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Replacing Bad News With Good Deeds: EMU Professor Leads Class In Performing Random Acts Of Kindness

Lisa Barry

There have been several recent racist incidents on local university campuses and in Ann Arbor.  That, combined with all the troubling news across the country and around the world, made Eastern Michigan University professor Lolita Cummings-Carsondecide she wanted to get students involved in performing random acts of kindness to combat evil with good.

89.1 WEMU'S Lisa Barry visited her EMU classroom and joined students as they walked around campus looking for ways to share something positive.

Professor Cummings-Carson began the random acts of kindness effort at the beginning of the semester and students have enjoyed many positive experiences doing thoughtful things for fellow students and co-workers.

Credit Lisa Barry
Professor Cummings Carson's class

She says by being good to everyone and being intentional, they are combating acts of hate with acts of love.

Since she's teaching a social media class, conduct an act of kindness and tweet about it using the hashtags #campuskindness, #emusocialites, and #eaglekindness to tie it to EMU Eagles and Eagles Fly Higher and hopes to spread effort to campuses across the country.

Credit Lisa Barry
The class walks into EMU's Student Center looking to perform random acts of kindness.

She herself has been finding opportunities to show kindness to others and recently complimented five people in five minutes receiving positive reactions.

Credit Lisa Barry
EMU Senior Jacob Massey bought a coffee for someone he never met in the student center. Leo is an international business major.

Another student talks about giving someone her parking space on the EMU campus.  Another baked cupcakes to make her co-workers feel better.  Professor Cummings-Carson says even though she will not be teaching the social media class after this semester, she plans to continue her positive efforts anyway she can to spread her message of kindness and creating a supportive community, as far and as wide as she can.

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— Lisa Barry is the host of All Things Considered on WEMU. You can contact Lisa at 734.487.3363, on Twitter @LisaWEMU, or email her at lbarryma@emich.edu

Lisa Barry was a reporter, and host of All Things Considered on 89.1 WEMU.
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