“Because I said I would” movement | Photo by Jessica Fugett | The Wright State Guardian
What if everyone on campus made a promise to put good into the world and kept their promises?
That’s exactly what the people behind Because I Said I Would want to find out.
How it started
Started by Alex Sheen, Because I Said I Would is a social movement that encourages people to make promises and stand by them. The program decided to partner with 10 campuses to spread the message of Because I Said I Would, and Wright State University was chosen.
After hearing about the campus partnership program, Student Government Association (SGA) President Ivan Mallett sent in an application nominating WSU. The team behind the initiative hopes that it works to bring the community together following the strike last year.
“We really want it to be a healing process since last year with the strike. We think that making and keeping promises is a really positive initiative and through that, there can be a lot of positive change on campus to bring people together,” said SGA Director of Outreach and Collaboration Austin Rex.
Starting this semester, SGA plans to promote Because I Said I Would at their tabling events around campus. The campus partnership will continue through the 2020-2021 academic year. SGA members behind the initiative want it to become a widespread and collaborative program across campus that continues after the partnership program ends.
How it works
Students and faculty take the cards that say “Because I Said I Would” on them from tabling events and write their promises on them. Those who make promises then give their card to someone else to hold onto until they fulfill their promise.
“It doesn’t have to be anything big. It’s just that act of saying ‘I’m going to put this out there into the universe’ and [we] encourage people to make it powerful for them,” said Gina Keucher, program director of fraternity and sorority life, who is working with SGA to jump-start the initiative.
Those working on the initiative hope that it transforms the campus and continues to make a change in students’ and faculty’s lives long after the campus partnership program ends next spring.
“I think that if we can fundamentally change the way that people think about making promises and keeping promises, it will have a huge impact on our student body, not just for their time at WSU, but hopefully for their entire lives,” said Mallett.
Look out for the little white cards that say “Because I Said I Would” at SGA tabling events and make a promise. Imagine how positive WSU could be if everyone made one promise to help themselves or others, no matter how small those promises are.
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