Western Psychology Association

Election Winners!

The WPA Exec Team for 2010-2011 is as follows:

President: Kabir Daljeet
Vice President: Erica Giammarco
VP Events/Social: Kate Barnes
VP Finance: David Kim
VP Communications: Hannah Uzelac
VP External/Advertising: Jenna Smith
Volunteer Coordinator: Deanna Visconti

Check back soon for more information about this year's exec members. Keep in mind we will also be recruiting for our First-Year Representative position at Clubs Week I in September! We look forward to meeting you.

Cheers,
Hannah
-VP Communications

Election Candidates

President

Hello,
My name is Kabir Daljeet and I am the current Vice President of the Western Psychology Association and I am running for the position of WPA President. I am currently a 2nd year student pursing a degree in Honors Psychology and Socio-Cultural Anthropology and I have been a part of the WPA for two years now. I feel that my two years of exec experience, as a first year representative and vice president make me an exceptional candidate for this position. Having spent this year working closely with the current club president, I believe this is a position I can do both passionately and to the best of my abilities. Thank you for your time and consideration and I look forwards to meeting all of you in the future.

Vice-President

Hi my name is Erica, and I'm finishing my second year in an honors specialization in psychology. I’d like to run for Vice President of the WPA next year. This past year I had the opportunity to work as Event Coordinator for the WPA. I learned a lot about how the club operates, USC policy, and what it takes to work with a group of people to pull off a great event. My major responsibility this past year was organizing the annual Wine and Cheese, which we managed to make a successful event
despite a large budget cut. I think I’m well suited for the position of VP because of my past experience and strong work ethic. I’m an approachable person and am always willing to listen to new ideas. If there is something that the members want that we aren’t doing, I will do
my best to accommodate those requests.

VP Events

Hi,
My name is Kate Barnes and I'd like to run for the position of VP Social. I'm a first year undergraduate student who has a deep love for psychology. I have been on the WPA Exec for the past school year, and I wish to continue to be involved with such a great group of students. I want to be on the WPA Exec team because I want to contribute to the club in a more meaningful way than just attending events. I also hope to get to know the other members of the Exec better by working with them
directly.
I think I'd be a great VP Social because I've been on the exec for one year, and have seen the planning and organization that it takes to put on a WPA event. As a member, I enjoy going to these events and realize that they are great opportunities for psychology students to learn more about the field and their options in it. I also think I'd be a great candidate because I enjoy spending time in the Psychology Resource Center and helping other Exec members out when they need a helping hand.

I'm very dedicated to this club, and I'm willing to put the time and effort into an executive position for the following school year. Thank you for this opportunity to join the Exec team!

- Kate Barnes

VP Finance

Dear Executive members of WPA,

My name is David Kim. I will be a 5th year student, and I'd like to apply for the VP of Finance position on the exec for next year.

For the past 4 years, including this year, I was a member of WPA for 3 years. However, it is only this year that I attended meetings and events and started to know how the club aids into draw more interest in psychology and also help club members to gain more knowledge for their possible future paths. I really liked that, and I want to be a part of the club, involving myself more.

I am good with taking care of money. I also will be rarely wrong with any calculations for budget. I know a good estimate of things, so I'll be able to give answers to spending money from a budget more quickly with a more accurate amount.

Hope that answers all of the questions.

Sincerely,

David Kim

VP Marketing and Communications- Information Technologist (IT)

1. Hi There,

My Name is Dan Palmer And I would like to run for VP Communications-Internal (IT) on the WPA this year. I'm a third year student in Honors Psychology. I would like to work on a team next year. If I were elected to VP communications- Internal I would make sure to generate lots of hype for upcoming events, as well as bring new ideasto the table to make the club better than it already is.

