador Amanda

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