social sciences/behavorial sciences 233 In November of 1976, the Psi Chi National Honor Society for psychology majors began on campus. It was made up of students that were in the upper 35% of their class, had completed nine hours in psychology and had been in college for at least three semesters. In addition to these qualifications, the members had to maintain a minimum of a 3.0 in both their psychology classes and their overall grade point average. Over the changing years, this club maintained its original foundation and purpose, which was to encourage, stimulate and preserve excellence in scholarship, as well as to advance psychology as a science. Many people, especially students, considered it a great privilege to be inducted into Psi Chi. “I was really excited to have met the qualifications,” senior Olivia Hawkins said. “It is always an honor to be requested to be part of a national honor society.” Hawkins and senior Lauren Cox, who served as president and vice president of Psi Chi during the 2008-09 school year, both recognized the significance of being involved in this organization within their field of study. “Psi Chi is a great organization to be a part of in terms of showing your commitment to the field of psychology,” Cox said. “Once inducted you are a member for life.” In addition to the longevity of membership in Psi Chi, the club also offered students immediate advantages for continuing their education or advancing their careers. “I joined because the nature of the organization is to spark creativity within members of the psychological community,” Hawkins said. “Graduate schools understand what an honor this recognition is, and I knew that it would help me further my education. Psi Chi prides itself on maintaining high standards in its scholarship, which furthers the credibility of its name. They also offer plenty of scholarships to help in future research.” The functions that Psi Chi performed included admitting new members to the club, holding psychological conventions and research award competitions and offering opportunities to apply for scholarships and grants to assist with research activities. In addition to all of these activities, Harding’s chapter took time to bring together both the upperclassmen and underclassmen in the psychology division. “We had a psychology department cookout that was sponsored by Psi Chi,” Cox said. “We went to Dr. [Glen] Adams’ and ate hamburgers and hotdogs. It was nice to relax with the professors and other students outside of the classroom.” Both at Harding and across North America, the Psi Chi honor society continually expanded. Since 1929 there were over 570,000 memberships placed, and it grew every year with new inductees. Like Cox and Hawkins, students felt energized to be part of a club that promised further involvement and support of its members in the field of psychology. Rebecca Harrell Q u a l i t y T i m e Senior Rachal Blake, president of Alpha Theta Omega, shakes hands with inductee senior Nate Moore at the induction ceremony on Oct. 20 at the Searcy Police Station. The group helped criminal justice students connect so they could stay in touch after graduation and taught them professional, academic and public awareness of criminal justice issues. Courtesy of Rachal Blake Honor Society Helps Students, Teachers Grow Closer Christians In Action Circle K Row 1: R. Gelpi, L. Larson, R. Mays. Row 2: B. Cantrell, A. Loan. Row 1: K. Masters, A. Loan, J. Ellis. Row 2: P. Alvarado, N. Miller.
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