Cheers,
Dan Palmer

2. Hi everyone,

My name is Hannah Uzelac and I would like to nominate myself for the
position of Vice-President of Internal Communications. I'm currently
finishing up my third year, completing a BA in Psychology at Huron
University College. I have been involved with the Western Psychology
Association since my first year here at Western. I started at the bottom, as a first-year representative in 2007-2008. I then moved up to VP External Communications, and finally became elected President of the Association for the past academic year. I believe my experience in these positions are extremely valuable in that they have provided me with unmatched knowledge regarding the club's goals, values and inner workings. I have seen the progression of this club over the years and as well have pioneered new ideas in order to take it further, such as a discounted membership for members of affiliate psychology associations. I would love to help this club expand and change by increasing awareness of our existence and the resources we offer to all students in psychology at Western. You can be rest assured that I have the best interests of the club at heart and I promise to do my very best next year.

Sincerely,

Hannah Uzelac

3. Dear WPA Executive Members,

I am Amanda Carpenter; a born and raised Torontonian known for my
enthusiasm, work ethic and short learning curve. (I can ride a unicycle! ) I am a fourth year student working towards a Bachelor of Arts, Majoring in Psychology. Next year is my fifth year at Western, but only my third year in Psychology. Believe it or not, I started first year in BMOS, second year in Sciences, and finally took Psychology (and loved it!) in third year. My experience in the other fields has confirmed that Psychology is my passion. I would enjoy the opportunity to be part of the WPA team as the VP of Internal Marketing and Communications (IT) and if elected, my enthusiasm with Psychology will encourage member participation in club activities.

The WPA has a friendly, social atmosphere and an outstanding academic
reputation, which is why I want to be a part of the team.

My past experience has given me great organizational skills,
professionalism, strong communication skills, as well as ability to work
well with others. I will improve membership subscription and attendance by keeping students well informed in more interesting and creative ways! I worked on promotions this year for Oakridge Counselling and therefore, am aware of the most effective ways of getting people involved; Facebook is a great resource, but emails and the website can definitely be improved. The VP Marketing and Communications position would require me to update the website and use PHP programming. This would be an easy task as I am familiar with HTML language, I am enthusiastic to learn more, and am a fast learner. My experience, dedication, and hard-working ethic make me an excellent
candidate for this position.

Thank you for considering my application and I look forward to speaking with you more about my qualifications.

Sincerely,
Amanda Carpenter

Volunteer Coordinator

1. Hey!

My name is Jenna Smith and I would like to fill the position for Volunteer Coordinator in the 2010-2011 year. I am an enthusiastic individual who brings good experience to the table. I was the First Year Representative this year and truly enjoyed being a part of this club. I have built good relationships with existing members and have proven my teamwork capabilities. I have witnessed the skills and responsibilities that this position entails with relation to finding volunteer positions within Western and in the community, and therefore would be a very suitable candidate.

Thanks!

Jenna

2. Psychology Nomination Committee,
My name is Deanna Visconti and I’m a third year Honours Psychology BA student here at Western. I am very passionate about psychology, and have hopes to continue my education and complete a Masters degree in either family and marriage therapy or counselling psychology. I have been an active memory of the WPA this year, attending all meetings, the wine and cheese and a couple of the brown bag presentation nights.

I have found the WPA to be extremely helpful as it has allowed me to meet other psychology students, gain access to information about career and education opportunities, and become more active in Western psychology. I would like to be an executive member of WPA next year in order to use my passion for psychology to help other students learn from my experiences here at Western. I would like to finish my last year here as an even more active member of the WPA. I would like to run for the volunteer coordinator position. I have spent a lot of time looking for and involving myself in volunteer positions during my years at Western, and I know it’s not an easy task. If given the opportunity to be the WPA volunteer coordinator I will strive to help members of the WPA as well as any other psychology students wishing to get involved find enjoyable volunteer opportunities more readily. I plan to be a very active volunteer next year, and would love to share this with other psychology students. I am very responsible and committed to psychology, and would appreciate your consideration for this position or any other position that might become available in order to give me an opportunity to be a contributing member to the WPA executive team. Thank you for your consideration,

Deanna Visconti

Charity Fundraiser at the Frog!

