Morrison Residence Hall advisers give bracelets for kind acts

Taris Mullins wants Morrison Residence Hall to be a nicer place — literally.

Due to Mullins, the residence hall’s community director, the residence hall has embraced Actively Caring for People, a national movement that circulates bracelets for those observed performing acts of kindness.

Mullins started the movement among his resident advisers last year. And this year, the program has spread to all of Morrison.

“We wanted to create that culture shift away from negativity and a change in students’ mind-sets,” Mullins said.

Those who are observed acting kindly toward another person are rewarded with a green bracelet passed on by the recipient of the kind act.

Currently 1,000 to 2,000 bracelets are circulating on campus, Mullins said. Approximately 70,000 bracelets are being passed around the country as part of the national movement, he said.

The Actively Caring for People initiative began in 2007 as a non-profit movement after the Virginia Tech shooting massacre.

Mullins, who was a sophomore at Virginia Tech when the shooting occurred, said the central purpose of the project is to promote positive perspectives among people.

Each bracelet has a unique tracking number that can be accessed online to see where it is, who has received it and the act of kindness performed.

Bracelets can be passed on to any person, whether it is a student, faculty member or someone else, Mullins said.

The popularity of the movement last year among Morrison resident advisers led to its expansion for the 2012-13 year.

“At first, I only introduced it to my RAs because I knew it takes time to get a response from people, and if UNC had a similar program, it had to fit with the culture,” Mullins said.

Andrea Pope, a resident adviser in Morrison, said she was given a bracelet after tutoring a friend late at night, adding that the passing of bracelets tends to be very intimate and unexpected.

James Wilson, a resident adviser in Morrison, participated in the program when it first started and said it has the potential to create a lasting impact.

“There are effects on people’s everyday mentality when they look down on their wrists and see their bracelet ­— it boosts morale,” Wilson said.

“I definitely think it’s something to look out for.”

The Manning West Community has expressed interest in the program already, and other universities have gotten involved with the national movement.

“On the highway, there are always trucks with a phone number asking how are they are driving and how often do people call to say good things — they always call to complain or say something bad,” Mullins said.

“It’s important to reframe our focus and approach life in a different fashion, and maybe tragedies won’t happen because people feel like other people care.”

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