Hayley Smith
Editor-in-Chief
Sometimes, people are quick to judge students at community colleges. They don’t think that the students here at smart enough or capable enough to do some of the stuff that students at universities do. Students Jammon Sommer and Bailey Counterman proved those individuals wrong.
At the Great Plains Psychology Conference at Fort Hays State University on Friday, March 10 and Saturday, March 11, Sommer and Counterman presented original research, the only community college students to do so among the 25 colleges that were in attendance. Although the duo did not place at the conference, they were proud of themselves for even being there.
“We were the only community college representing at the conference,” Sommer said. “Even if we didn’t win anything, we showed them that we were just as capable of doing this kind of research.”
The two students conduced research about the connection between eating disorders and sensory sensitivity. According to Sommer, it was Counterman’s idea to do research over this topic.
The students who presented research are part of the psychology club Butler has, SoPsyched. SoPsyched is led by Assistant Professor in Behavioral Sciences Nathan Swink and Associate Professor in Behavioral Sciences Cheree Encapera.
“In SoPysched, we brainstorm for projects, then we try to find research to help us create them,” Sommer said. “Then we go and present our findings, which are psychology related.”
SoPsyched offers students the opportunity to do many things.
“It was great,” Sommer said. “Not only did I get out of my comfort zone, but I got to meet new friends that I otherwise wouldn’t have known. It was the start of many great things.”
Sommer is currently hoping to start his own project from scratch soon. Although he has ideas of what kind of project that will be, he is not positive what he will end up with. Sommer said he is going to be joining NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) soon, and had he not gone to the conference, would have never heard of this opportunity.
Through the hard work Sommer and Counterman put into research, they were able to show everyone what community college students are capable of. Join different clubs on campus, and maybe you can get that opportunity down the road sometime as well.
Counterman was not available to comment at the time the article was sent to production.