Humans of UD

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1624

Name: Kaity Chaikowsky

Hometown: Baltimore, Md.

Major: Psychology

Classification: Junior

If you walked into Kaity Chaikowsky’s bedroom, you’d think that a hurricane had just hit. Dozens of psychology journals and textbooks litter the floor, her roommate’s copy of “Lolita” lies open near her running shoes, and between her and her roommate’s mutual hobby, there are cameras everywhere.

Still, Chaikowsky is unfazed by the disarray.

“I got used to the chaos forever ago,” she said. “Every part of my life has been perfectly structured since I was a kid. My room was my only form of teenage rebellion.”

“Tell them I look really good right now.”

She laughs, dressed in a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt from Bishop Arts that she got her first year of school — from a hipster chocolate shop literally called, “Dude, Sweet! Chocolate.”

Standing in her dimly lit condo bathroom, Chaikowsky, photo editor for The University News, is getting ready for yet another day of photo assignment adventures.

“I [have to] grab some photos of the Irving Music Factory with some other members of the photo team. It should be super cool, considering how much hype it has gotten. And then I’m bringing some friends to Bishop Arts tonight — they’ve never been and I think they’re going to be pretty impressed.” Chaikowsky smiles, “Ah, I just love Dallas!” She exclaims her mantra.

From the looks of her room, it is clear Chaikowsky loves photography.

“I’m a total picture person. I love being able to capture a moment in time and go back and live in it again. It’s one of the only art forms that you don’t create yourself. You take real life — something that’s already created, already beautiful — and showcase it.”

She steps out of her closet, having changed into baby blue socks, a denim skirt and a white graphic baseball tee. She starts to go through her camera bag, throwing in a KIND bar for later and checking for her SIM Card.

It is easy to see how her love of photography lends itself to her major. After about a year of taking math and physics courses, Kaity decided to switch her major to psychology. When asked her about her attraction to psychology, her answer came simply and easily:

“Knowing how the world works and being able to capture it through art is an amazing thing. But I want to be able to help people and make a difference too, and I think the best way that I can do that is [by] understanding how people work and how they think.”

Chaikowsky talked a bit about her future plans and what she hopes to accomplish with her degree.

“I want to bring the Montessori method of education back to its roots and open a school designed for children with special needs.”

She picks up one of the books on her floor, “The Montessori Method.”

“I’ve been doing a lot of research and I think that it would be an incredible thing that would make a real difference.”

Chaikowsky’s love of photography and passion for psychology both seem to stem from her love of people.

“In high school, I worked at a produce stand and I loved it very much because I got to talk to all sorts of people all day long. I can’t even really describe it — because we’re all so different, but we’re all kind of the same.”

Chaikowsky tied her Converse sneaker and picked up her camera bag.

As I started to say, “That’s all I need from you!” Kaity interjected: “So, when are you going to ask about my favorite pun?” She asked, attempting to wink, though in truth, it was more of a hard blink.

 

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