Forensic Science and Criminal Justice Camp at Columbia College

We developed the idea to have a camp where
a third of it was over the crime scene, a third of it was over the crime lab, and then a third
of it was over scientific evidence in court The first day of the camp was a crime scene
investigation kind of the day. So I explored all the different disciplines to process a
basic crime scene with the students, from fingerprints to photography to collection
evidence, that type of work up. We tend to think of the Forensic Sciences
as three separate kind in the areas: the chemical sciences, biological sciences and physical
sciences. And because the camp was relatively short and we were able to expose the students
to one or two types of analyses in within each of those areas.

We use this year's mock trial case which had
crime scene analysis, fingerprint analysis and some other the areas of forensic science
that the students were actually dealing with here. So I made the mock trial case available
to our participants. And so we gave the students all the mock trial case materials that they
needed and I coupled that with the brief background lecture on what it's like to be a witness,
and what the evidentiary standards are, and so after we did that, then we got in and actually
did some simulated witness testimony. My favorite part I think would have to be
working in the labs and hands on stuff because I learned a lot of new things.

I've been planning
on doing forensics for a while but this really enforced it. Yeah, actually Im already
planning on coming next year. And Id tell my friends, you never know you might discover
your calling..