The phrase “Pay It Forward” is a lot more than just a title of a movie in 2000. It is the concept doing a good deed for someone else, and instead of asking for anything in return, to ask that the deed be “repaid” onto others. Pay It Forward is also the title of an RSO on Central’s campus created by students James Wilson and Chanel Metzler. James originally started the club in high school after he was inspired by the message in the movie “Pay It Forward,” and wanted to take the concept further.
Here’s how it works; each member is given a bracelet that says “Pay It Forward” and when they perform a random act of kindness or a good deed for another person, they pass the bracelet on and ask the other person to keep paying it forward. It’s as simple as that! When I sat down with James and asked to see one of the bracelets, he didn’t have one on hand because he had passed it on in a recent good deed.
The members meet every other Wednesday at 9pm to share their stories of paying it forward. The RSO also participates in charity work such as the mobile food pantry, going to the animal shelter, and the David Garcia Project. They have plans in the works for a paper lantern ceremony where anyone is welcome to come write an inspirational thought on a lantern and release it into the air.
When asked what he hoped this RSO would bring to CMU’s campus (or hopefully the world), James said that he hopes it will “open our hearts and open our minds to strangers and create a community that everyone wants to be a part of”. Imagine if everyone on Central’s campus performed one random act of kindness everyday and asked if that person would do the same for another. That kind of movement would have a huge impact on the CMU community and change it for the better.
James concluded that, “It’s a simple RSO and I promise you the message will change your life.”
So, if you’re looking for a way to get involved on campus and spend time with a great group of people, Pay It Forward is the RSO for you.
Interested in getting involved? Search CMU Pay It Forward on Facebook or follow them on twitter at @PIFCMU.