One night last week this post appeared on the Samford Facebook page:

 “I'm a Homewood PD Officer. I was in the drive thru at McDonalds last night about midnight - I work night shift -to grab a quick dinner. There was a car load of Samford students in front of me. When I got to the window to pay I was informed that the students had paid for my meal. It was a small gesture but it was a bright spot in my shift. Please share this on the page - with any luck they will see it and know it was greatly appreciated.”

 Since Officer Mike Jeffcoat typed this entry, thousands of people have “liked” the post and it has been viewed by hundreds of thousands.  The world apparently finds it remarkable that college students would offer this anonymous kindness to a police officer.  From my perspective, the “remarkable” aspect of this act is that we see this kindness on the part of our students every day, every week. 

It will be my pleasure to host Officer Jeffcoat and two of the no-longer-anonymous students (Barrett Merrill and Alex Lowry) later this week for a chat in my office.  Perhaps afterwards I will treat them to a meal at McDonald’s. 

The world is better because kindness is nurtured at Samford.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.