There’s a lot of time to think during a car ride from Florida to Nebraska. For UNL students Brock Rezny and Derek VanLaningham, their 2013 drive back to the Cornhusker State after spring break led to them to resolve to change the world, one smile at a time.
On the budget of college students but with an entire campus at their fingertips, the pair decided they would start their mission in their corner of the world. As two naturally positive people, they decided to make people at UNL’s days better by helping them to think positively, too.
Today, the idea has manifested into UNL SMILE — an acronym for “Small Moments In Life Everyday.” The group became a Recognized Student Organization in November.
“Our whole goal is that if students want to make a difference, they can come join us and we will help them make a difference,” Rezny, an educational administration student, said.
From sticky notes with positive messages on Valentine’s Day, to hot chocolate and hugs, all the way to a pillow fight event to help students relieve stress during December’s finals week, UNL SMILE does the little things that can help make a little bit of a positive difference in a student’s everyday life.
About 20 active members regularly brainstorm ideas to make campus a happier place.
“We want members to do things that they want to do,” said VanLaningham, a junior elementary education major. “If you have an idea, we’ll help you get it planned, get the resources and run with it.
“You can pretty much do any small act of kindness that you want.”
As the organization gets more attention, Rezny said they are looking to conduct some fundraisers and host a glow-in-the-dark capture the flag game on the green space in front of the Nebraska Union.
But the biggest thing the RSO has coming up is SMILE Week. From April 14-18, UNL SMILE will host a daily challenge for students looking to spread positivity. Students will have the opportunity to pick up cards outside of the union, each with a daily challenge.
“They’ll have things like ‘call someone who has made an impact on your life and thank them’ or ‘open the door for someone,’” Rezny said. “Then they are encouraged to pass on their challenge.”
At the end of SMILE Week, the group will host a larger, surprise event with the Multicultural Greek Council and UNL’s Character Council.
Students interested in joining UNL SMILE are encouraged to attend the group’s weekly meetings and to Like the group on Facebook. Meeting locations are posted on the Facebook page every week.
“It doesn’t take much to do a random act of kindness,” VanLaningham said. “Our motto: Make today great.”
