[Disclaimer: By the end of this article, if you haven’t laughed, thought about shedding a tear, or at least cracked a smile, I’ll give you your money back.]
I thought it would be fitting in my final post as your NIRSA Student Leader to detail the way that the phrase “Peace, Love, and NIRSA” came to fruition for myself and for our Association.
The mantra simply began as a phrase—primarily for conclusion. Its use was developed as an email signature for my NIRSA-related emails. Funnily enough, it took many friends the majority of my term to learn that “trentwj@jmu.edu” does not in fact mean that my first name is “Trent” (ha!). The phrase grew as a means of concluding my Humans of NIRSA interviews, closing a NIRSA phone call, or ending a Student Leadership Team teleconference.
Now, let me fast forward you from May 2016 (when our term began) all the way to February 2017 when our NIRSA Annual Conference ended. NIRSA President Stacey Hall capped off the unforgettable week with this frequently-used phrase that really caught fire at the conference.
So by now you might be noticing a pattern. “Peace, Love, and NIRSA” is a catchy conclusion that will soon fizzle out with the fads of our term such as the dab, the mannequin challenge, or dramatically flipping a water bottle on its bottom side. Right? Wrong.
Following Stacey’s farewell address with “Peace, Love, and NIRSA,” and as we gave our goodbyes in dismissal from the Annual Conference, I was brought to tears. The only reason I share that with you is because I cannot recall that ever happening to me before.
It was in that moment that I decided I would write this article.
“Peace, Love, and NIRSA” is just the beginning. In fact, it’s actually a beginning in and of itself. It’s a motto and philosophy we as NIRSA members strive to embody through our Association’s and campuses’ core values.
Peace
Equity. Diversity. Inclusion. Global perspectives. Sustainable Communities. Universal Design. Equality. Transgender athlete inclusion. Partnership with the Special Olympics. Taking a stance as good neighbors despite our struggle with CPAC at the Gaylord National. Need I go on?
We’re a member body founded upon the progression toward peace on our campuses and in our communities. We see all walks of life as equal—and we treat each other as such. NIRSA has taken a stance toward peace in a year that has tested our values.
As students, we find peace in having professional staff to talk to when a mentor is needed. We are provided with recreational opportunities to find our fit and find peace with ourselves. We’re encouraged through programming and message framing to love our body, mind, and spirit the way that they are.
Love
Love is one of those terms that I personally cannot define on paper, but I certainly know it when I feel it. Over the years, I’ve noticed a direct correlation between increased NIRSA involvement and the amount of love I’ve given and received.
Service, leadership opportunities, and exposure to mentor/mentee relationships are key catalysts to name a few. On the ground level, we do what we do “for the love of the game” (that was for my Champ Series folks).
For professionals, maybe it’s for the love of the students. For students, maybe it’s for the love of developing ourselves and our peers.
For everyone, it’s for the love of a shared vision:
NIRSA
As leaders in recreation, we should never forget to add a little play into our day! Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul, and many other studies reference our vocation’s “why”; there is scientific proof that recreation helps optimally improve the brain, interpersonal relationships, core competencies, depression, anxiety, and so much more. These studies are also a reminder of one simple and quirky phrase from the Fish Philosophy: “Work made fun gets done!”
As research advances, there is more and more evidence that recreation belongs as an integral element of the college experience. As a member of NIRSA, “Peace, Love, and NIRSA” may be an easy motto to embody. The challenge is for you to promote it to the members of your community.
Thank You:
As the school year comes to a close, so does the 2016-2017 Student Leadership Team’s term. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my team for the endless service they’ve given to our Association.
To Pat Shank, Kelsey Jones, Margie Wallington, Megan Normansell, Tiffany Wieser, Jordan Bishop, and Vicki Highstreet: I’ve added seven key members to my family over the course of this year. I owe you endless gratitude for absolutely crushing all the behind-the-scenes work your leadership duty entails.
I’d also like to praise the Member Network, NIRSA HQ staff, the Board of Directors, and every entity of NIRSA for all the lives you’ve impacted over the course of the year. Mine included.
To our members: You’ve helped shift my worldview into one that wholeheartedly embodies the motto in which I’ve written.
And with that said, I hope you can all take a little “Peace, Love, and NIRSA” with you wherever you go.
William Trent, NIRSA Student Leader, is currently the Graduate Assistant for Marketing & Social Media at James Madison University.
