'Random' acts of kindness?

Last Dean's Date, I was minding my own business, walking through campus to turn in two papers, when I was accosted by the shouts of people yelling in my direction.

I was made very uncomfortable by such artificial enthusiasm and the fake smiles staring me down as I tried to pass unnoticed.

"Free hot chocolate! Relax a little!"

I walked by, trying to ignore them, but to no avail. The yelling continued.

"Random Acts of Kindness," their banner read. "Take a break on Dean's Date," they said.

I was about to continue to McCosh, and let this annoyance go unnoticed, but out of my usual cynicism and desire to explore things that would otherwise be left unexplored, I decided to stop and question the people behind the table.

What did they want? Did they want my money or my signature on a petition? No, they just wanted to give me free hot chocolate as an act of kindness to celebrate the end of reading period. Who could have a problem with that?

I don't even know if I have a real problem with it.

I approached them and asked why they were out there in the cold, when they either must have papers to write, or better ways to celebrate their completion. Don't these people have better, more intellectual, things to do with their time as Princeton undergrads?

They gave me confused looks, and responded, "We were able to finish our papers early in order to make the day more bearable, perhaps even cheerful, for our fellow students."

I persisted in my questioning, inquiring as to the purpose of the group and what they hoped to achieve.

Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with people doing nice things for other people, but forming a group centered around this almost defeats the purpose.

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"We just thought people would enjoy a nice cup of hot chocolate on Dean's Date. Wouldn't you like some?" I smiled, shook my head, and continued on my way. As I walked away, I felt a pang of guilt for turning down their free gift.

But why should they assume that everyone on campus wanted hot chocolate in the first place? That is personally the last thing I would want after guzzling coffee and other hot beverages throughout the night. And now here is this group of people rubbing it in my face, making me feel bad.

What if I were diabetic? What if I were vegan? Or what if I had been allergic or lactose intolerant? Would I be a bad person for not taking the hot chocolate? Furthermore, what if I were anorexic? I would have been made to feel even more aware of and ostracized by my condition. I found their actions to be very presumptuous and discriminatory.

Not only did they stop me on my way, nearly making me miss my deadline, but they made me feel like less of a person for being on the other side of their table of self-righteousness.

And then I began to question what their true motives were. Here was a group defining themselves by their goodness and charity. Even their very name, "Random Acts of Kindness," indicates unplanned and spontaneous actions, and pure motives.

But I now question how pure — or random — those motives really are.

I have not actually spoken with anyone in the group besides the girl at the table, nor had I even heard of this group prior to that day, but it was undeniably clear to me that their motives were self-serving.

They must love that feeling of superiority they get, standing on their side of the table as the charitable, generous students who have already finished their work. They must be super-selective in choosing their new members, because if their group became any larger, they would no longer be the elite minority of good Samaritans on this campus.

For all we know, they call themselves "Random Acts of Kindness" on this campus, but maybe the description found on their resumes is "Marketing Manager, Hot Chocolate Business, Benevolence Society of Princeton University."

And by accepting their hot chocolate, we are not only made to feel morally inferior, but we are also helping to pad their resumes.

Come this Dean's Date, if you see a Random Acts of Kindness table in outside Frist, think twice about what you are supporting. Eileen Nelson is from Lower White Eddy, Pa. She can be reached at enelson9@princeton.edu.