Psychology: the New Club on Campus
I recently got together with Olivia Jarvis ’21, one of the founders and current secretary of the Psychology Club, a new club that I’m sure many students (especially Psych majors, like me) are wondering about.
Where did you get the idea to start the Psychology Club, and what was the process like?
My roommate and I came to Arcadia interested in Psychology and were shocked to find there wasn’t a Psychology Club here. Since a lot of students are a Psychology majors or minors, or are just interested in psychology, we thought it would be a great opportunity for everyone to establish a club. We found out two other people were also in the process of starting a Psychology Club, met up with them, and decided to work on it together. By the end of the Fall 2018 semester, we were officially approved. The process toward the beginning was pretty simple—getting a club approved here at Arcadia is relatively easy. I think that the most difficult part of the process was differentiating ourselves from other clubs and presenting to the members of Student Government.
What makes this club different from Arcadia’s Active Minds Club?
We focus on more of the scientific aspects that go hand-in-hand with mental health. We also don’t focus just on mental health, but also on the career paths people can take in psychology and topics that are associated with psychology, such as behaviorism. We are hoping to collaborate with Active Minds this semester to run an event that will focus on mental health in psychology.
What does this club offer to Arcadia students? Is it only useful for Psychology majors?
The club offers a wide variety of events that pertain to both students majoring/ minoring in psychology and those who are just interested in the field. We are planning to do more general-based events—for example, a movie night, where we’ll discuss the psychology behind a certain movie. As a club, we are focused on informing students about all the fields within psychology and the different aspects there are to psychology. I would say that this club is useful to anyone who is interested in the field of psychology and just wants to know more about it.
What is the best part of being an officer of a club on campus?
I would say that the best part of starting and being an officer of a club on campus is seeing everyone’s hard work pay off. When we were in the process of starting the club, there were only four of us, and we weren’t sure how many people would officially join once we were approved. But now we have a large, diverse group. It’s great to see so many people, with a wide variety of backgrounds, come together with a shared interest in psychology.
What future event are you planning?
We are hosting Career Networking Day on March 7 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. It’s open to all students and is available to register for on Handshake. This is our big event of the semester, where we are having employers from different fields come in and talk to prospective students about internships, post-graduate school opportunities, and working in areas they are interested in. There will be free food and great opportunities to talk to employers. We also are planning a movie night, a Q&A with a hypnotist, and a volunteer opportunity at a local elementary school.
When are the club meetings?
Our club meets every other week on Wednesdays from 6 to 7 p.m. in Boyer 114. Everyone is welcome to attend to learn more about psychology!
