Kindness Matters week at Rancho was a really great and inspiring week. Student Achievement and ASB spent weeks in preparation for the special week. They painted posters, created kindness challenge videos, and decorated encouragement cards that were distributed around campus. Their posters were amusing to look at and read as I walked around the halls. One of my favorite posters read, “You’re hotter than sriracha,” and there was a little smiling chili pepper on it. Most of the banners were just fun and silly like the cartoon chili, but others really dove deeper into what kindness really is.

Throughout the week we had spirit days which I really loved. On Monday we wore mismatched clothes (which was my favorite spirit day) and Tuesday was twin day. Wednesday, people all around campus were wearing pink or red in support of breast cancer awareness. Thursday was vintage day, and on Friday everyone sported Kindness Matters shirts if they had one.

However, the Kindness Matters shirts, spirit days, and posters were not my favorite thing about the week. Students all around campus — those in leadership positions and others who were not — all brought kindness to a new level. Everyone created a new atmosphere where people were simply kind. It was refreshing to have people smile at me while I was walking the halls and to hear friendly “hello.”

Even though Kindness Matters Week is over, I feel like it has lasted. Many people around campus continue to change their lifestyle into one of kindness by the influence of kindness.  One poster that I came across while I was walking to Art said, “Kindness is not an action, it is a lifestyle.” I think this quote embodies what Rancho’s intentions are: creating an environment where everyone spreads love.