Nov. 11,2011 I The Clarion
Page 5
Nov. 13 is World Kindness Day
By Thea Dunn
Layout and Design
Shut up. Screw you. “Something profane.”
Now, before you get offended know that on
Monday Nov. 13 1 can make up for it because
it is World Kindness Day.
1 know that this seems like one of those
Hallmark-esque holidays where some happy-
go-lucky person decided to designate a day
to kindness, and who knows maybe it is, but
1 feel like it’s ridiculous to have a “day that
encourages individuals to overlook boundaries,
race and religion.” It’s like saying “ok take all
of your jerk tendencies, racist opinions, and
crude comments and put them in the closet
for 24 hours.” If everyone can just come
together, feel the love, and make peace for this
one autumn day, then the world will see how
important kindness is.
1 understand that it is meant to raise awareness
and to be a feel-good day. According to the
World Kindness Movement, an organization
that aims to inspire individuals towards greater
kindness and to connect nations to create a
kinder world, “the purpose of World Kindness
Day is to look beyond ourselves, beyond the
boundaries of our country, beyond our culture,
our race, our religion; and realize we are
citizens of the world.”
1 agree with that. 1 agree that we need to
look at our commonalities and appreciate
each others differences but 1 don’t agree that
it should be for one day.
1 think its awesome that people are advocating
for kindness, God knows we need more of it in
this world, but 1 feel like people need to wake
up and realize that the fact that we NEED a
world kindness day is sad. The fact that we
NEED a day to put away our differences
is ridiculous. And then what happens on
Tuesday? We go back to how it normally is.
Originally this was not going to be an opinion
piece. 1 was just going to write an article
about what world kindness day was all about.
. . but after thinking about it more 1 realized
that 1 wanted to write something that people
might actually read. Or at least something
more substantial than 200 words on what
kindness is.
So that brings me to this seemingly simplistic
question- What is kindness? Yeah, we all
have our own interpretations and opinions.
Yeah- most of these views probably overlap in
some way or another But my question is more
along the philosophical side of the meaning
as opposed to the literal. Is kindness a way
of being? A phase? A face? A destination?
An action?
World Kindness Day is all about being kind
to the world right? Duh. Well for this to happen,
people, human beings as a whole, have to start
thinking about others before themselves. We
have to wake up and see that we are one. No
matter wealth, race, religion, job, car, all that
we differentiate between one another, we are
united. Well, we should be.
Honestly, 1 could be that happy-go-lucky
person that may have come up with the idea
of World Kindness Day. I’m all for what the
World Kindness Movement has done and is
doing. But, 1 just wanted to point out that
honestly, how many of you have heard of
World Kindness Day? How many of you are
going to do something extra kind on Monday
just for the sake of the day, something that
you wouldn’t normally do? If you don’t, does
that mean kindness isn’t important to you? If
you do is it only because you are celebrating
the day?
Yes, 1 feel like we do need to take a step
back and look at ourselves and appreciate each
other more. I’m not saying that I’m against
World Kindness Day. . . who would be? But
1 just want to take this time and think about
what it means to need a day to put away our
differences. If we would put them away all the
time and just accept diversity instead if fighting
it then we would be better off— right?
Maybe this sounds like a bunch of hippie
hullabaloo and maybe, seeing as I’m sitting
at a computer writing about what needs to be
done as opposed to doing something about it.
1 think that might be the problem though. We
have enough motivated people in this world to
change something but a lot of them are doing
the same thing 1 am.
1 think the World Kindness Movement is a
start. 1 think World Kindness Day is a stepping
stone. However, 1 think that we, as a people
and as a society, should take a look at what all
of this means and what more we can do then
just be kind for one day.
Independently we can fuel the fire but united
we can light it.
Post Neo Neo Dada 2
Post Neo Neo Dada 2 opened and closed on
Monday, November 7, in Sims Art building,
to great acclaim.
“This was the most thought provoking show
I’ve ever witnessed,” said Jacob Nachman.
“The most beautiful artworks ever produced
were here,” he explained, “and they didn’t limn
absence until they were gone.”
The pieces in the show were produced by
AH 350 ModemArt Survey, and the consensus
was that it was money well spent. Chair 2
was the guest of honor - a collaborative piece
by Kyle Jackola, Adrian Wagner, and a guy
named Joe.
The Artist Formerly Known as Goat produced
abundant, moving conceptual pieces that
challenged Dada. Hugo Ball got stuck under
a table, and stumbled out after a few cups of
Kool Aid. Cameron Kahili even sold a piece,
“Meaning of Life,” for an undisclosed price to
an anonymous dealer
The favorite art work was Mouse Trap,
which gathered a crowd of attendees solemnly
watching ice melt as a little foot and a tail
emerged.
Questions were abundant, but answers
were in short supply. Mostly because all
questions were deferred to Chris Lockhart,
who said repeatedly, “I’m just looking for
a ride.” Morgan Sykes however was not in
attendance.
Rumor has it that her bicycle wheel got
stuck in a stool. Anti-food was served at the
reception, and brave attendees sampled the
green and brown Jello and drank the Kool
Aid oh yeah.
Music was provided by Kyle Jackola. All
who weren’t there can explain it to those who
were. Except for Cameron Kahili, who stated
(with conviction), “1 hate Dada. It should all
be burned.”