Representatives from Psi Chi, an international honor society in Psychology, were recruiting potential members for the Fall 2009 semester outside of Amador Hall Monday.

Psi Chi operates as a federation of chapters located at over 1,090 colleges and universities in the USA, Canada and Ireland. The total number of memberships registered at the central office is now more than 500,000 lifetime members.

“I should have applied two years ago but I’m definitely applying this semester,” Ramon Gabriel Figueroa, a senior majoring in Psychology said. “It’s a well known honor society. It’s so important to have on your application when you apply for grad school. It’s very prestigious.”

Figueroa won the William R. Hearst/CSU Trustees Award for Outstanding Achievement earlier this year. Only one student at each CSU campus wins the award.

To be a member you must have a minimum of a 3.3 GPA and have at least nine units in classes at Sacramento State, said Diane Battaglia, senior psychology major and public relations officer for Psi Chi said. There is also a $65 fee and if you meet the qualifications, you become a lifetime member.

“We have a lot of events to get Psi Chi members to meet with faculty and to get them to understand what it takes to graduate and get into grad school,” Battaglia said. “It gives students opportunities to get involved in research projects and things like that.”

On Nov. 6, Psi Chi will be hosting a student and faculty social. It will be an event that allows student members to meet faculty, including future psychology professors. Students will have a chance to network with people who are also involved in psychology and psychological research projects on campus.

“Joining Psi Chi is everything if you want to go to grad school,” Del McCoy, senior Psychology major and treasurer of Psi Chi said.

Application deadlines for Psi Chi are Nov. 6 and applicants are accepted every semester. Once a student is accepted to graduate school, there are grants available for Psi Chi members, McCoy said.

“Being a member of the Psi Chi honor society shows that you’re not just on campus going to classes and it shows you’re involved in extracurricular activities,” Battaglia said. “It’s a great opportunity to get to know your faculty members and also do some community service. We always talk about what’s going on and try to get people involved. It’s a good place to network.”

Psi Chi has national and regional conventions and the Sac State chapter usually meets once a month.

“I’ve always been intrigued by what makes us behave and think the way we do,” Figueroa said. “All the (psychology) classes that I’ve been taking are just illuminating and enlightening to learn about all the skill sets of how the human behavioral process are ruled and governed by certain principles.”

Gina Cruz can be reached at [email protected].