Here’s a quick look at what the Psychology Graduate Student Organization has been up to this past year and what the group hopes to accomplish in the future:
Last
year, the PGSO hosted two successful fundraising events. We operated a booth at
the Women’s Works craft fair where we sold a variety of homemade baked goods
and unique Christmas ornaments. A portion of the proceeds went to UML’s very
own Center for Women and Work. We also donated a portion to a local non-profit
called Catie’s Closet, an innovative organization that sets up locations inside
of local schools where students in need can obtain donated clothing and other
essential items. The PGSO also hosted an Open Mic fundraiser event for this
organization, and between that and the Women’s Work fair, we were able to
donate a total of $350 and several boxes of clothing. We hope that through
events like these they can build stronger partnerships between the psychology
department and community groups.
Another of our goals
is to foster a sense of community among all of the psychology graduate students.
In order to achieve this we will be hosting some fun and informal social
events. For example, this semester we have already held a fundraiser at the 99
Restaurant, where people who came to be part of the event had 15% of their bill
donated back to the PGSO in order to pay for future social functions.
As part of Lowell’s
Women’s Week, the PGSO made and decorated a silhouette of Rosie the Riveter
with the theme of “We Can and We Will” which included student signatures and
inspiring messages of change. This silhouette was part of a larger, community
wide art project for Women’s Week that was displayed at Lowell City Hall.
We have also been collecting books
around the psychology department as everyone prepares to move to the new Health
and Social Sciences building. We are donating the books to a group called More
Than Words, which empowers marginalized youth to operate their own bookstore
and embodies many principles of community psychology.
We have also requested
that the CSP Community utilize their artistic talents to
create a T-shirt design for our department. Anyone is welcome to participate in
our contest and submit a design to PGSO@uml.edu
by April 8th! Additionally we would like to encourage students to
join us at the Civil Liberties and Public Policy Conference in Amherst, MA from
April 12-14. We encourage all psychology graduate students to get involved in
any way they can, and everyone is welcome at the bimonthly meetings.
If you would
like to participate or have any project or event ideas please email
PGSO@uml.edu!
The Community Social Psychology program at UML is proud to employ a number of
talented, nationally regarded faculty members who tackle issues of social
justice both in their work and in their every day lives. Professor Jana
Sladkova is no exception to this rule. Dr. Sladkova came to UMass Lowell
in 2008 and has taught in the CSP program since her arrival. Originally
hailing from the Czech Republic, Dr. Sladkova received her PhD from the CUNY
Graduate Center in New York City in 2006. Though her main interests are
immigration and deportation issues, Dr. Sladkova has recently been working on a
project with fellow psychology professor Dr. Alyssa McCabe on the lived
experiences of children with immigrant parents. Working from a small grant,
the project has morphed from children’s experiences with deportation to
studying the children’s narrative development as bilingual in a country that
mostly values English speakers. CSP student Isabel Cano serves as a
research assistant on this project, helping with specific tasks such as
recruitment. The project is currently being written up for the journal
Latino Studies.
Dr. Sladkova also continues to work on her PhD dissertation that looked at the
experiences of Honduran migrants. When I asked why she focuses on the
experiences of Latino people, she described that she feels a special connection
to Latino culture and finds the power differentials involved in the experiences
of different immigrants to be interesting. The manuscript for her
dissertation will be published in the Psychological Interventions journal, and
because it is published in both English and Spanish, she is excited that she
will finally be able to share her work with the community she studied in
Honduras.
Perhaps one of the most important points that Dr. Sladkova elaborated on was
that she is “excited that the government is finally talking seriously about
immigration reform.” Though it may not be the direct result of research
on immigration, she believes it has “helped to push in that direction.” This
belief that socially responsible research may lead to real world policy change
is one of the common threads that binds CSP faculty members. Stay tuned
for other profiles of faculty work!
In 2007, the Center for Women & Work hosted its first ever Women’s Works event as a celebration of the creativity of UMass Lowell affiliated craftswomen. Five years, the annual Women’s Works event has expanded to celebrate the creative lives of women artists beyond the borders of the university grounds. This year, the event is boasting nearly 40 female artists and performers, all gathering to celebrate the often private world of women’s creative pursuits.
The Women’s Works event has three major goals. The first is as a fundraiser for the Center for Women & Work, a University research center committed to the advancement of women and diversity in the work force. The Center for Women & Work is comprised of an interdisciplinary team of dedicated scholars and students invested in the exploration of the role of gender in work as well as a commitment to developing programming that addresses the institutional inequities faced by diverse groups. Women’s Works is one of two major fundraising events for the Center: vendors agree to donate 25 percent of their proceeds to the Center after the event.
The second goal of the Women’s Works event is to provide voice to the often private realm of women’s creativity. Most of the vendors featured at the event have a professional life that is entirely detached from their creative pursuits: a psychiatric nurse makes intricate handmade cards, an English professor designs colorful stained glass, and a retired optician knits wool hats. The skill of these crafts often remains under-appreciated as women consider them hobbies tangential to their professional work. The Women’s Works even provides a public forum for women to share their own work and celebrate the works of others in the context of acknowledging the personal and social value of such creative endeavors.
