Joining the Society of Physics Students is Easy!
Any physics student can join the UNH Society of Physics Students for free! You do not need to be a pure physics BS major, you just need to be a student who specializes in physics on some level. For example, people trying to get BAs in physics, or minors, or dual degrees, etc. can join.
To join the local chapter simply just start coming to SPS meetings or events. The meetings are held every Thursday from 1:15-2:00pm in the Mezzanine on the third floor of DeMeritt Hall. Also, check SPS Events page for scheduled events.
If you want to join our email list, simply email our Co-presidents Stacey Karthas or Jonathan Wurtz. As a part of the SPS email list you will receive notifications of SPS meetings and other activities.
To be an official member of the "National" SPS, simply come to an SPS meeting and we'll work on getting you signed up. Memberships cost $20/year, but this is paid for by SPStutoring funds (so it is free for you!). Official membership in SPS gives you a few perks, notably a subscription to Physics Today (a high quality physics magazine for physicists), subscription to the Journal of Undergraduate Research, the SPS Observer (Society of Physics Students Official Newsletter with good accessible physics articles), and membership in the physics society of your choice, which generally comes with a free newsletter or journal (choices are American Physical Society, Optical Society of America, Acoustical Society of America, the Society of Rheology, American Association of Physics Teachers, American Crystallographic Association, American Astronomical Society, American Association of Physicists in Medicine, American Vacuum Society, or American Geophysical Union).
Note: Even if you aren't an official member with the national group, that does not prevent you from being a part of the UNH chapter of SPS.
What Does SPS Do?
The Society of Physics Students is an organization composed of undergraduate physics students who meet outside of our physics classes.
SPS is a great place for physics students to meet and socialize with other physics majors and students interested in physics in an informal setting while doing interesting things. On top of this, SPS provides information on paid physics research opportunities and other physics jobs, good classes to take, physics collqquia, or even just actual physics from talking with other students.
SPS organizes fun recreational activities for our members. Here are some of the events UNH SPS has organized in the last four years: An SPS egg drop competition, chat with Professor, student colloquia, movie nights, pool nights (billiards), SPS open house (with cool stuff like Liquid N 2made ice cream, dry ice made explosions, Van de Graaff generators, etc.), Bowling nights, Group Physics Study Sessions during Finals (with free Chinese food), Lunches with physics faculty members, A Hike on Mount Washington, Recreational Sports, A trip to see Copenhagen (the physics related play about Heisenberg, Bohr, WWII, and the atomic bomb), A trip to high school classes to do cool Physics Demonstrations, A star-gazing night at the UNH Observatory, A trip to the Bates particle accelerator near MIT, Raffles for a free DVD that you enter by coming to SPS meetings/events, UNH faculty talks about their research, among other events. SPS members choose what SPS decides to do, so if you have some great idea for an SPS event all you have to do is bring it up at a meeting and we can then do it!
Our UNH Chapter of SPS meets in the undergraduate student lounge, room 339 in DeMeritt Hall pictured below. Our membership and activities is funded by the UNH Physics Deptartment in exchange for free weekly tutoring sessions for all undergraduate physics classes (PHYS 400-799, though primarily 400-level courses). Our membership and activities is funded by the UNH Physics Deptartment in exchange for free weekly tutoring sessions for all undergraduate physics classes (PHYS 400-799, though primarily 400-level courses).
Contact our Co-Presidents Stacy Karthas or Jonathan Wurtz for more info/questions.