Few can deny that an unexpected compliment, hug or sweet treat can brighten even the gloomiest of days. And with temperatures beginning to drop and finals week on the horizon, organizations and students alike are taking initiatives to improve mental health on-campus and help relieve stress.

Isaac Todd ’11 and Eric Przybyszewski ’11, for example, have opted twice in the past two weeks to stand in front of Olin Library and compliment students as they walked by.

“We just think it is important for other students to know that there are students at Cornell  [who] care about them and want to put a smile on their face,” Todd said.

The pair, who stood outside of Olin Library on Monday morning holding a sign that read “Free Compliments,” began their campaign on Friday before Thanksgiving Break. They plan to continue complimenting students throughout the remaining Fridays of the semester, beginning again this week at 2 p.m. outside of Olin Library.

“We are just a pair of seniors who care about the community,” Przybyszewski said. “We just want to make people smile and have a good day.”

Both Todd and Przybyszewski hope that fellow students like their idea and start to replicate it by doing similar activities around campus.

Other Organizations, too, are finalizing the logistics for end-of-the-semester events geared towards helping students relax amidst the approaching exam period.

On Dec. 1 from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m., Cornell Minds Matter will host its monthly “Procrastinate at the Straight” event in the lobby of Willard Straight Hall. There, students will be able to enjoy activities ranging from painting to massage therapy, according to Jayson Jones ’11, the president of the organization.

Gabrielle Fernández ’13, executive vice president for the class of 2013 council, said that her organization has held two relief events after prelims this semester and plans to do a third one –– which she plans to call a “Finals Pick-Me Up” –– during finals week. At the event, students will be able to enjoy sweet treats and relaxing activities in a library lobby yet to be determined.

Jones and Fernández said their organizations’ work is more important than ever in the wake of the string of student suicides that occurred on campus last semester.

Jones said that representatives of his organization have taken an active role in the Caring Community forums and the discussion of the bridge fences.

“We are very involved in this ongoing conversation concerning [suicide] prevention and we have increased the amount of programming that we do,” he said.

Meanwhile, Fernández said her council has focused on helping students release tension during the stress peaks of the semester — exam weeks.

“By doing something small, like handing out cookies, we can provide a little time to take a breath and gain perspective, which we can often lose in the midst of exams,” Fernández said.