The WPA's annual Charity Fundraiser is happening Thursday, March 25 from 9:00pm-11:00pm at The Barking Frog! All funds collected from wristband sales will be going to Hope's Garden Foundation for the treatment and awareness of eating disorders.

Informations on tickets:

Price: tickets will be sold for $5 and include line bypass, cover, VIP access to our own fancy little lounge area, and food!
How?: Wristbands will be available through the Psychology Resource Center (3115 SSC).

The PRC hours are:
Monday: 10:30am -12:30pm
Tuesday: 10:00am -1:30pm
Wednesday: 10:00am -12:00pm
Thursday: 10:00am -2:30pm

If those times don't work for you, wristbands are available through:
- Any WPA Exec: feel free to e-mail: hannah.uzelac@gmail.com or kdaljeet@uwo.ca to set up a time to meet
- At our upcoming events!

Also note that you DO NOT need to be in psychology or be a WPA member to come, so feel free to bring your friends!

We look forward to seeing everyone there for a great night and a great cause!

Hey Everyone,

Did you enjoy your experience with the WPA this year? Are you looking to get more involved at Western? Do you want to be part of a fabulous Exec team?

If you answered yes to any of the above, you should consider running to be on next year's WPA Executive Team!

If you are interested, please send a short (less than 200 words) e-mail to nominations@westernpsych.net from Wednesday, March 17th until Wednesday, March 24th at midnight telling us which position you are interested in and:

1) Who you are
2) Why you want to be on the exec
3) What you would bring to the exec team
and any other information you deem as pertinent!

More information about positions, their descriptions and duties can be found in our constitution (see below). Please review them carefully to ensure you know what you're in for!

The nomination period will be followed by a week of campaigning, which will come to a close the day before the elections (scheduled for Wednesday, March 31st) at midnight.

In order to run for a position, you must be an official member of the WPA and plan to return to Western next year. We will not be accepting new memberships after the end of the nomination period (March 17th).

On election day, you must be present and give a short speech on why WPA members should vote for you to be on the exec next year. Voters must also be members of the WPA in good standing.

We hope to hear from you! If you have any questions feel free to e-mail our current President, Hannah Uzelac (hannah.uzelac@gmail.com) or our current Vice President, Kabir Daljeet (kdaljeet@uwo.ca)

-WPA Exec Team

Each club’s Constitution shall designate one executive member as the club’s chief returning officer (CRO).

a. The President will:

i. Ensure that the activities of the Association remain true to the statement of purpose in Article 2 of this constitution;
ii. Oversee the other members of the executive in fulfilling their responsibilities;
iii. Chair and oversee all meetings;
iv. Have USC Finance Office signing authority for the club;
v. Lead a critical review of this constitution at the first executive meting;
vi. Act as a liaison between members, the executive, and faculty;
vii. Present a year-end report detailing the events of the past year;
viii. If absent, assign an executive with all the responsibilities of the President; and
ix. Spend at least one (1) hour per week during volunteer hours in The PRC.

b. The Vice-President will:

i. Record votes and minutes of all meetings, and ensure they are delivered no more than two (2) days after a meeting;
ii. Prepare a weekly task summary after each meeting for all executives (to be delivered within the minutes);
iii. Assume all responsibilities of the President in the event of his/her absence;
iv. Be responsible for all room bookings;
v. Assist all other executive members in their duties;
vi. Give notice to executives of all meetings;
vii. Spend at least one (1) hour per week during volunteer hours in The PRC.

c. The VP Events will:

i. Organize club programs, activities and events in accordance with its Constitution’s mandate;
ii. Have USC Finance Office signing authority for the club;
iii. Be responsible for submitting event proposals through Eventsnet;
iv. Be responsible for adhering to all terms and conditions set forth by the Student Organizations Advisors;
v. Will spend at least one (1) hour per week during volunteer hours in The PRC.

