Members of the Psychology Club learn how to dissect a brain at a past event. (Photo courtesy of Maegan Walker)

BY SHAWNA TAKAKI | STAFF WRITER

As a student-run, organized, and operated club at Kapi‘olani Community College, the Psychology Club is a club open to all students interested in the field of psychology.

“I’m an international student, and when I first got here, I didn’t know anyone,” said Kimberly Mulan Song, a secretary for the club and Liberal Arts major undecided in whether or not to switch to Psychology, “It’s a great place to get engaged on campus. … You get to meet so many new people and attend diverse, fun events.”

Maegan Walker, the advisor for the club and a Psychology professor at the college, has been with the club since the idea was proposed in 2018.

“The original goal of this club was to create a space for students … to learn more about what this type of field has to offer them, regardless of their individual interests,” said Walker.

The club’s next planned event, Psy Club Exploratorium: Illusions, will be on Friday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Olonā 208. It will examine the nature of illusions in regards to psychology. It’s open to anyone interested, including non-students. You can learn more about upcoming events and be added to an email distribution list or the club’s Discord by emailing the club at psyclub@hawaii.edu.

In Fall 2018, a survey was conducted among Psychology students at KCC to gauge interest in the idea of a club. The club was initially faculty-driven but quickly expanded and taken over by the students. In Fall 2019, Psychology Club became an official Registered Independent Organization on campus. It opened up to wider membership and began events in Spring 2020, but the club met a hurdle when the Covid-19 pandemic restricted in-person contact.

Over the summer of 2020, the officers envisioned how the club would function during the pandemic. The club launched a multitude of Zoom events and survived through the hardships. The club got an updated digital presence and created a Discord server for the members.

The club’s mission is both to promote community-wide understanding of psychology and to provide development opportunities for the members of the club.

“The Psychology Club has expanded my knowledge of what I can do and where I can go,” said Max Barker, the vice president of the club and a psychology student.

At the events, which are open to the public, there are guest speakers on various topics in psychology. Some past examples include people from the clinical field, physiology, animal cognition psychology, data analysis, forensic psychology, and more. 

On March 3, the club will host a CV workshop from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Olonā 208. It will focus on updating your resume, led by the club’s advisor. On March 24, students will focus on science writing and teach students on how to write scientific reports that are accessible. It will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Olonā 208.

Some members of the club have also found internships and volunteer opportunities from guest speakers and fellow peers.

The club currently has 10 members, with five officers. There is an optional membership fee of $5 that you can pay to support future events.

“The more students that join, the more fun we can have,” said Zach Gibson, president of the club, and current Information and Computer Science major. “Anyone can join.”