The third goal of the Women’s Works event is to foster a spirit of entrepreneurship among craftswomen. Some of the vendors have well-established small businesses dedicated to their artistic pursuits, while other vendors have never even considered that their skills could be financially lucrative. The Women’s Works event encourages women to recognize and be compensated for the monetary value of their work, and to network with other successful female entrepreneurs while considering the potential of their own crafts to move from hobby to business.
Like all the years before, this
year’s Women’s Works event promises to be a vibrant, energetic opportunity for
members of the Lowell community to explore the more creative side of many of
the people we interact with professionally every day. The event is open to the
public and we encourage anyone interested to stop by, check out the vendors,
bid on a silent auction item and support the Center for Women & Work.
WHEN: Thursday, November 29th from 2-7pm
WHERE: UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center (50 Warren St., Downtown Lowell, MA)
5pm for Wine & Cheese with special performances
I believe that we can take pride in the fact that Community Social Psychology is a self-selecting program. Only those who have a strong sense of social justice and drive to make the world a better place for all people tend to apply. Many of our CSP students have already applied classroom experiences to the world beyond, even before coming to the program. One student in particular, Alessandra Cecala, is the founder of the non-profit organization, Take Heart, dedicated to furthering education about organ donation. Originally inspired by her father’s need for a heart transplant, Alessandra’s project has grown from idea to 501(3)(c) organization in only a few short years. Most of Take Heart’s events have been benefit concerts that charge no admission, but take donations. In addition, they have some really cool custom-made t-shirts to help support their cause. Check ‘em out, they’re pretty rad! In the spring, the organization launched its first media campaign reaching over 1000 hits on YouTube. Alessandra also recently told me that Take Heart is in talks for a possible credited internship for a UMass Lowell undergrad. This sounds like a great next step for expanding the organization. Seeing work like Alessandra’s is inspiring and shows that as community psychologists, we are able to make changes and spread awareness in our communities. In her own words, “it’s not what you say or do, but what you leave behind.”
Take Heart has an event coming up on Friday, October 19th called the “Superheroes Show” at 7 pm at the 119 Gallery in Lowell. Please come out and support donning your finest superhero costume! Admission is free, but donations are always welcome and suggested.
Posted by: Susie Paterson
ONE WEEK AWAY! Please forward to friends and colleagues. Spread the word!!
Attention CSPers!
Please come, support this event, support the beneficiaries, support the cause, and support a classmate (I'm performing one of the pieces in the show). I'd love to see you all there! Details are on the attached poster. Please forward this to friends, other classmates/groups and spread the word!
From the Producers of The Vagina Monologues
V-Day Lawrence presents:
A MEMORY, A MONOLOGUE, A RANT & A PRAYER
3 Shows only! Friday, April 13 at 7pm & Sat, April 14 at 2pm & 7pm
JOIN US! Get your tickets today! $15 Admission
Buy
your tickets here: http://
Thanks so much!
Mirakel G. Mayoral
![rfl12_header_02[1].jpg](http://blog.uml.edu/csp/assets_c/2012/04/rfl12_header_02%5B1%5D-thumb-400x331-2616.jpg)
Many students and faculty in the Psychology Department have teamed up to create the Psyched for a Cure Team. We're participating in the 2012 Relay for Life Fundraiser. Check out our team page to learn about how you can join our team or send a donation.
Come check out our first annual Take HeART Project where local artists bring pieces to sell / auction and a percentage will go to our cause. We will also be having a Take Heart themed competition piece that artists can sign up for and create a piece for! The show will be featuring photography, paintings, sculpture and more! We will also have music, fashion, and poetry (the competition piece also applies in each of these genres!). Please let us know if you would like to be involved!
Email: accecala@takeheartinc.net if YOU would like to have your work at the show!
We will be having LIVE music, art,
fashion, poetry, & MORE!
The event will be catered by Dariel Rosado and meal & drink tickets will be
purchased before the event HERE as well as at the event!
WHEN: Sunday April 29th 12pm-8pm
WHERE: The Ant Cellar - 780 Broadway Street, Lowell, MA
WHY: For all of you local artists to get your name out, make some dough, &
donate to a great cause!
HOW: Get tickets here: http://takeheartproject.eventbrite.com/ !!
For those who cannot make it, we will have live interactive viewing of art on
our website!
We hope to see you there!!
With love & hope,
Take Heart Inc
Alessandra Cecala
Founder
Congratulations to this year's CSP awardees!
Outstanding Student—Danielle Marie Carkin
Research Award—James Worthley
Campus Leadership Award—Maria McDuffie
Community Leadership Award—Daniel Bach & Megan Lewis
Outstanding Alumnus/a—Paul Marion
Please also join us on Tuesday, April 24 at the ICC Junior Ballroom for the Psychology Recognition Ceremony (reception at 5:30, ceremony at 6:00).
![rfl12_header_02[1].jpg](http://blog.uml.edu/csp/rfl12_header_02%5B1%5D.jpg "rfl12_header_02[1].jpg")
