Monday, March 25, 2019

Act of Good Leadership--April 3, 2019



Act of Good Leadership Assignment
Due:  Wednesday, April 3, 2019 at Noon

Use the $5 to do an act of kindness/generosity and post a 250 word essay in the comment section summarizing what you did, how you felt about it, how the people felt about it (if it was not anonymous), and how your act contributes to good leadership.

Also--write up a brief description of your act and post it on:


51 comments :

  1. Emma Thorp
    I had a really long day when Dean Stratton gave us the $5 to pay forward through the community and went back to my room and saw that a lot of my other friends had also had a very long day and were all really spent and tired and annoyed. Normally on Wednesdays, my friends and I record our weekly podcast Spemma: The Homo Sapien Podcast, so that I can edit it and release it by Friday. I had forgotten that the $5 were in my pocket until my friend was talking about how bad of a day she had and my other friend said she was going to make a trip to Chick-Fil-A and would pick her up something if she wanted. My friend asked for fries but said she only had $5 and didn’t have enough money for a sandwich so I gave her the $5 from Dean Stratton so she could get a sandwich. I knew my friend Madison had a really bad day and it would mean a lot to her to have someone go out of their way to help her out. When we were recording our podcast, which is listened to almost exclusively by the Washu community, I talked about how i was inspired by Dean Stratton’s initiative and my co-host, Sparkle, and I challenged all of our listeners to stop spreading massive amounts of negativity to each other. We had our listeners message us ways that they stay positive or help others stay positive and to let us know when they see an example of good leadership on campus.

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  2. For my act of kindness, I decided to buy my friend a large hot tea from Cherry Tree Cafe while she was busy studying for an exam. I know that my friend loves tea and usually drinks a cup a day but usually will not buy a second because the prices add up. I knew that she was having a pretty stressful day preparing for an exam the next morning, so I decided to get her something simple that would make her smile. When I gave it to her, she was so happy! At first, she was shocked that I went “out of my way” to get here something, and since it ended up being something she genuinely wanted and enjoyed, she was especially appreciative. I think bringing a smile to her face on a day when she had been anxious and worried was really special, and I am definitely going to go “out of my way” more often to make my friends happy. I truly believe that paying attention to your friends’ needs and emotions is very important and good leaders tend to pay similar close attention to their followers. It is important as a friend and a leader to take charge of a negative or stressful situation and bring some brightness into the equation. By doing this, you demonstrate that you understand and respect the emotions of the other person and that you are committed to making them feel better and brightening their day. This act of kindness made me feel full, and spending the money on a gift for someone else definitely brought me much more happiness than buying something for myself or pocketing the money would have. Therefore, I will be trying to spend a bit of money on other people more often, in order to both brighten their day and to brighten mine.
    -Allie Kaplan

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  3. For my act of kindness and generosity, I used the given $5 to buy my friend a coffee before her physics exam this past Thursday. I know she had been very nervous about it going in, since she didn’t do as well on the last one as she would have liked, so I wanted to show her that I cared about her and was thinking about her and wishing her well on this most recent one. I texted her asking what she would like and she was surprised and happy to hear what I was going to do. She thanked me multiple times when I gave it to her and seemed more confident going into her exam. I felt really good doing it because it was such a small act, but it seemed to make such a significant difference in my friend’s attitude, which just goes to show how important kindness and spontaneity are in a friendship. I believe what I did contributes to good leadership in that it demonstrates that even a small act can make a big difference in someone’s life and/or attitude. Even something that might seem insignificant to some people can have a massive impact on another person, especially since it can sometimes be so difficult to know what other people are going through. If more people in leadership position made small contributions like this every day—or even merely every week—for their followers, I believe there would be much more harmony and cooperation in the workplace, ultimately leading to greater productivity and happiness for all.
    -Elena Murray

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  4. For our act of kindness, my roommate and I decided to combine our $5 and give it to Christina, the cleaning lady for our section of Umrath. Every Friday Christina cleans our bathroom which is a privilege I think all of us Wash U students take for granted. Last Friday morning, my roommate Jessie and I left our combined $10 on the bathroom sink for Christina. Along with the money we left a small note that said “For Christina. Thank you for everything that you do! From, Jessie and Lia”. We came back from class that day to a spotless bathroom, as always, as well as a thank you note from Christina. She stuck a bright pink post-it to our mirror that read “Thank you so much! I really appreciate it. From Christina”. We still haven’t taken the post it off of our mirror and I have a feeling it will stay there for the rest of the semester. Although the work that Christina does for us deserves much more than $10, I know it made both Jessie and I feel like we did something generous with our day by letting Christina know how much we appreciate her. I know that Christina wasn’t expecting to receive anything on her average work day, so I’m sure this made her feel special too. This assignment really opened my eyes to how wonderful it feels to just do something nice for someone else. I do think, in the future, this will encourage me to engage in more acts of kindness, completely unprovoked.

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  5. I separated my act of kindness into two parts. I knew that I wanted to do something for my grandfather with the five dollars because he is always doing random acts of kindness for me, like sending me postcards or cookies. I decided that I wanted to send him a postcard with a note just saying how much I appreciate him and let him know how my semester is going, he loves to hear about my classes. Then I remembered that Wustock was on Friday, so I decided to check it out and see if they had any cool postcards that were student made to send to him. I ended up finding a really beautiful card made by a fellow freshman Sam Fox student (I’m in Sam Fox for architecture). By buying this card I was able to support fellow students artists, as well as deliver appreciation to my grandfather. I could tell the student was really happy to have me buying his art, and although my post card has not arrived to my Grandfather in California yet I’m pretty sure he will love it. Doing this action also made me feel very happy and excited, and although that is not the goal of this exercise, it is definitely an incentive to do more things like this because it brightens my day as well as other peoples. I think that this act shows good leadership mainly through my support of fellow students. After I bought a card, a couple of my friends bought some things, following my example.

