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The Kindness Way

The Kindness Way

A roundup of 71 North updates

71 NORTH
September 23, 2025

The Kindness Way

This week at 71 North, we shine the spotlight on a movement that brings together purpose, people, and possibility: Random Hacks of Kindness (RHoK) NIU.

RHoK is a duct tape of kindness; it's a space where students, faculty, staff, and community partners collaborate to solve community challenges with heart and creativity. This semester, we're teaming up with NIU Student Wellness to explore new ways to engage students in health and wellness programming.

From supporting peer education and programming outreach to reducing stigma and enhancing accessibility, your ideas and skills can make a real difference in the well-being of your fellow Huskies.

Register at rhokniu.github.io to explore this semester’s challenges and learn how you can help co-create solutions that matter.

Let’s hack for kindness. Let’s design with empathy. Let’s make NIU a healthier place, together.

Random Hack of Kindness

calendar.niu.edu/event/random-hack-of-kindness-7379?utm_campaign=widget&utm_medium=widget&utm_source=NIU+Events+Calendar

❝

“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.”

— Ryunosuke Satoro

This Week at 71 North

Tuesday:

9:00-11:00 AM: Morning Brew & Write - Writing Group for Grad Students & Post-Doc

12:00-1:00 PM: Innovation Pages, Hooked - Facilitator: Matt Deitch

2:30-3:30 PM: Innovation Pages, Leaders Eat Last - Facilitator: Jordan York

3:30-4:30 PM: LEAP - Lean & Agile Community of Practice Meetup

5:00-6:30 PM: Tech+Tacos Tuesday - Markdown, featuring Dr. Anna Klis

Tech+Tacos Fall 25

calendar.niu.edu/event/tech-tacos-fall-25

^Wednesday:

1:30-3:00 PM: HuskieVerse Planning Meeting

3:15-4:45 PM: NNGO 352 - Nonprofit Program and Development

3:30-4:30 PM: Innovation Pages, Give and Take - Facilitator: Dr. Anna Klis

Innovation Pages

Author: Adam Grant — how generosity and reciprocity fuel collaboration and long-term success.

calendar.niu.edu/event/innovation-pages

5:00-7:45 PM: ECON 691 Research Tools for Economists

5:30-6:30 PM: C.A.U.S.E. Student Club Meeting

^Thursday:

10:00 AM-12:00 PM: Faculty Writing Group - The Faculty Grant Writing Group is open to all NIU faculty and will provide participants with quiet, dedicated time and space to work on writing for external funding pursuits.

12:00-1:00 PM: Unplugged Conversations - Step away from screens and rediscover the art of conversation, Facilitated by Julie Ann O'Connell

Unplugged Conversations

Each session invites us to slow down, listen deeply, and explore ideas together in an open, welcoming circle. No phones. No laptops. Just people, presence, and meaningful exchange.

calendar.niu.edu/event/unplugged-conversations

3:00-6:30 PM: HON-310 Open Source

3:00-5:00 PM: CHILL - Mindful Art Creations to Inspire Innovation with Dr. Lynn Herrmann and Vana Dakarian

4:30-6:00 PM: Indie Game Developers Org Meeting

Northern Exposure: Where Curiosity Meets Research

A nurse scientist with a sustained record of community-engaged research focused on advancing health equity through digital health literacy, cardiovascular prevention, and technology-supported behavioral interventions. As the PD/PI of the proposed DigiHEART-Link training program, Dr. Saravanan brings over a decade of experience designing and evaluating interventions tailored to underserved communities, particularly older adults with multimorbidity, through NIH- and foundation-funded initiatives. Her research integrates implementation science, participatory design, and interprofessional education to address social determinants of health and promote digital inclusion.

calendar.niu.edu/event/northern-exposure-where-curiosity-meets-research

^Friday:

11:00-4:00 PM: VespaMode - Development of Vespa Simulator in VR

1:00-2:00 PM: Northern Exposure: How to Enhance Health in Older Adults in a Digital Era, by Anitha Saravanan

3:00-5:00 PM: HuskieHackers - embark on coding adventures.

6:00-7:00 PM: Proxima Centauri Alpha - Ingenuity in action - STEM Focused Students Organization

Midnight Hackathon

A 48-hour virtual event where your idea can become a career-defining opportunity. We’re inviting you to be one of the first builders on Midnight, a powerful new platform for creating applications that protect user data by design.

71north.github.io/Midnight-Hackathon