Vivian Guan's birthday inspires acts of kindness

By Tina Nazerian     11/5/13 6:00pm

Friends of late Rice University student Vivian Guan, who died in a METRORail accident this summer, gathered to celebrate her 21st birthday as the "Lively Gathering of Warriors" in the Academic Quad Nov. 1.

McMurtry College junior Ellen Marsh said celebrating Guan's birthday taught her Guan's death does not have to mean the end of her life.

"I miss her, envision her, want to live up to her legacy, laugh at and with her, care about global issues and strive to grow even more as a person, all because of her, constantly," Marsh said. "That's what she means to me. She is inspiration, in the finest and most acute sense."

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Marsh said she organized the event along with Duncan College junior June Deng, Sid Richardson College junior Malaz Mohammad, Martel College junior Yutian He and architectural design professional Rachel Gonzales of Ziegler Cooper Architects, where Guan interned over the summer.

The event organizers gave out envelopes containing cards with one of 21 tasks for a random act of kindness, along with a quotation from Guan: "Live life shamelessly, mischievously and infectiously awake."

"There were exactly 21 acts of kindness, for her 21st birthday," Marsh said. 

"It was truly awe-inspiring to see how open-minded many people were in receiving the little gifts we gave out today and how eager they all seemed to spread the acts of kindness," Marsh said.

According to Gonzales, Vivian's name aptly described her; Vivian means "lively," her Chinese name Ziwei means "warrior" and her last name Guan means "gathering."

"So [a] lively gathering of warriors is what we are, people that knew her and in her name do these acts of kindness," Gonzales said. "People are more important than things, so all of these things have to do with people. Once you do [the act of kindness on the card], you have to share it with someone or pass it on to someone.

Marsh said Guan was one of her best friends and is with her everyday. 

"She can emanate across the way people treat each other with curiosity, depth, patience, kindness and love," Marsh said.

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