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  7. Daphne Liu

    This past week, my friend was extremely stressed and felt homesick. She felt what a lot of people are feeling at this time, which is a lot of homesickness and anxiety from classes. I talked to her a couple of times this week and I could tell that she needed something to make her day or lighten her mood. For this assignment, I bought her a dessert from Cherry Tree to make her feel better with the $5 that we got from Bad Leadership class. When I gave it to her, I could see that she immediately became happier and more relieved. Although I wasn't sure if she liked the cake or not, I could tell that she was moved by the thought. It felt extremely rewarding after I gave her the gift and I realized that I love tangibly helping people's lives. Seeing how that lightened and helped her day reminded me that a simple act of kindness can help someone's day immensely. I also realized that amid the stress that everyone at WashU is feeling, it's important to understand that everyone is going through an invisible struggle. It's important to treat everyone with respect and kindness no matter how you may feel. This assignment has allowed me to put into perspective how a small act can make a huge difference. I am really glad we were able to have this assignment and put into perspective how we can be better leaders in our community and school.

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  8. Molly Dwyer

    I was standing in line waiting to order my Starbucks coffee, just like any other day when I remembered that I needed to do an act of kindness for my bad leadership class. I looked around me and noticed that the person standing in front of me was on the phone, with whom I presume to be a parent, talking about how stressed she was for her two upcoming exams. She hung up the phone right as we inched closer to the register to order. I got a little nervous and even noticed my hands slightly shaking, but tapped her on the shoulder and said, “I am doing a random act of kindness today, would you mind if I bought your drink for you?” She smiled and quickly accepted my offer. I paid for both of our drinks, and once she got her drink she turned to me and said, “You made a terrible day a little bit better for me, thank you.” With that she left and I have not seen her since, but I am so glad that I worked up the nerve to buy her her drink. Sometimes the little things go a long way, and being reminded that there are people out there doing good can be very impactful. I did not know her, and I do not think she was worried about the price of her coffee, but that wasn’t the point. The point was to give her a happy moment in her otherwise stressful day, and I am so glad I had the opportunity to do that.

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  9. Last week, I attended the AIPAC Policy Conference in D.C. One of my favorite speakers was from an organization called OneFamily, which works to rehabilitate, reintegrate, and rebuild the lives of Israel’s thousands of victims of terror attacks. I found the speaker's’ presentation incredibly moving because she discussed how OneFamily helped her get her life back after losing her son to an incident of terror. After the conference, I looked up the organization because I wanted to get involved and help somehow because I find its mission inspiring and through the speaker’s presentation, I was able to see how impactful OneFamily is. I noticed that OneFamily is a non-governmental organization funded entirely through private donations from across the world, so I thought a way I could help is by contributing to fund this non-profit that does incredibly meaningful work. I then used the $5 from Dean Stratton as part of the donation I made to OneFamily in order to help fund it so victims of terror receive the support they deserve. Unfortunately, I am able to see the direct impact of my act of kindness; however after I made my donation, I received an email from OneFamily thanking me for my donation. The email stated that my donation will be used to help victims of terrorism receive support and let them know they are not alone. Donating to OneFamily gave me a sense of fulfilment, as spending this money allowed me to impact others positively. I believe that my act contributes to good leadership because I told my friends about my experience at the conference and how I was moved to commit an act of kindness in response to what I witnessed. This will hopefully inspire them in turn to commit acts of kindness, because no matter how small, such as a $10 donation to an organization, their impact is tremendous as they have the ability to change others lives.
    -Rebecca Daniel

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  10. While I was very excited about our assignment, I was unsure of how I wanted to spend my $5. I wanted it to be meaningful. I decided that instead of planning the moment out, that I would wait for inspiration to strike -- and it did. One morning in BD while I was in line to pay, the girl in front of me realized that she did not have her ID with her. She immediately voiced her concern, “Oh my gosh, how will I pay?” If I were in her situation, I knew I would be super flustered as there would be no way for me to pay for my meal so I quickly offered to pay for her breakfast as well as mine and handed over my ID. The girl thanked me for my gesture, and even the cashier told me that what I had done was really nice. I was glad that I could help her start her day on a good foot. Later that day I saw the girl again in a hallway and we both smiled at each other. Doing small acts of kindness around campus can help to relieve stress and transform WashU into a happier place while also reminding people that they are supported by their peers. I hope the girl was touched by my act of kindness and, in the spirit of good leadership, returns the favor to someone else in need.
    - Hartley Bonham

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  11. Will Spartin
    Act of Good Leadership Assignment

    There are so many people who would greatly benefit from the gift of $5. Choosing just one singular party to give it to prove very difficult. Ranging from giving it to a friend or a homeless individual, there were unlimited options. I ultimately decided to gift the $5 to Autism Speaks. Autism Speaks is a non-profit, with the mission of helping autistic individuals and their families through advocacy and support. To donate the money, I just paid online with a card. Autism and autistic individuals are near and dear to my heart. My cousin developed autism at a very early age and doctors thought it would debilitate him for life. As a young kid, his autism was very bad, and he had trouble speaking. However, he worked really hard and constantly met with doctors and therapists. As he got older, he learned to work around his disability and succeeded. He worked his way into a “normal” high school and was recently accepted into college. He beat the odds and beat autism. This is why, for me, it was an easy choice to donate to Autism Speaks. I felt good after I donated the money because I knew I was helping others. This contributes to good leadership because people should always be concerned with the well-being of others.


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  12. Within approximately two minutes of receiving the five dollars from Professor Stratton, I knew exactly what my act of kindness would be. I excitedly ran up to my roommate, Lia Abrams, who is not only in Bad Leadership class but also inspired me to take it and told her my idea. I suggested that we combine our money and give it to our room's housekeeper with an appreciative note. Immediately, she became as excited as me to carry this act of kindness to fruition.

    Our housekeeper, Christina, is truly a ray of sunshine on our floor. Often, I see her on our hall with a big smile on her face. Not only does she enthusiastically say hello, but she also asks how my day is going and how I am. Coming from the busy New York City area, I am not used to people saying "How are you?" and actually caring about my response. Christina is one of those genuine people who want to hear about your life and make sure you are doing okay. It was an easy choice to know that my act of kindness would be directed towards her.

    When Friday (the day she comes into our room), came around, Lia and I excitedly placed the ten dollars on our bathroom counter with a small note dictating our appreciation. Upon returning to the room after classes, I was greeted with appreciation from her. She put up a sticky note saying thank you on our mirror. The sticky note is still hanging on our mirror today!

