As the sun sets at 4 p.m. and the temperature reaches below “tank-top” weather, I tend to get cynical — more so than usual. Being a product of the summer months and a born-and-bred desert lizard, my mood and general outlook on the world trend toward a downward spiral as the short, bitterly cold winter days creep closer. If my shrink — yes, it’s a politically incorrect term; no, I, a proud old-fashioned Jew, will not stop using it — were honest with me, she’d say that I’m a victim of seasonal affective disorder. And there is simply no amount of “happy lamps” and over-the-counter Vitamin D that can cure my wintertime blues. Trust me, I’ve tried it all. 

I don’t think I’m making an incorrect assessment in suggesting that many of us tend to become more jaded as the weather gets colder and the days get shorter. There’s something about the bone-chilling winds of eastern Massachusetts and the minuscule amount of daylight, which is usually obstructed by a thick layer of gray clouds anyway, that makes the winter months here the most soul-sucking four months of every year. 

This is especially not ameliorated by the cultural environment we find ourselves in at the present moment. The platform formerly known as Twitter — now X — being our contemporary version of the public square can only be likened to a flaming dumpster fire of humanity’s worst takes. Instagram, which is perhaps most adjacent to old-timey magazines, is actively making young, impressionable users question their worth on the most arbitrary of bases. And TikTok, whose offline predecessors are likely the freak shows and circuses of the nineteenth century, is rotting our brains. 

And this, ladies and gentlemen, doesn’t even begin to cover the material catastrophes currently transpiring across the globe. Two offshore wars, hurricanes rampaging Florida, the rehashing of Cold War politics, extremism in Europe and famines in Sudan. Oh! And how could I neglect to mention the nomination of an alleged sex offender to be the U.S.’ top law enforcement officer? Two thumbs up and a gold star for humanity’s capacity to make something worthwhile out of itself!

But you all already know all of this, so why am I doing the work of bringing it to the forefront of your consciousness? I’m doing so because, despite the objectively shitty state of affairs we are living through, among this community of scholars, wannabe scholars and the people who resent them both (God bless you by the way — sincerely, a wannabe scholar), I think we’ve found it in ourselves to be kind to each other. And I appreciate this. 

I’ve been, shall we say, opinionated about the culture on this campus in the pages of this paper. Some of you have taken those opinions well, while others have voiced their perceptions of these takes as inaccurate, hopelessly detached and reeking of a holier-than-thou point of view. To both groups, I’m grateful — appreciative, even — that you take the time out of your busy days to read what I, an overly opinionated kid, have to say about a place that I’m very privileged to spend time at. Nevertheless, despite my strong opinions about this place, I’ve found myself smiling at the little things lately. 

What do I mean by “the little things”? I mean the holding doors for strangers, the smiles elicited from brief eye contact, the cordial waves from old acquaintances, the giving away of leftovers from events to passersby, the complimenting of arguments made in the classroom, the sharing of notes from lectures missed and the lighting of another’s cigarette (smokers of the campuses unite, you have nothing to lose but the stigma assigned to your nicotine-induced debauchery!). These small gestures of kindness have brought many smiles to my face lately. 

I see these random acts of kindness being practiced all over campus, and it makes me very glad to know that despite the natural gloom perpetuated by the weather and the sociocultural firestorm we’re navigating, we’ve found it in ourselves to be kind to each other. And not just among friend circles; we’ve been kind to strangers and acquaintances, and that’s really cool of us. Keep it up — being good isn’t easy, but it’s made easier when others are good too.