Whether it’s finding a Dunkin’ gift card under their windshield or learning that the person in front of them paid for their food, people in Clinton appreciate these surprises. Every winter, The Morgan Student Government does Random Acts of Kindness. This practice allows each elected official to receive a portion of funds to go out and come up with their own spontaneous good deed. 

This year, there are 22 elected members of the student government. There are four or five officials for each class, as well as an executive board. Every member of the student government is asked to participate in Random Acts of Kindness. This year, each student was given $20.

Executive Board member Iris Dunham is an excellent example of what Random Acts of Kindness are all about: “I decided to do two $10 gas cards to Stop & Shop gas. I left the cards on two different pumps. I stayed in my car for five minutes and was able to see someone’s reaction to finding the card. It was a woman in scrubs, and she was so happy. I saw her smile. Yes, kind of creepy that I was watching from my car, but I was happy I got to see it.”

As a member of Student Government, I have always enjoyed this practice. It can seem nerve racking at first, having to pick someone out and find something kind to do for them. In reality, all we may need is a gift card and the ability to spot a family car in a parking lot. These acts typically remain anonymous, although the students get to choose if they want to make contact with the person that will receive the Random Act of Kindness. Typically, Random Acts of Kindness are easily executed and helpful, like when Secretary of the Class of 2023 Ravi Kadel paid for the person in front of him at McDonald’s. 

Vice President of the Class of 2023 Abel Rodriguez shared his experience as well. “For my Random Act of Kindness, I went to Petco and paid in advance for the person behind me. The cashier was actually very surprised and asked me again if I was sure about it,” said Abel. “She’s never seen someone do something like it.”

Morgan Student Government has been participating in this practice since 2018, Student Government Advisor Laura Luther said, “I wanted the students to see the effect that they could have on people by doing something as little as buying someone’s coffee.” 

One specific act of kindness that really stood out to Mrs. Luther was in January 2020, when 2020 graduate Alyse Olcott went to RJ Julia and bought the books of the family behind her. The family ended up contacting The Morgan School to show their thanks. Not only that, but RJ Julia contacted Mrs. Hagness to let her know how touched they were by the gesture. “It was just so awesome to have these people be on the receiving end of a student’s kindness.”

Random Acts of Kindness can be small gestures, or they can reach further out into the community. Mrs. Luther recalls a year when the student government was able to give a significant amount of money to the family of a faculty member and the family of a student, both who had a member of the family suffering from cancer. The money was intended to buy the families Christmas presents for that year.

Random Acts of Kindness are displays of gratitude that anyone can be a part of, and Morgan Student Government does its best to spread positivity in the community. This practice opens the opportunity for Morgan students to understand what kind of differences they can make in others’ lives, and the kindness that they can bring to their community.