    More than good leadership, I believe that Lia and I exhibited good followership by letting Christina know that she is doing an excellent job being an informal positive leader on my floor. In order for good leaders to succeed, they must hear feedback from their constituents; Lia and I provided this, thus exhibiting good followership.
    -Jessie Kransdorf

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  13. The day we received the five dollars was the same day my best friend came to me crying because her parents refused to pay for her sorority. She wasn’t originally going to rush but when she didn’t find many people, she felt like she fit in with first semester, I pushed her to try Greek life. Her parents were extremely apprehensive about the process as she is from the south where Greek life is extremely cut throat. After going through the rush process, she found a really incredible community within her sorority. She finally feels like she connects with people at Wash U on a deeper level outside of academics. She is finally happy with herself and her place at this school but has no idea how she will afford to stay a part of her new-found community. The thought that she went through rush and has now found happiness, only to lose it due to financial reasons, kills me. When I handed her the five dollars, she was shocked and ecstatic. She couldn’t believe that the first thing I thought to do with the money was give it to her. Though only five dollars, the thought that I am thinking about her and aiding her in any way I can means the world to her. This contributes to good leadership because it’s important to maintain close relationships with those around you and to form reciprocity. A leader needs to have a give and take relationship with those close to them to form trust and mutual care. It is important for those to know that even if you aren’t directly telling them how you feel at all times, that you still see how hard they are working, and you support them.
    -Rose Karlin

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  15. Sam Humphreys
    After my roommate came back from his first test of the week (with two others still to go), I could tell he was down in the dumps without even asking him. It's only Monday, and I was thinking of a way to cheer him up a little, at least to keep him going for his later tests in the next few days. He mumbled that he was going to Olin to study, and I was planning on going later so I said I'll meet him there. On the way, I realized getting him a coffee from Starbucks might be a nice small surprise to keep him focused and to cheer him up. He was very thankful, and although we didn't say much when I gave it to him, I could tell it gave him a little boost. It felt good to see his warm response, I felt like I was supporting my friend. I understand the stress that this school can impose on its students, and how sometimes it can be hard to continue working and keeping up with one's peers. I wasn't going to let him down, and I knew that this small act of kindness would bring his spirits up. I may not have done this if I had never been assigned to do a kind act, but the feeling of supporting another is great, and I hope that our community grows to the extent where everyone is extending small acts of kindness on a regular basis. This small act exhibits good leadership, because I helped him continue going. The coffee not only provided him with more energy, but it showed that I was there supporting him, encouraging him to not let the first test drag down the rest of the week.

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  16. Tyler Kotler

    Two Thursdays ago, I decided to use my five dollars to help those in need. I went with two of my friends to The Loop, where we met a homeless man in a wheelchair named Kenneth and offered to buy him dinner. Homelessness is a serious and overlooked issue in St. Louis and cities across the country. Solving homelessness isn’t easy, and policymakers and community leaders usually brush this issue off to the side. On the individual level, too often we walk past a homeless person without even making eye contact with them. This renders homeless populations invisible, pushing them to the margins of society. We’re often told to stay away from them because they may be using drugs or have made bad decisions that put them in the place they are in.
    However, as with Kenneth and so many other homeless people, this was not necessarily the case. Kenneth told us his story over our meal at Gyro House. He was a veteran, having worked in the Navy and the Marines for 20 years. While his speech impediment and possible cognitive issues made it very difficult to understand most of what he was saying, we’re pretty sure he was shot, causing him to end his service and negatively impacting the rest of his life. Kenneth was a good natured, friendly guy who was very appreciative of the dinner and, especially, just having some people to talk to. This dinner made me realize that, while seemingly uncomfortable at first, talking to and even sharing a meal with a homeless person is one of the most humbling and eye-opening experiences I’ve had, and I certainly need to reach out more. Small acts of giving back may not resolve structural issues that perpetuate homelessness, but they can fight back against the stigma and help those who have become homeless feel a little more included in society.

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  17. Jeff Che

    This past weekend, one of my friends was really stressed out over classes. He was studying Saturday evening in his room and I happened to be on the Loop. I dropped by Corner 17 on the way back and grabbed him his favorite milk tea: taro flavored. I felt that he would be happy to get bubble tea and to give him a bit of a “mental break” from work to relax a bit and be pleasantly surprised. As expected, he was very happy and it felt good to brighten their mood and sort of be a “giver of happiness” so to speak. It felt good to give.

    I think that showing random acts of kindness contributes towards good leadership because it shows that the leader cares and is actively thinking about how to make someone else “better,” in my case, happier. To know that a leader cares about someone more personally by doing more personal acts of kindness makes anyone who receives it feel good I think. Like for example, you are one of hundreds of employees in an office space. To have an executive call you into their office and have a good, positive talk about you or just having someone like that go out of their way to grab you a coffee etc. can be pretty monumental and makes a huge difference in this generic workplace dynamic.

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  18. Jordana Tepper

    My friends and I went to go watch two of our best friends compete in a track meet last weekend. During the meet, I got very hungry, so I went to the concession stand to buy myself some food. I bought my food, and as I turned around to go back to my seat, I saw a little boy asking his dad for food. His dad said that he could not get food because the stand is cash-only, and he did not have cash on him. Instead of giving him the cash from my wallet, I realized that this would be the perfect opportunity to use the $5 we were given as an act of generosity. I handed the father the $5 from the back of my phone and told him that he could use it to buy his son snacks. The father was definitely shocked because I was a stranger, let alone a college student, handing him $5, but he said, “thank you” and smiled in a very grateful manner. I felt very happy about this act because I know that the father and the little boy were very grateful. However, I do not think that this act is that big of a deal because I cannot see a reason as to why I should not have given him the $5. I think that this contributes to good leadership because it is such a simple act towards a complete stranger. There is so much hate and negativity in the world today, and I think it is important to spread kindness and positivity. Perhaps, my act caused a domino effect causing the father or son to do an act of kindness later that day.

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  19. Owen Ricketts

    This past weekend, a friend of mine who attends WashU went to Cincinnati to visit his girlfriend, who attends Xavier University. He asked Malcolm, also in bad leadership, and I for a ride to and from the airport. Malcolm and I decided that this was the perfect use of our $5. When he got back late Sunday night, I paid for a carshare to go pick him up at the airport. Instead of having to pay for his own uber, he was able to ride back to campus with Malcolm, and third friend, and me. He was extremely appreciative of the gesture, especially because he had to pay himself for his flights to and from Cincinnati to see his girlfriend who he hasn’t seen since winter break. I also felt good about it because it felt good to be supporting a friend through even a small act of kindness. I contributed to good leadership because Malcolm and I showed a friend that we will be there for him when he needs help, even if it is just a car ride back from the airport. I think that in the future it makes all of us more to help each other or to help other friends when they need it. It’s only a $5 car ride, but it shows how setting a positive example for others is good informal leadership that doesn’t even require a lot of extra effort. Just by giving 45 minutes of our time to help a friend, he was appreciative and we felt better too.

