A Random Act of Kindness in the Infinite Corridor

During this year’s random acts of Kindness Week in March, Bettina Arkhurst ’18 and her co-conspirators handed out some 500 flowers in the Infinite Corridor. Arkhurst says she and Cory Johnson ’18 launched RAK Week  last year “to encourage members of the MIT community to reach out and look out for each other.” She hopes the event, which is supported by the MindHandHeart Innovation Fund, will become an annual tradition. This year, the chemistry department set up coffee and treat stations, held coloring breaks, and gave away Tech Cash cards for people to use to do something nice for someone else. The MIT libraries set up a bookmobile with kindness-themed books in Lobby 10 and provided cards, writing paper, and stamps for people to write letters to friends and family. Other groups sponsored everything from massages to a ball pit. The week offered students a low-key opportunity to connect with support resources on campus—and a chance to give back. “Some RAK hackers made cookies for the MIT Police Department,” reports Arkhurst. “I thought that was awesome.”