The Student Leader Fellowship Program (SLFP) has partnered with Primetime Productions to create a talent show to raise awareness for #PositivtyProjectNMU, a project to spread kindness campus-wide.

The project originated in a UN250 class as an Academic Service Learning (ASL) project. Associate Director of the Center for Student Enrichment (CSE) Jon Barch teaches the UN250 class that picked the project. According to Barch, new members of SLFP sign up for a UN250 class to learn about the theory and practice of leadership.

Once in a class, a requirement of the class is to break up into small groups to draw up a proposal to present to the rest of the class about a project they feel passionate about.

This year, one of the two classes decided to thank campus for all the kind deeds that go unnoticed. Barch, who is acting as an adviser to the project, said he thinks the opportunity will become something extraordinary.

“I think it has potential to explode and bring a great deal of positive recognition to NMU by highlighting the friendly atmosphere of the community that we have here,” Barch said.

The talent show is a kick-off event to start the project on Friday, Nov. 14. The talent show will also feature Jackie Tohn, a comedian and singer who will perform in between acts.

Emily Quinn, president of Primetime Productions, explained the unique informal setting of the talent show.

“The talent show is to show what makes people unique and what people are proud of and give them a chance to get support from other people,” Quinn said. “It’s casual and low-key. You just show up if you have a talent that you want to perform.”

Quinn, who is also a student in the class, said she liked the idea when it was presented. She said she saw potential for it to move forward and expand into a movement that could last more than just a few days.

According to Quinn, members will be scattered throughout campus, including at the PEIF and the Marketplace, to hand out reminders the day before the talent show. 

The class also plans on being at Starbucks to start a movement to pay for the person behind you.

The acts of kindness won’t go unrecognized.

Members will be giving away light blue rubber bracelets that say #PositivityProjectNMU.

The point of the bracelets is to pass them along when a random act of kindness, such as holding doors open, is seen, in order to share the appreciation of the act that might have otherwise been overlooked.

To continue the cycle of positivity, members are encouraging students to pay it forward whenever the opportunity arises and to share it on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #PositivtyProjectNMU.

Sophomore public relations major Molly Egelkraut is a member of the original group that brought the proposal forward and is currently acting as a coordinator for the project.

Egelkraut explained how she and her group wanted a way to spread kindness during the mid-semester slump.

“We were trying to think of some way to get people up and out of that mid-semester slump,” Egelkraut said. “We were starting to feel it and we wanted to break out of it and be able to get some good going in this world that seems negative and to step back and be thankful.”

Egelkraut said half of the event’s success comes from the members who are active in the project and are passionate to see it move forward. The rest of the success will depend on student participation.

The talent show will take place at 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14 in the Marketplace fishbowl.

For more information, see the Facebook page #PositivityProjectNMU or contact Jon Barch in Room 1206 at the University Center.