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  20. My roommate Karter does a lot of work in the local community surrounding WashU to support the large unhoused population. It is really sad that many WashU students are unaware of the role that the university and WUPD play in the unjust removal and harassment of unhoused people from the Loop and other nearby neighbourhoods just to keep the issue ‘out of sight and out of mind.’ Karter and some other Danforths often make and distribute nutritious snacks and handwarmers to local unhoused people. SLU has an actual extracurricular society that works to establish meaningful connections with unhoused people by distributing supplies and getting to know the people better once a week. Karter is working hard to get a similar club set up at WashU and I wanted to give him a sign of how much I admire and support his community service work. I gave him Dean Stratton’s $5 to go towards his buying of supplies to distribute. I would call myself a passionate follower of Karter’s community engagement and gave him the $5 in the hopes that it would in some small way enable him to continue to conduct his exemplary leadership on and off-campus with unhoused support organisations. He has always said any money, large or small, would be of great use to his mission. Although, I was happy to be able to use some money to financially support the work, it made me realise how my time could be better spent supporting the cause to. I regretted not being more active in preparing and distributing supplies this semester and think that this act has been part of the push for me to make more meaningful connections in the St. Louis community.

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  21. Alex Soyke

    Today is the birthday of one of my best friends, Emma Harrison. Typically our group of friends does something special for a birthday celebration, like going out to dinner or ordering cupcakes. To celebrate Emma’s birthday, my friends and I (including another Bad Leadership classmate, Jessica Galen) decided to order in Pastaria, and Emma’s parents sent her cupcakes. While Pastaria and cupcakes would be a fun celebration, Jessica knew Emma’s favorite dessert was cheesecake, not cupcakes. We decided, along with some of our other friends, to make Emma’s first birthday away from home a little more special and used our Bad Leadership money to buy a cheesecake. I am excited to celebrate her birthday tonight with her and my other friends, and to see her response when she realizes that not only did we remember that cheesecake was her favorite dessert, but we bought a cheesecake to make her day extra special. Although we have only known each other for a few months, our friends have gotten into a routine of buying cupcakes and going out to dinner or ordering in food on birthdays. Using this money helped us realize that doing the same thing for each person’s birthday does not make someone feel special, and I think we will be more likely to spend a little more time thinking about the best, unique way to celebrate future birthdays.

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  22. Jared Lieberman

    This last week seemed less like a series of days and more like a series of unfortunate events. The week was filled with stressful school work, bad grades, uncomfortable situations and homesickness. At least I had fun plans on Saturday to look forward to, but somehow even Saturday managed to get flipped on its head, resulting in the pinnacle of my disappointing week. When I got into the Uber Saturday night that would help me escape from the bad week to my dorm room, my friendly Uber driver, Paul, asked how it was going. Lying, I responded pretty good and proceeded to ask him about his day. He told me about his beyond stressful morning of being locked out of his Uber account, requiring him to spend hours pleading with customer service to help him so that he would be on track for this month’s rent. He ended his account, however, with remarking on how he was still happy even after such a stressful morning because he was able to have lunch with his daughter. After hearing this story, I was really able to put into my perspective my “bad” week, realizing how privileged I am to not have to be worried about my financial situation like Paul does and to be able to attend such an amazing school as WASHU. I tipped him extra the $5 because he helped me realize that things could always be worse, so I need to enjoy the little things in life and appreciate those that are always there for me. My interaction with Paul helped me understand one of the vital aspects of good leadership: taking a step back from one’s own life to listen to those around them.

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  23. I got a job at the Washington University Call Center this semester so I could order food from Postmates one or two more times a week. The Call Center is almost entirely employed by students who want a part time job to supplement their time at school. Because of the numerous commitments that WashU students normally have, the supervisors and boss of the Call Center work to be very flexible and accommodating to the crowded schedules of their workers. The leadership team works so gracefully through this process, always remaining patient and understanding when scheduling is complicated. I have worked at the Call Center for two months now and I have most definitely taken advantage of this flexibility, not considering how much work the supervisors put in to make this possible and allow us to participate in our many other activities. I decided to get the supervisor I am closest with her favorite smoothie with the $5 before one of my shifts. I think in addition to giving constructive criticism, a part of good followership is telling the leaders when they are doing a good job to let them know that you appreciate them. I feel that everyone needs positive reinforcement when doing hard work and I think it can be something as simple as saying “Thank you” or bringing someone their favorite smoothie. I could tell my supervisor really appreciated the gesture. She said that she had been having a stressful day and was worried about a test she had the next day, but that the smoothie really helped put her in a good mood. It also felt really good as a follower to know that I positively impacted the group I am a part of.

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  24. Caroline Denk
    When given the money, I wanted to do something meaningful and unique, but I also knew the restrictions of having a $5 budget. I couldn’t make a huge difference to a charity, buy a substantial meal for a homeless person, or even buy a latte for a friend before class. During Wustock on Friday, I was looking at the artwork created by fellow students at Washu and I decided to spend the money on one of their pieces of art. Being in the Sam Fox school myself, I was happy to spend my money on this because I can appreciate the amount of effort they put into their work, often with little recognition outside of the Sam Fox community. By buying it, I was able to help a burgeoning artist advance their career and hopefully give them a boost of encouragement to keep producing the work that is uniquely theirs. I think the student was proud to have their work understood by someone else and to be able to make a commission off their idea. I know from my own experience that having someone respond to your creativity in a positive manner is extremely gratifying and I hope to be able to produce work in the future that can be enjoyed as much as I enjoyed the piece I bought. I think this is a form of good leadership because I was promoting someone’s achievement, hopefully motivating them to continue following their dreams and produce more genuine work.

