Boasting around 1500 students, Towson’s psychology major is a discipline which carries a vast and diverse population, though it is looking to become a tight knit community with the help of several staff and students. Found at Room 3114 in the LA building, a weekly meeting is held for The Psychology Club every Wednesday with support by faculty mentors Dr. Dardis and Dr. Kukucka along with an executive board of our peers. Meant to bond those with an interest in the subject, The Psychology Club is open for all students on campus to participate. If you’re a major or minor in Psych, you can partake in the meetings while also being a member of Psi Chi: the department’s honors program. Psi Chi is designed for people who are declared as a Psych major or minor while having at least 12 credits in the subject, an overall GPA of 3.3 and a Psychology GPA of 3.5. You can participate in all Psychology Club activities whether you’re in Psi Chi or not, but it is an option worth exploring if you meet the requirements!
Collecting insight from the Executive Board, The Psychology Club/Psi Chi is structured in a way where there is a mix of social events as well as meetings that pertain to academics and career-building in the field. “We look to provide as much information as possible while also allowing members to de-stress.” says Kat Reyes, Psi Chi/Psychology Club president, “For example, today’s meeting is a Game Night.” Members can participate in a variety of games while keeping them engaged through the resources being offered. It is not uncommon for there to be guest speakers at these meetings. Recently, one of their events known as ‘Get Psyched’ saw several professors come to educate those in attendance about the many special areas of Psychology. Kat made it known there are more speakers lined up in the near future who can help members find a career with their major :”We have people coming in for résumé, CV, and personal statement writing.” Assisting students in establishing connections using their major seemed to be a heavy focus when asked what would draw someone to the club: “A big thing with The Psychology Club is it opens people up to opportunities that we have here in Towson,” said Kat, “a lot of students might not be aware of the options they have with the major, but that’s because they might not necessarily have been told.”
Psi Chi and The Psychology Club bridge the gap between Psych students and information about their major, having potential to be a guide for those in need. According to Kat, this can especially be a positive if you’ve recently become a Tiger: “There are many Freshmen and Sophomores, so I feel this is very good for them as they know what to look forward to as they progress in Towson.”
VP Shayna Eubanks echoed these statements with some insight of her own: “The Psychology Club can be helpful for people looking to find their direction within Psychology. You might know that you like Psychology but may not know what specific area you like or what Psychology is really about. Our club gives you the chance to help figure that out.”
An upcoming event pertaining to that is a meeting labeled as “Careers with an Undergraduate Degree.” For prospective Psych degree holders who have a limited scope of what they’ll be able to do with their bachelor’s degree, this event is meant to present you with plenty of career ventures you might not have been aware of. Kat hopes that this event can lead to some new aspirations for our Psych grads: “We want to put these career options out there for students so they can get into them now if they’d like and ask whatever questions they may have.” There are various other events in store with a range of topics, but it’s worth highlighting that many of them are meant to act as a gateway for all your needs as a Psychology student. Both the Writing Center and Career Center will be in attendance for a meeting to offer advice and aid with the career-building aspect of The Psychology Club. Kat touts how this particular event will be good for those who are looking to go to grad school or looking for a job at the moment.
Furthering their initiative is an event called “Research 101”– a joint event with the Stevenson Grad Club which is meant to inform people on the many options there are in the realm of psychology research. Internships, Registration Tips, and other tricks with navigating Towson Psychology are also listed on the schedule. Interspersed with these information-heavy events are lighter and more unique activities such as Movie Night, Pumpkin Painting, a Halloween Bake Sale, and even a Juneteenth Celebration! This is only a small overview of a wide array of plans. If any of this has piqued your interest, and you’re looking to get involved, the opportunity is waiting for you! For those looking to become a part of Psi Chi, jumping in involves a straightforward application available to students at PsiChi.org along with a one time membership fee of $82. For those who aren’t looking to join the Honors Society aspect, The Psychology Club is an open interest group that is always available for people to be a part of with no application or fee required. As we closed out our discussion, VP Shayna encouraged fellow students to come in at any time: “We’re happy to have people, so please come out! It’s a great opportunity to build your résumé and develop your skill set in Psychology!”
If you have any other questions about Psi Chi or The Psychology Club, you can contact their team at tupsichi@gmail.com.
David Christian