Tag: community

adult learner, Advice, Education, First generation, Online, self care

Hey, We Got That PMA!

CSEA Student Voice

Written by Lux Marquez, Educators United & Pride@NU Club Member

College is chaos. The world is chaos. And if you’re reading this, you’re probably trying to survive both with your brain, your heart, and your dignity intact. So let’s talk about something radical, something loud, something that punches through the noise like a power chord at a basement show: Positive Mental Attitude—PMA, baby.

Now, before you roll your eyes and mutter “toxic positivity,” hear me out. PMA isn’t about pretending everything’s fine when it’s not. It’s about choosing to fight with love, with fire, and with the unshakable belief that you matter—even when the system says you don’t.

A collage featuring the letters 'PMA' prominently in the center, surrounded by various playful graphics including hearts, a megaphone, a record, a vintage camera, headphones, and a cat, all set against a muted green background.


Bad Brains said it best: “Don’t care what they may say, we got that attitude!” That’s not just a lyric—it’s a battle cry. PMA is punk. It’s resistance. It’s showing up to class when your rent’s overdue, your government’s a mess, and your identity’s under attack. It’s writing that paper like it’s a manifesto. It’s organizing, surviving, and thriving in a world that wasn’t built for you. And Bikini Kill? “I’ve got the love that’s strong and not weak!” That’s the kind of love PMA demands. Love for yourself, your community, your weirdness, your rage. PMA doesn’t mean you’re never angry—it means your anger is rooted in hope, not despair.

In a world where marginalized students are told to shrink, PMA says: Take up space. Be loud. Be brilliant. Be unapologetically you. Whether you’re the only queer kid in your class, the first in your family to go to college, or just trying to stay afloat in a sea of deadlines and doomscrolling—PMA is your armor and your amplifier. So next time you’re staring down the barrel of that 10-page paper, a protest, or just another day of being alive in 2025, remember: You’ve got that attitude. And that attitude? It’s punk as hell.

adult learner, Parents

A Different Hat

CSEA Student Voice

By Steven Collins Eller –
Inter-club Council Representative, Omega NU Student Organization
Chair, Student Social Work Association




When I was an acolyte

The master told me that

I would always be an adept

But I’d wear a different hat



So far I’ve been a gourmet

I’ve been a teacher too 

I’ve always been a student

Of whatever art I do. 



In all, of my endeavors

I’ve always gleaned the clue

That it was time to hang that hat

And find a new task to do



I’ve never had a problem

That couldn’t be made gold

By applying something new

Mixed with that which was now old. 



And now, I am a poet,

A husband, and a dad.

I find these last to be

The most joyful hats I’ve had.



So now, of hats, I’ve several. 

I wear at least one every day. 

Most days I wear several, but,

I wonder which today. 



As an adept, then a poet. 

So a student soon will teach. 

And how priceless is the task,

Of others’ minds to reach.

I ask you, dear reader, to bear with me, and grant me license to reflect. An acolyte is not exactly the right word for what I was trying to portray when I wrote this poem. Perhaps, a better word would have been “initiate”, but I never could get used to the way it sounds. Regardless, I think that the meaning becomes apparent. The poem is among a series that I wrote about five years ago, but it has never been published in written form before now.

My favorite part is the stanza that begins, “And now, I am a poet.” To me it feels like the poem kind helps you to realize you’ve been carried along by the poetry up until this point, and then kind of dropped into cold, hard reality. “…a husband, and a dad.”

community engagement

Culture, Community, Celebrations – 2023 Year in Review! 🎉🎊🎈

CSEA Student Voice

It has been a busy year for the Center for Student Engagement and Activities! Getting to connect with so many of our talented students over the last 12 months has left us endlessly honored, grateful, and inspired. As we’re wrapping up 2023, we wanted to go down memory lane and highlight some of the amazing moments we’ve had this year with our #NUfam!

We started off the year strong with our inaugural CSEA Webinar with Crystal Chisholm on Building your Personal Brand!

We went on to do five more webinars throughout the year on topics including social media, self-publishing, AI, goal setting, and mentoring! In case you missed it, you can view now these webinar recordings right here on our blog!

What topics/speakers would you like to see next?

Throughout 2023 we also had a variety of celebrations highlighting a diverse range of cultures, experiences, and wisdom.

At our events, we asked you:

About Hispanic Heritage:

Your thoughts on self-care:

We gamified learning:

Through various cultural lenses:

And of course, gave away lots of prizes! 🏆

In addition, we had some big wins for cultural competency and inclusivity through training over 50 members of our NU Community in creating Safe Zones for LGBTQIA+ communities and raising the inclusive pride flag for the first time at Spectrum Campus!

One of our favorite highlights from this year was getting to connect with our wonderful students and alumni in person!

We still fondly reminisce about our Lunar Year Celebration in February at Spectrum Campus. 🧧🎊 (View our full event recap here!)

And we will never forget the magic at the San Diego Pride Parade in July. 🌈✨

We highlighted some amazing students voices with our First-Generation and Military-Affiliated Panels. (Recordings also available on this blog!)

And we can’t forget the wonderful collaboration we did with Student Wellness and The Whole Person Center for our Guided Journaling Event!

To say this was a big year for us would be an understatement. We are truly humbled by the increase in engagement we’ve seen in 2023 and are so excited to see what 2024 has in store for us!

We will continue to provide opportunities for connection, learning, and joy for our students and we hope that you will be a part of this journey with us!

Keep up to date with our student organizations, events, and programs through our Linktr.ee! And be sure to check your NU email and your D2L container at the beginning of each month to see what we have in store!

Thank you again to everyone who took the time to connect with us, attend one of our events/webinars, join a student organization, and read our blog!

We wish you all a Happy Holiday Season and New Year! We’ll see you in 2024!

P.S. What was your favorite memory of 2023? Leave a comment to let us know!