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  25. Kate Newberry
    I used the $5 to buy my friend a cup of bubble tea from the loop to help her start the week off strong. She has recently spent many late nights on Olin 3, and I wanted to give her a bit of happiness and company as she studied. My friend and I have a tradition of grabbing bubble after a long week to elicit a small moment of happiness in an otherwise overwhelming week. I could see that she had encountered another strenuous week as she was in the midst of midterms, papers, and soccer conditioning and was secluded between the AC and Olin--unable to decompress with our group of friends. I wanted to give her that bit of encouragement and support needed to jumpstart her week. I believe that the smallest actions can have the greatest impacts and through that bubble tea I saw her cheer up as she prepared for another late night in Olin. I found inspiration for this act in her and the rest of my friends as they are incredibly supportive of me and constantly do small acts to cheer me up. It was rewarding to see her face brighten and know that I could give back some love that she has given to me. She was appreciative of the drink and gave her a brief study break by checking in on how she was doing and providing an outlet to decompress. Good leadership exists as a reciprocal relationship between the follower and leader. I believe a moment of good leadership exists when the leader assesses what is needed from the followers and can provide. At that point in time I saw that my friend needed support and a reward for all the hard work she has done in the past few weeks. While the bubble tea wasn’t a drastic gift, I believe that it is the little moments that count and was grateful that I could raise her spirits.

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  26. Danielle Beerman
    This past weekend, my roommate Sofia went to a formal in Nashville, and was busy the entire weekend. First off, it was weird for both of us because we are very close and do not spend a lot of time apart. Second, I knew she was going to be extremely exhausted when she got home on Sunday and was probably going to sleep the entire afternoon. Third, we love Domino’s. So I used my $5 to surprise her with a small thin crust pizza from Domino’s for dinner on Sunday night. I was at Olin for most of the day Sunday and decided I wanted pizza for dinner, and thought why not get one for Sofia too while I went. She was going to be exhausted so I thought bringing good food home would be greatly appreciated. When I got back to the room at about 6:00, she woke up from her nap and was ecstatic to have a fresh, delicious pizza. Good leaders are empathetic and care about their people and relationships with those they work with, so I tried to exhibit these qualities with my act of generosity towards someone I care about. Little things like this show when you’re thinking of someone and are often more demonstrative of a person’s character than larger acts, which are at times mainly for show. While five dollars really is not that much, it can provide the means for an act of generosity to make someone else’s day better.

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  27. Last Thursday evening was my sorority's main philanthropy event. While I did donate $5 so that my suite mate would financially be able to go, I didn't want to write about it for this assignment. I would have used my own money regardless of if Dean Stratton gave the $5.

    Today, I ordered a red, plastic, non-electric megaphone that says "SHOUT" in white letters for $5. It arrives on Thursday but I'll probably get the mailroom text on Friday. I plan to create a whole positivity and empowerment project out of it.

    For one of my other classes, we need to come up with a traditional theatrical project or non-traditional theatrical project and just pitch it to the professor and TA. My group met earlier today and came up with this idea to have a little platform, a sign explaining the project, and a megaphone. I looked up megaphone prices on Amazon, saw one for $4.99, and decided to make this idea real with the money from Dean Stratton.

    The idea behind this is to spread good news, either your own or a friend's, out into the world. Being able to (literally) scream out a message in public and not feel awkward or apologetic about it is such a good feeling. Most people usually have a bit of a fear of being too loud in some social situations or locations and letting go of that fear is empowering in itself. Screaming out positive things such as "My friend got an interview for an internship they really want!" or "I got out of bed today...only after one alarm!" also gives people a chance to celebrate the good things in their lives or their friends' lives, something increasingly important to do as finals are coming up.

    I'm also planning on making an instagram account for this so that people decide to scream into the megaphone, have someone record it, and then message the video to the instagram account (or just the quote if they don't want the video to be posted). Then I'll post the video, spreading even more positivity and celebration beyond just those walking by when the person celebrated into the megaphone.

    I plan on making a sign out of cardboard and placing it in various places around campus so be sure to be on the lookout next week for this megaphone and I hope you participate in it!

    -Gabriella Cooperman

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  28. Ashley Hendler:
    Upon receiving $5 from Dean Stratton and tasked with doing an "act of good leadership," I immediately became overwhelmed with all the possibilities of how to make a positive social impact within the scope of this assignment. After taking a week to brainstorm the most effective way to pass on the lessons I have learned in this class, I finally came up with an act that I thought would be the most impactful: I placed a letter in my floor's common room, outlining the key takeaways from this class and stapled the $5, asking them to do an "act of good leadership." The risk involved in doing this as my act was the anonymity which worried and excited me. I came back a few hours later and found that the letter and the $5 were gone. I didn't hear or see anything that indicated that someone took my message to heart ... until yesterday when a friend (not from my floor) told me about what she found in her building's library — my letter and the $5. I tried to conceal my smile as I felt excited that my letter had circulated. I think this act contributes to good leadership as it empowers others without asking for praise.

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  29. Jessica Galen
    This week one of my best friends at school celebrated her 19th birthday. This was her first birthday away from home and she was feeling nervous about how she was going to properly celebrate without her friends and family from home. I decided to take it upon myself and try to organize a dinner for all of our friends at school. I ordered Postmates from her favorite restaurant in Clayton, communicated with her Mom to order cupcakes she would love, and bought her other goodies such as a baguette and cheesecake. I wanted to make the day as special as she made mine a few months ago, so I used the $5 to indulge in some more extravagant food that I knew she would enjoy, and would give her a taste of home. In the past six months she's spent much of her time making sure I've felt welcome and happy at school. I wanted to repay her and ensure that she feels loved and knows that she has a strong community standing behind her at WashU. Her reaction was exactly as I hoped, she beamed with happiness and gave her other friends and me great big hugs. I made sure to take photos to send to her Mom, who loved to be included all the way from Colorado.

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  30. Sam Herrera

    When Dean Stratton provided the class with $5 to perform an act of kindness, she told us to put time into what we did with the money. Although she said to steer away from donating the money, I put time into my decision to donate it to RAICES (Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services).
    During Carnaval, a video was shown about RAICES and it enlightened the audience on how important it is that refugee and immigrant children have access to lawyers in order to increase their possibility of staying in the country and successfully escaping their home countries, which are often unsafe. I donated the money during intermission by buying a churro from ALAS; all of the proceeds would be going to RAICES. I told them to keep the change and they seemed to really appreciate the gesture, which made me feel like I was doing something. Although $5 isn’t a lot of money, I knew it could make a difference in a child’s life.
    As a Honduran-American, I can empathize with these children and understand that they are in desperate need of a safe place to grow up and pursue their interests. Donating to causes like RAICES can make a great impact on immigrant and refugee communities and their futures.
    In a way, by donating the money, I exemplified courageous followership because even though I was supposed to follow Dean Stratton’s instructions, I decided to donate anyway because this is an issue that is very important to me.
    Also, I split the churro with my friends which created a good memory and bonding moment for the three of us.

