As part of BYU's 150th anniversary, several pop-up service events took place across the BYU campus on Jan. 21.
At multiple locations across the university, students and faculty participated in activities designed to encourage service, connection and community.
Bob Ivans, a host at one of the events, helped attendees make suncatchers for homebound seniors. He emphasized the importance of small acts of kindness.
“It’s a small thing, not very big or time-consuming, but it does make a difference in just brightening the day of these people,” Ivans said. “It brings a little light into their homes and shows them that we’re thinking about them.”
The effort of doing something small to create something meaningful was the focus of the activities. At the Family History Center in the Harold B. Lee Library, for example, the activity focused on memories.
Joseph Nicholson, a collaborator at the event, took part in the family service activity.
“First, we shared things we remember about people we know,” Nicholson said. “Sharing your life is just one way to do your family history.”
At the Wilkinson Student Center, organizers offered a different way to share and connect. In this case, cards served as a tool for encouraging service among students.
Event organizer Shauna Clements passed out cards to students walking through the building.
“This is a service pass-along card," Clements said. "On the back of each one, there’s a different prompt that gives people the opportunity to do a very quick service today, and then pass the card to someone else. The main goal is to help you understand that we have a lot of service opportunities. It doesn’t have to be a big service project; it could be something small but meaningful.”
In other buildings, such as the Joseph Smith Building or the Tanner Building, activities focused on service and spreading light to others.
Celebrations will continue throughout the semester for BYU's 150th anniversary. For more information on upcoming events, visit 150.byu.edu.