Kean University’s Psychology Organization’s (PSY Org) numbers have dwindled and faltered in the past but those days are long over. But how did this group reach new heights in just the matter of a few years? What exactly is PSY Org and how does one become involved?

Originally, PSY Org was The Psychology Club and it went through the motions as most specialized college clubs do: promising start, steady semester, the dwindling down of members and meetings, until finally, it hit rock bottom. In 2014, former psychology student Ciara Ledet revitalized the club in the fall semester of 2014. The first step was changing the name to Psychology Organization to give the club a more professional appearance. Since then, PSY Org has grown to new heights.

According to the group’s profile on Cougar Link, the mission of Psy Org is to help students understand the field of psychology. It also serves a stronger purpose: to foster a sense of community for psychology majors and for anyone else who is interested in the subject. President Brandon Gooden is devoted to helping his peers become educated and successful within the field of psychology. “My e-board and I try our best to help students with their psychology classes and registration. We can also act as liaisons between students and the psychology department when the student doesn’t have time to reach out [themselves],” said Gooden, senior Psychology major with a minor in Business management.

The e-board consists of Brandon Gooden, President; Alivia Nufrio, Vice President; Yvana Monnay, Treasurer; Tatiana Szewczuk, Secretary; and Ricardo Villacreses, Director of Public Relations.

Every meeting is full of interesting discussions revolving around psychology, whether it is school related or a much broader topic. Right now, the club is seeing some of its highest level of interest since its beginning; meetings averaging out to approximately 30 people.  Membership is open to anyone with a desire to know more about psychology. Gooden invites everyone interested to come to a meeting and see what it’s all about. The organization’s meetings take place bi-weekly on Thursdays from 3:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. in Miron Student Center (MSC) room 226 B. (There will be pizza.)

“When I think about PSY Org, I think about community. People in our meetings are always engaging with each other when we are having discussions and they are always willing to help out one another,” explained Gooden.

In the past, the organization has had many successful events, one being their Murder Mystery Dinner in the spring of 2015. They hired two professional actors from a New York City theatre company to play out a murder most fowl. Guests who attended the dinner became part of the act while treated to a three course Italian dinner.

Gooden, who became president this past spring semester, said his interest in psychology stems back to his advanced placement psychology class he took in high school. He believes that the stigma of mental illness in America needs to be diminished. “I definitely believe that the state of mental health care in America can be improved. Many people need to be educated on the real symptoms of different mental illnesses and understand that more people live with a [condition] than they think,” said Gooden. “I think, as a society, we need to move away from stigmatizing mental illness and attributing it to violence. People who suffer from mental illness need proper medical care and compassion.”

As its numbers continue to grow, members of PSY Org have high hopes for the future. They are going to hold another Murder Mystery Dinner, hold sports fundraisers and take field trips. For more information on PSY Org, email psyclub@kean.edu. 

Psychology Organization's eboard
Brooke Roderick l The Cougar's Byte