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  31. Madeline Huang
    Last Thursday was the birthday of one of my fellow China Care Dumplings Committee members. We celebrated her birthday this past Sunday at Perfect Taste—a restaurant I would totally recommend! On the way back from dinner, a man approached us with three quarters in his hand. As one can expect, he asked me for money. Ever since I was younger, my parents have taught me to be grateful for how fortunate I am. I have taken this principle of realizing when someone else’s needs are greater than mine to heart. Whenever we would stop at a stoplight, my parents often give to those asking for money, hoping that having received what they need the people asking for money could escape the cold and relax. Since the night was cold, I hoped that by offering the man on the Loop the five dollars he would do the same. Afterward, he thanked me for the money, proclaiming that he believed in love and that he felt my love for others and himself. I have always debated the idea of giving money to those in need. Many people argue that homeless people only use the money they get to pay for drugs, etc. Having grown up in a very giving household, I find this hard to believe. But, on many occasions, I have been criticized for my actions. But I think that an important aspect of good leadership is trusting in others without knowing their backgrounds and circumstances. While I know that this is not a long-term solution to anything, I hope that I made this man’s night even just a little better. If so, I will be happy that I gave the five dollars to him.

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  32. Malcolm Douglass
    I teamed up with Owen to use our collective ten dollars to drive our friend to and from the airport. He hasn't been able to see his girlfriend since Winter Break and they don't even currently live in the same time zone, so it meant a lot to him that we went a little out of our ways to help him. Since we're all living together next year, I feel that this assignment really helped establish good leadership and follohwership in our suite for the upcoming school year, as we were able to take initiative to plan picking our friend up separately but also able to work together and make ensure that we had him covered for both legs of his journey. Overall it felt really good to help out someone in a way that was completely unexpected of me. I could tell that my friend was touched that I went out of my way to help him by waking up early to pick him up from the airport(I'm not exactly known as a morning person). I'm happy that I had the opportunity to participate in this exercise as it really demonstrated that my suite next year will look out for each other. While I won't have Dean Stratton's five dollars next time, I would be happy to do this again as it really showed me the positive impact that even a small gesture can have. It felt good to help my friend in this way and I'm glad that Owen and I were able to team up and use our money in such a nice way.

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  33. This past year I have been challenged to think about WashU’s positionality to its environment and the impact that I have as a member of that space. One of my friends who I admire and respect a lot is incredibly involved in the community in St. Louis outside of WashU. Recently, he has been spending a lot of time with unhoused people in the area. He has formed really meaningful relationships with a lot of them and is trying to establish a consistent program to distribute food and other necessities to them. There is already a program at SLU that does this, but WashU doesn’t have any program at the moment. He is trying to create something similar, but with other necessities as well as food. He often discusses the awful ways in which they are treated by WUPD and the police, and the negative stigma with which a lot of WashU students, who in being at WashU are in a place of immense wealth and privilege, view unhoused people. When I was thinking about how to spend the $5, I kept coming back to what he was doing. WashU is very much a place of privilege and especially within the context of St. Louis I didn’t feel super comfortable with the idea of doing something that benefited WashU students. I asked another friend who has started working with Karter if I could give them the money to put towards the supplies and food they distributed, and she responded that she could, but I could also just give it to them myself (which in retrospect seems obvious), so I did. I wish that I was more involved than I am, but hopefully I will be able to become more involved in the future. During finalists weekend, some other Danforths and I got lunch with the finalists on the loop. We ran into an unhoused person asking for money, and I gave him the five dollars then.
    Julia Fish

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  34. For my charitable act I bought my friend, Sandeep, snacks from United Provisions to return the generosity he always perpetuates towards the people around him, myself included. As a result, I felt compelled, or inclined, to return the favor of generosity to Sandeep. When I surprised Sandeep with the snacks, I felt, not only happy, but I also felt like it was the right thing to do. I felt like it was the right thing to do because of the “do-good-feel-good” phenomenon. This phenomenon states that when person-A does a charitable act to person-B, person-B will be more motivated, or inclined, to do a charitable act to person-A or person-C. Person-C would just be any person that is not person-A. Sandeep was surprised and thankful for the unexpected gift. He thanked me more for the actual principle of my charitable action, rather than the specific products themselves, which surprised me. This principle is relied on heavily when referring to the interpersonal relationship of a collective. The phenomenon strengthens the bond throughout the collective by creating great atmosphere for the for the collective’s movement to thrive in. In regards to the relationship between the collective and the leader, this principle signifies the equal amount of trust that both sides put into each other. It is important for a good leader’s cause to be driven with this trust because it unifies the collective. Without the trust, followers will lose the ability the signify to other followers that their leader is a worthy one. When this happens, it is impossible for the leader to grow his/her movement due to the lack in a good leader-follower relationship. The reason for this is because you cant not have good leadership without its counterpart, which is good followership.

    Richard W. Carnegie II

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  35. Kelly Lennon
    With the $5 for Dean Stratton I bought myself a fancy purple pen. For over a week, I had carried around the $5 contemplating what act of kindness I could do for someone. While wandering around the aisles of the bookstore hoping to be inspired, my eye was caught by a purple pen. It was an expensive pen that I had wanted for a while, and so I bought it—with an idea in mind. Most of my brainstorming had led me to ideas related to food, aka the language of love. This pen, however, led me in a different direction. I realized that the most valuable thing I could do for those I love was to let them know just how much I value them. So, in purple ink, I wrote letters to my close friends laying out lists of what I love about them. This process was rewarding and therapeutic for me, especially as I recalled fond memories of my friends. Their response was even more rewarding as I received hugs and words of appreciation. Though I do not feel that I am a leader in our friend group, we are definitely a team. It is important that every member of the team communicates with the rest. In communicating what I value about others, I felt that I exhibited good individual leadership. It is important to me that all of my “teammates” in life feel validated and loved. With my brand-new pen—generously supplied by the Dean of Joy—I was able to do just that.

