ENC’s annual Encouragement Week was Nov. 17-21, and featured a mix of familiar and brand new events each day during the week.
Encouragement Week came to fruition a few years ago through the SGA executive director of student ministries. This year, Director of Spiritual Life Hannah Dawber and several other students were in charge of planning and creating this year’s events.
One of the main features of Encouragement Week this year was writing encouraging notes to members of the ENC community, to victims of human trafficking, and to the mayor of Boston concerning the state of the Long Island Homeless Shelter.
100 letters were sent to staff and faculty in Monday’s event, and 75 letters were sent on Tuesday to athletes.
Various events took place throughout the week. These student-centered events included the third and final round of Nazzy Idol, Reach Out with guest speakers Jim Trick and David Place, the first men’s home basketball game, a special worship service in Wollaston Church, and Art Night, which provided mason jars for students to decorate.
Humans vs. Zombies, a game introduced to ENC last year, also took place all week. Students ran around campus with nerf guns and sports pinnies, actively “hunting” humans or fleeing from zombies.
“I think that encouraging others is often over looked, even though it is such a simple thing to offer,” Dawber said, “Encouragement is not just a quick compliment… although it can be and is amazing when it is, but it is also being a support when you don’t feel like it and remembering sometimes, it’s not all about you.”
In closing out encouragement week, Dawber said, “My hope is that students, faculty, staff, and professors perspectives on giving to others is better overall than receiving… I just hope people are able to have fun and push themselves out of their comfort zone to do something or receive something that maybe they haven’t been able to for [various] reasons.”