Positive Effects from RAK
Nick Urick, Columnist
This year, the Wilmington Friends School community has been the host of a variety of engaging clubs. One of the most prominent and active clubs, though, has been Random Acts of Kindness – a club devoted to promoting positivity and genuine camaraderie throughout the community. The current clerks of the club are Una Winn '19, Olivia Finizio '19, Ali Miller '19, Bianca Ramsey '19, Mycah Nicholson '19, and Anna Baldwin '19. Meeting every day 5, the club boasts forty-four members, all committed to a united cause of kindness.
The club has hosted numerous creative activities throughout its time on campus. On top of that, they've grown to expand outside of the Wilmington Friends community. This year, Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) hosted a game drive for the Boys and Girls Club in Wilmington. The clerks of the club then delivered these games to the Boys and Girls headquarters, thus extending their kindness to Wilmington youth outside of their school community. Another enticing activity has been the distribution of 'monthly RAKs'. Essentially, the club awards a variety of students a 'random act of kindness' on their locker, which they can use to redeem a prize in the library commons. Eventually, every student in the upper school at Wilmington Friends will receive a 'random act of kindness', which has brought about the term 'being RAKed' on campus. While the monthly RAK activity is surely an effective way for club members to spread positivity, it also serves as a universal way for the community to remain tightly connected. Evan Arai '20 exemplified that point when he stated: "So far, RAK has served as a sort of medium for me to connect to my peers in the community. Through the monthly RAKs and activities, I've met tons of other new students who I may have not encountered otherwise. RAK has helped me broaden my horizons and familiarize myself with new faces, which is such a great opportunity in a community like Friends."
Another community engaging activity is RAK's annual Valentine's Day carnation sale. This sale allows for students to choose from a variety of flowers to send to their friends or loved ones within the school community. The sale has been well respected and has received constant praise from the student body. Ruth Hazzard '19 commented, "I know the clerks very well. Their work on sales is very impressive. They put so much time and effort into the goal of making the school a happier place. The carnation sale has always been an enjoyable thing for students at the school, which has spread cheer." Along with Hazzard's appreciation, another member of RAK, Eden Groum '20, has enjoyed her time working with RAK thus far. Groum commented that "RAK has just been a genuinely fun organization to be a part of. I feel as though I am truly spreading positivity throughout the community through the work that I've embarked on with RAK. The carnation sale especially has been one of the most consistently notable events that the club hosts, so it's always a good time to be involved with it."
The Random Acts of Kindness club has spread positivity and kindness throughout Wilmington Friends School, as well as strengthened its community in a way no other club or organization has ever before. Students at Friends evidently appreciate the club and often reap the benefits of the genuine kindness and friendship that it encourages. As the year continues, the Random Acts of Kindness club plants to continue their joyous ways of spreading happiness and warm-hearted messages throughout the community. Thank you for making the school a happier place, RAK!
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