Eudaimonia is a Greek word for “happiness” or “welfare.” The word inspired a club at USF; members translate the word into “good spiritedness.”
The club started in fall of 2015, due to a group of friends trying to give fellow students some comic relief during finals.The group had a blast and loved the effect that they had on their fellow students. A co-founder of the club, Jonathon Burroughs, says he joined because, “It is important in college to show the people around us that our environment does love us... The best way to remove negativity from people’s lives is to fill it with positivity.”
Burroughs loves that he gets to express his creativity and meet people who think alike! “There’s something powerfully uplifting for the sake of giving, and not expecting reciprocation,” he says. He enjoys that moment when people understand there is no catch and they produce an extremely genuine smile. “Eudaimonia’s a safe place to let your inner good shine,” says Burroughs.
The vice president, Tatiana Morales, says they are "just a positive pep squad!" She says they are trying to become a staple at USF and want people to know that there's an organization that cares about making students happy. According to Morales, it can be as simple as having hangouts, watching TED talks or a potluck.
Mariah Green, the current president, says they have had many events in the past year. These events include free hugs, in which they made signs and offered free hugs to students and faculty on campus. "Our goal was to perform random acts of kindness for anyone who was having a bad day," she says. Another event included Final Fives. Members dressed up in '80s clothing, danced and gave out high fives during finals to help give some comic relief during finals. They also did a jar of positivity at Bull Market and passed out homemade cookies for those suffering from freshman homesickness. They also did something called the wagon uber. During this event, they offered students rides in Radio Flyer wagons to their classes. She says that events are their main priority in order to be an “altruistic presence on campus and doing good for the sake of good.”
She plans to have monthly meetings where they watch TED talks and have a group activity. The first meeting of fall 2016 is planned for August 30 at 7:15 p.m. in the MSC. You can find them at Bull Market, on Facebook, Instagram and bullsync.