d. The VP Finance will:

i. Oversee all financial dealings of the club;
ii. Keep complete records of all financial dealings of the club;
iii. Have available at each meeting an up-to-date appraisal of the Association’s financial standing;
iv. Have USC Finance Office signing authority for the club; and,
v. Will spend at least one (1) hour per week during volunteer hours in The PRC.

e. The VP Marketing & Communications – Information Technologist (IT) will:

i. Be responsible for all marketing duties within the main campus in order to recruit and increase membership participation on main campus, including but not limited to the following:
1. Production and distribution of promotional materials;
2. Arrangement of promotional presentations in key Department of Psychology classes;
3. Ensuring membership cards and informative handouts are available for distribution during Clubs Week;
4. Maintenance of a Club Website;
5. Production and distribution of email updates to be sent to members via a mailing list;
ii. Maintain a list of The WPA’s membership and contact information;
iii. Work closely with VP Marketing & Communications – External, in organizing and executing these marketing strategies;
iv. Will spend at least one (1) hour per week during volunteer hours in The PRC.

f. The VP Marketing & Communications – External will:

i. Be responsible for the marketing duties among the affiliate colleges to increase communication with affiliate Psychology Associations for a mutually beneficial relationship, including but not limited to the following:
1. Production and distribution of promotional materials;
2. Arrangement of promotional presentations in key Department of Psychology classes;
3. Ensuring membership cards and informative handouts are available for distribution during Clubs Week;
4. Ensuring open lines of communication with affiliate Psychology association executive and members;
ii. Work closely with VP Marketing & Communications – Internal, in organizing and executing these marketing strategies;
iii. Spend at least one (1) hour per week during volunteer hours in The PRC.

g. The Volunteer Coordinator will:
i. Actively solicit for volunteer opportunities in the Department of Psychology, UWO main and affiliate campuses, and the city of London;
ii. Present a monthly report detailing any newly discovered opportunities;
iii. Provide information to members via the club mailing list and club website about opportunities, and advise members about seeking opportunities independently if requested;
iv. Organize and run no less than two (2) volunteering events per semester;
v. Choose a Psychology-related charitable organization and lead a fundraiser in financial support of this cause;
vi. Spend at least one (1) hour per week during volunteer hours in The PRC

Post-Reading Week Events 2010

General Meeting and Career Info Night

The WPA will be having a general meeting from 5:30 – 6:30pm on Thursday, February 25, 2010 in UCC room 60. This is an opportunity to learn about upcoming events, about the WPA, and how to get involved next year. The end-of-the-year elections are coming up at the end of March so feel free to come by and ask about the various positions’ duties and how to apply! For those thinking of running for a position on next year’s Exec, we recommend coming to events to get an idea of what the various events entail and as a way of introducing yourself to everyone on the club and Exec!

Following the General Meeting, from 6:30- 7:30 pm, Dr.Simner will be giving a talk about careers in psychology. Looking for what to do with a psychology degree or information about various graduate school options? This is an opportunity to learn this and more! Dr.Simner will be taking questions after so feel free to come prepared with your pressing concerns.

Clinical Graduate School Information Night

Dr. Hoaken, a professor and researcher in the clinical area of psychology at Western, will be giving a presentation about applying to clinical graduate school programs and dispelling some common myths about the chances of getting in.

Date: Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Time: 6:00 - 7:30pm
Location: TBA

Last year this was a not-to-be missed event!

Charity Fundraiser

The WPA will be hosting a charity fundraiser to benefit Hope’s Garden, an Eating Disorders support and resource centre for sufferers along with their friends and family. Located in London, this charity offers drop-in support services, support groups, a library, and referrals to healthcare professionals. For more information visit http://www.hopesgarden.org/home

The fundraiser will be happening in the last week of March and more details will be announced closer to the event!