Area Student Attends Meteorology Camp
Felix Sutherland, a seventh grade home school student from Hardeman County, was one of 22 students who attended a meteorology camp hosted by the University of Tennessee at Martin Jackson Center and Jackson State Community College (JSCC). The camp was held at JSCC Monday and Tuesday, July 14-15, 2025, and geared towards rising sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students. Basics of meterology was the focus, and campers learned about fronts, air masses, jobs in the meteorology field, and severe weather awareness.
Shaley Snider, a lecturer of meteorology at the UT Martin main campus as well as an instructor in the university’s meteorology concentration, conducted the camp. Ms. Snider also offers classes for dual enrollment students at the UT Martin regional centers.
“On Monday, we learned about weather instruments and made our own weather forecasts with the instruments, built and tested an anemometer, and dissected weather maps. We also talked to the National Weather Service and Moe Shamell, a meteorologist at WBBJ-TV in Jackson, about jobs within the meteorology field,” said Ms. Snider. “On Tuesday, we focused on how clouds form, types of severe weather, and how meteorologists and officials assess damage from severe weather. Then, we built our own houses out of different crafting materials and tested them against thunderstorms, hail and tornadoes using a table fan, marbles, and a leaf blower. We had lots of help from the UT Martin Jackson Center and UTM assistant professor of geosciences, Dr. Aaron Scott.
The camp ended with students learning how to pack an emergency bag, and they held an emergency bag-packing relay race to instill what they learned.
“It was very fun, and I made a lot of friends who were interested in weather too,” said Felix. “We did a lot of activities like making bottle tornadoes, a relay race to find items we need to survive weather situations and made our own houses to see if it would withstand tornadic winds.”
Students from UT Martin helping with the camp were junior Christian Bryson and senior Lio Stephens, both of Jackson; senior Noah Hamblin of Drummonds; and junior Noah Lewis of Troy. All four students are geoscience majors with concentrations in meteorology.
“We wanted to spend time focused on the weather basics and what being a meteorologist really means and then help prepare them for any type of severe weather we may experience here in West Tennessee,” said Ms. Snider. “We had lots of help from the UT Martin Jackson Center and UTM assistant professor of geosciences Dr. Aaron Scott.”
Ms. Snider noted there was quite a bit of interest this summer and the hope is to offer another camp next summer.
Read more local news by clicking here.
Stay informed on what’s happening in Hardeman County by subscribing to Hatchie Press e-mail updates.
Do you have community news you’d like to share? E-mail us at news@hatchiepress.com.