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  36. With the five dollars I was given to do an act of kindness, I bought a sandwich for a man who asked me for food money while I was taking the metro on my way to work. I have some free time before work every day and as I had 20 minutes free when he asked me for help, I was able to take some time out of my day to do this. I felt really good about buying the sandwich because it was nice to be able to help this man fill his basic need for food and I knew that this would have a positive impact on this man's day. He expressed that he felt very grateful for the food and he thanked me for taking the time to getting the food that he asked for from the store near to the metro stop. This act contributes to good leadership because it is an example of one of the qualities that good leaders try to embody: taking the time to listen to others and help them address their problems. I was able to be a good leader in that I was a good follower/citizen in caring for another fellow citizen's needs and helping them by acting on what they told me they needed. This was a case of leading by example. The role I played wasn't really that of a leader, but that of an attentive and helpful citizen and follower; however, by doing the act I was a positive example for others.

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  37. Alivia Kaplan
    With the five dollars I was given to do an act of kindness, I bought a sandwich for a man who asked me for food money while I was taking the metro on my way to work. I have some free time before work every day and as I had 20 minutes free when he asked me for help, I was able to take some time out of my day to do this. I felt really good about buying the sandwich because it was nice to be able to help this man fill his basic need for food and I knew that this would have a positive impact on this man's day. He expressed that he felt very grateful for the food and he thanked me for taking the time to getting the food that he asked for from the store near to the metro stop. This act contributes to good leadership because it is an example of one of the qualities that good leaders try to embody: taking the time to listen to others and help them address their problems. I was able to be a good leader in that I was a good follower/citizen in caring for another fellow citizen's needs and helping them by acting on what they told me they needed. This was a case of leading by example. The role I played wasn't really that of a leader, but that of an attentive and helpful citizen and follower; however, by doing the act I was a positive example for others.

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  38. When I first got the five dollars from Dean Stratton to perform an act of kindness, I had no idea what I was going to do with it. I was lost on who I would give the money to, it could be someone less fortunate, a friend in need, or a complete stranger. After two weeks I had no one to give it to and I was running out of time for the due date of the assignment and I needed to use it. Unable to find a meaningful way to use the money I decided to just donate the money to an organization that I supported. However, before I could find the organization, I ran across the Instagram of a former friend who had a GoFundMe attached in her Bio. I remember coming across her GoFundMe about a month ago but since then it had totally slipped my mind. She was raising money for her dog who had torn her Achilles but her and her family were unable to pay for the surgery to fix the injury leaving the dog in pain and disable. She had turned to her community to ask for help in raising money to pay for the surgery that would help her dog, which is where I donated my five dollars. Even though my contribution to the GoFundMe was extremely small it was still meaningful to me and I’m sure my former friend because whether I donate a hundred dollars or one I’m doing a small act of kindness that can really mean a lot to that family.

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  39. When I first got the five dollars from Dean Stratton to perform an act of kindness, I had no idea what I was going to do with it. I was lost on who I would give the money to, it could be someone less fortunate, a friend in need, or a complete stranger. After two weeks I had no one to give it to and I was running out of time for the due date of the assignment and I needed to use it. Unable to find a meaningful way to use the money I decided to just donate the money to an organization that I supported. However, before I could find the organization, I ran across the Instagram of a former friend who had a GoFundMe attached in her Bio. I remember coming across her GoFundMe about a month ago but since then it had totally slipped my mind. She was raising money for her dog who had torn her Achilles but her and her family were unable to pay for the surgery to fix the injury leaving the dog in pain and disable. She had turned to her community to ask for help in raising money to pay for the surgery that would help her dog, which is where I donated my five dollars. Even though my contribution to the GoFundMe was extremely small it was still meaningful to me and I’m sure my former friend because whether I donate a hundred dollars or one I’m doing a small act of kindness that can really mean a lot to that family.

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  40. Aaron Margulis
    For my act of kindness, I donated the $5 to one of my friend’s Relay for Life fundraisers. Relay for Life is a club at WashU and on many other college campuses that supports cancer research through the American Cancer Society. I donated to my friend Sean’s campaign specifically because although $5 is just a drop in the bucket looking compared to how much he has raised, I know how much the cause means to him. Sean’s mom died from cancer when he was in high school, and ever since he’s been extremely involved in the fight against cancer and in Relay for Life since arriving on campus nearly four years ago. He has encouraged myself and many others to make Facebook fundraisers and donate, and through his efforts Sean has raised tens of thousands of dollars for the American Cancer Society. Last year, I was personally affected by cancer for the first time when my grandfather was diagnosed. Luckily, he completely recovered, but it did motivate me to be more active in joining the fight and so giving Dean Stratton’s $5 to this cause felt very good and productive and I’m sure seeing that extra $5 made Sean feel great too. I think this act contributes to good leadership because I’m beginning to take a step in more actively helping and promoting the support of a noble cause – curing cancer.

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  41. May Lee
    LeeBeau has a special event every Saturday called pancake day. It is run by an RA named Max, who is the sweetest person ever. He spends all Saturday morning making different-flavored pancakes, and anyone can come take as much as they want. This event is run on the goodwill of the residents; people would donate as much as they feel like, and all the money would go straight into buying materials for more pancakes.
    Last week, the residents of LeeBeau received the message that due to lack of funding, pancake day was ending. As I was passing the last pancake day, I reached into my pocket and took out my phone and Venmoed Max some money hoping that just maybe this would be enough to help sustain pancake day just a bit longer.
    Max checked his phone and his face lit up with excitement. It felt good to support someone in an event that they have put so much work into, and I felt like I was contributing to the vitality of my Res College. I also felt a surge of pride from being part of LeeBeau, which is the butt of many Res College jokes. I think what I did was more your classic “pass-it-on” than any outstanding role. Saturday pancake day is a staple in the LeeBeau community, and waking up to a message about pancakes has become a part of my life at college that I wouldn’t want to lose. I didn’t stay long after, but I hope that my actions encouraged other to also pay at least their fair share. After all, Saturday wouldn’t be Saturday without LeeBeau pancakes.

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  42. Last Friday my friends and I wanted to go see the movie Us. We start trying to figure who was going and one of my friends says he wants to go, but couldn’t. Turns out that he only had a total of two dollars that he could currently spend. The movie ticket was seven dollars and sixty-fix cents. I used the five dollars (and an extra sixty-fix cents) to cover the extra cost for my friend to come to the movie. He was really happy because he’d been really excited to see the movie and was a little sad that he thought he’d have to stay behind, while the rest of us went. It was a much better viewing experience with him there and everyone was happy he’d been able to come. In a group every person adds their own personality and dynamic to a group. If he hadn’t been there the group would’ve been missing the unique presence he adds to the group. I think always trying to make sure everyone can be included (if you have that ability in the particular situation) is a sign of good leadership. The five dollars and sixty-fix cents it took to allow my friend to come with us was certainly worth the good memories and I'm sure had a much greater positive effect on his night. Sometimes it’s hard to remember how such a small action could have such a large impact on my entire friend group.

