At around 12:30 on Thursday, I went to grab a bite to eat for lunch at Russell Dining Hall. Upon entering, I was kindly greeted by the nice old lady swiping dining cards. With a smile on her face, she swiftly swiped dining cards for student after student. When it was my turn in line, she made an effort to positively effect my day and make sure I enjoyed my dining experience.

I then went to get wings at the first station in the dining hall. The lady serving asked which wings I would like as she quickly scooped them onto a plate. She kindly asked for me to vote for the wing flavor I enjoyed the most. After getting a salad and a drink, I found a table and sat down with my roommate.

As we sat and began to eat our meal, I quickly realized that he and I both had checked out phones in the first minutes of our meals. I then looked around to see many other student in the same boat. Although many students were chatting with each other, there was a handful of students either sitting quietly on their phones with their friends, or even a few students eating alone, just sitting on their phones. This helped me to realize the importance of interacting with others. The people who were chatting with one another seemed to be lively and energetic, while the others seemed to be missing out.

While I sat back and observed the community around me, it helped me to realize that happiness in contagious. Those who sat on their phones did not show any emotions, while those who interacted with one another spread their energy through their contact with each other.