Mercer University’s Student Government Association recently approved a new club on campus: the Mercer Neuroscience Organization. Two neuroscience majors, Keerthika Ravikumar and Manvi Manyam, founded the club with hopes to make a difference at Mercer.
Ravikumar and Manyam, both sophomores, said they have three goals they would like to meet with their new organization. One of these is to educate fellow Mercer students about neuroscience and the brain to help raise awareness of how different neurological conditions affect people’s everyday lives.
“If you think about all the major problems in society today, you can trace it back to individual differences,”Manyam said.
Ravikumar and Manyam said they want to help break down the barrier between society and the concepts of neuroscience.
Manyam and Ravikumar said that another of their motivations for founding the Neuroscience Organization is to help create a “good networking system among neuroscience majors” and assist students in planning for the future.
“I wish I had started thinking about all of this freshman year, so I don’t have to try to finish all my hours last minute,” Ravikumar said. “I think a lot of people are going to benefit from this organization.”
The final goal of the Mercer Neuroscience Organization is to help Mercer students connect with the residents of Macon, even long after Ravikumar and Manyam graduate. They want to establish a strong relationship between Mercer and the Macon community, they said.
While they are still in the beginning stages, Ravikumar and Manyam said that the Neuroscience Organization already has an event planned to attempt to bridge the gap between Mercer’s campus and the rest of Macon, as well as several other events specifically for Mercer students.
Manyam and Ravikumar said they are hoping to host an event on campus that will feature performers who will be showcasing their talents. They said they want to reach out to establishments in Macon that assist people with mental health issues and have the clients they serve come to Mercer’s campus and watch the show.
The Neuroscience Organization had its first interest meeting on March 16, and 27 people attended. The club does not have an official meeting time or place yet, but Manyam and Ravikumar said they are planning on posting those updates on their Facebook page as they get the details finalized.
For more information, visit the Mercer Neuroscience Organization Facebook page, or email them at mercerneuroscienceorganization@gmail.com.
New Neuroscience Organization hopes to strengthen community at Mercer
Students signing up for the email list for the Neuroscience Organization.