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  43. Meghan Sheldon
    For my act of kindness this week, I took the $5 that Dean Stratton gave me and bought my little sister ice cream. I'm from St. Louis and am very thankful that I get to see my family so often, but I've been so busy with tests lately that I haven't been home in a while and was really missing my sister, who just so happens to be my best friend. We talk every day over facetime and I noticed that she seemed very stressed because her first prom is in two weeks and she does not have a dress. In high school I would go shopping with her for every momentous occasion, but it's been harder lately now that I don't live at home so I told her that if she wanted to she could pick me up and we could go shopping at a nearby boutique. When I was done with all of my classes she came and got me and we drove around playing music and talking and laughing. It was so much fun and she seemed so happy, but that feeling faded after she tried on dress after dress and couldn't settle on one that she liked. I could tell that she felt like she had wasted her time so I suggested that we stop by the ice cream shop just a little ways down. We walked in and ordered our ice cream, but when she reached for her wallet to pay for her scoop, my hand found the $5 i had shoved in my pocket the week before and offered to pay for her treat. I know it isn't that big of a sacrifice on my end giving up the $5, but I feel as though it really made her day by the way her smile lit up her face. She thanked me a million times and I spent the rest of the day beaming at my small, but impactful good deed.

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  44. Kennedy Wiley


    Every weekday I eat lunch at Holmes Lounge and the people that work there are always so kind and considerate. I actually forgot to do my Act of Kindness until I got to Holmes Lounge to buy my lunch. There was a young lady at the cash register next to me ordering a coffee and I offered to buy it for her. She was so shocked that someone would offer to buy her coffee and she profusely thanked me for the kind gesture. It made me happy to make someone else happy. I know that the act was small and did not cost much but the simple act of doing something for someone else was priceless. I did have some strange feelings about doing this act for class. I try ever day to deliver someone a genuine compliment or do something kind for someone else, but since part of my motive was for an assignment it didn’t feel like an honest act of kindness. I will continue my daily kindness actions without having to write about it for class. Finally, I will say while I was purchasing the young lady’s coffee, I was hoping she would do something kind of someone else today too. This is how the act can contribute to good leadership, in hopes that the act will have a snowball effect so others will want to do an act of good too.

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  45. Never Be Too B*sy for Kindness
    My act of kindness this week came at a random moment. I had made the trek to Target with four of my suitemates to purchase snacks and other necessities. As we were roaming the store, one of my suitemates noticed she left her card in her room at the dorm. Unfortunately, she had already grabbed a small vegan snack. At that moment, I felt empathetic towards her situation, because I knew what it felt like to think I would be getting something only to realize I could not. With that feeling in my mind, I decided to pay for her snacks as my act of kindness. Although any of my suitemates would have payed for one another in need, I felt that this situation was one I wanted to show my kindness. Of course, I told her she wouldn’t have to pay me back, and she thanked me profusely. The amount of gratitude she held for my small act of kindness could be seen as over the top, but she felt very sad at the thought of not being able to have her snack, especially after we’d made somewhat of a long journey to Target. Time and money are two of the most limited, but valuable, resources for every person on earth. We’re constantly vying for more of each, and we often forget to sacrifice a little bit of both to show that we care. By being kind to my suitemate, I showed her that I care. I think by doing small acts of kindness, we could spur a trend of kindness and good leadership within our communities.

    Jakyra Williams

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  46. Dakotah Jennifer 4/3/19
    With my $5, I bought cookies at Whispers and gave them to the people around me, as well as people who were about to take the same Anthro test I was taking. I do things like that often (not as obvious or planned), so it felt pretty normal, but also a little strange because it was so planned— I felt like I was using them just for an assignment because I was. Usually, it’s spontaneous and random.
    I have a cookie to my one friend who said he wouldn’t have eaten before the test if not for me, because when he gets stressed he can’t eat, but that me giving him the cookie gave him the opportunity to easily attain food, and think about the fact that he needed to eat and hadn't yet. The others at first said no, I assume this is because they thought I was giving it away instead of eating it, but once I told them I got it specifically for other people, they both accepted. I was glad I could help those people, so I felt better after they accepted.
    I think giving people free food is an act of good leadership because you are giving them an opportunity to take a pause and eat, while also taking care of them, and I think “taking care” is an important part of leadership. I also think, though, that it was a good example of good followership as well because I think good followership also includes taking care of a leader— almost all of the friends I gave food too I look up to for one reason or another, and as a sort of follower in that sense, taking care of them enables them to continue being a leader.

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  47. Gary Bowen
    $5 really is not a lot of money to just go out and buy something for somebody else and call it an act of kindness, so I decided to try something a little different in hopes of making someone’s day better with the money. For my act of kindness I hid the 5 dollar bill on somewhere on my floor with a sticky note attached to it wishing whoever finds it a fantastic day and saying that whoever finds the money may keep it guilt free. Nobody has found it yet, but I hid it in a fairly obvious spot so I suspect it won’t take long. I feel good about it because I like to think that the $5 will brighten someone’s day. Additionally, and this is where I believe it ties into good leadership, the message attached to the $5 is probably even more valuable. It is important to let other people know that the way they feel is important and that even if I will never know who takes the $5, that they matter and someone was thinking about them. This translates in the work world as well. Every once in a while it is not a bad idea to surprise your co-workers/employees with some small act of kindness just to let them know that you care (much like our not having class today). This kind of simple action is something that does not go unnoticed by people, and it helps separate the good leaders from the bad.

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  48. Stephanie Zhao
    I bought some insomnia cookies for a guy on the loop asking for some money for dinner. It was a cold evening, and I know that people say that straight-up offering homeless people money or food isn't the best and most sustainable way to support them and help them with rebuilding their lives. However, sometimes, a random and small act like buying cookies for a stranger who is in need can turn their attitudes around 180 degrees. We never know what is going on in another person's lives, and offering help and kindness in moments when they're in need might not even be that big of an act on our own parts, but to a person who is suffering from hunger, cold, despair towards life, it could mean the world.

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