Central student council looks to spread kindness

Organization’s weeklong campaign based on national movement

By Jason Arndt
Editor

Westosha Central High School student council members plan to take a national movement about promoting love and kindness to the local level from March 19-23.

Known as Dude, Be Nice Week, it was created by the Dude Be Nice clothing company and looks to combat bullying and harassment within high school communities.

Junior Becca Tondi said the company advocates for positive communities and creates videos meant to promote peace and harmony.

Student council adviser Marcia Johnson, who reports about 40 student council members are involved, said the project’s goal is to bolster positive relationships.

“The main objective is to spread positivity and goodwill and to remind ourselves that a little happiness goes a long way,” Johnson said. “We live in a world full of narcissism and criticism, and we want to celebrate kindness to others.”

Junior Ella Kaebisch, a student council member, hopes the week of celebration can inspire others to show kindness to anyone in the community.

“We launched this project as a part of the mission to inspire young people and to develop a positive community where everyone feels welcome,” Kaebisch said.

Kaebisch said the project started at the end of last year.

Since then, she said students have worked to make the week a success.

“The student council and our advisers have put in a tremendous amount of work for this project. We have arranged a clothing drive, door decorating, dress-up days and a school assembly to promote a positive and fun atmosphere,” Kaebisch said. “This is for everyone throughout the school, staff and students.”

At the assembly scheduled for March 23, former Westosha Central student-athlete Shane Lee plans to serve as motivational speaker.

For the clothing drive, items will be distributed to The Sharing Center of Trevor, Kaebisch and Johnson said.

“The community should be encouraged to clean out their homes for gently used apparel and send it with students or drop it at the school, where there will be huge bins,” Johnson said.

With a project dedicated to bring a community together, Tondi believes participants can come out stronger, and bring out the best in people, even after the event concludes.

“Not simply a once-and-done campaign, DBN is a movement meant to bring long-lasting kindness, inclusiveness and gratitude,” Tondi said.

Gratitude includes acknowledging others who rarely receive praise for the positive actions, Tondi said.

“By reaching an awareness of their own actions and those of the people around them, students will not only create a much more comfortable and healthier environment to grow in, they will blossom into more empathetic, positive adults,” she added.


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