As the warm weather yesterday beckoned students to lounge on the greens of the Diag in T-shirts and sandals while the menace of pending examinations momentarily faded, the organizers of Goodness Day distributed cheerful buttons and candy yesterday to celebrate to the change in seasons and promote minor acts of kindness. The orange buttons, which read "Finding the time to be kind," promoted a new consideration of thoughtfulness among students.

The celebration served to herald the coming of Spring, and event organizers couldn't have asked for better weather.

"We planned this for the week before finals," said LSA sophomore Janet O'Connor, a member of the Goodness Day Planning Team. "It's just coincidental with the good weather."

Goodness Day organizers said they hoped to promote cheerfulness and compassion on campus, in spite of the stressful and encroaching end of the semester.

"We're just showing students how easy it is to be nice and how easy it is to have fun," O'Connor said.

Business senior Dora Vilensky, director of Goodness Day, also stressed the lighthearted purpose of the event. "We want to increase friendliness on campus and bring diversity together," she said.

In addition to the orange buttons, the planning team distributed green cards that suggested ideas for acts of kindness. Possibilities included walking through campus with a smile and thanking a professor for an interesting lecture.

About 50 student groups, including fraternities, sororities and cultural organizations, contributed to the event.

Members of LSA Student Government distributed free blue books and Hershey's Chocolate Kisses to those who passed through the Diag.

"Part of student government is serving the community," said LSA freshman Dante Ianni, the community service coordinator for LSA-SG. "We took part so people can relax before finals and so we can give back for what we take in student fees."

The Alpha Phi sorority organized a water toy game, rewarding participants with candy and predictions of their fortune according to their performance.

"We thought it would be fun. It's good for philanthropy, it makes people feel good and we get to skip class," said Music junior Megan Johnson, vice president of recruitment for Alpha Phi.

Ellen Kolasky, a member of the Public Interest Research Group in Michigan, said that although her organization did not plan to present a display as part of Goodness Day, the event helped to draw the interest of many spectators to sign a petition that encouraged the University to reduce the consumption of energy.

"It's definitely bringing people out to the Diag who are willing to stop by to see what we offer," she said.

Many students agreed the event encouraged kind acts among others throughout the day.

"I've had more people open doors for me and more random people say hello," LSA senior Dara Frank said.

"I just like buttons and orange is my favorite color," LSA freshman Tony Rosenthal said, adding that he appreciated the greater sense of kindness on campus.