Summer academy allows students to investigate crime scenes
High school students had the chance to learn what it's like to be a forensic investigator this June at Hanover's second annual Summer Academy, sponsored by the Rivers Institute.
Using modern scientific techniques and the resources of Hanover's science department, the scholars examined blood, bones, and trace evidence, trying to determine the "who, what, when, where, why, and how" of a simulated crime.
High school sophomore Lindsay Culp (Speedway, Ind.) expressed a viewpoint held by many of the participants when said she applied for the academy because she has always been interested in science. "I've always wanted to be a chemistry teacher," she said. "I want to learn as much as I can before college. This is a great opportunity."
The camp had three goals according to Assistant Professor of Chemistry Craig Philipp. "The first was to have fun, the second was to teach them science, and the third was to have them be able to present scientific findings by the end of the week," he said.
To teach them about scientific method and decision-making, Hanover's Director of Security Dave Thomas took the 16 scholars to a mock-crime scene on The Quad, with the victim played by Philipp's daughter, Susie.
Philipp said the scholars learned what to look for in a crime scene, how to perform proper evidence collection without tampering the evidence, how to log what they collect and how the chain of custody should work.
"They were in full biohazard suits," he said. "They photographed (the scene) and spent the bulk of (one day) going through evidence." One task was to examine blood spatter.
"We talked about how blood drops transfer. When they're from a few inches from a table, they're perfect circles. As you get higher, they'll have different patterns." Philipp said the students used a toothbrush to create high velocity patterns. "They all made patterns on paper and loved it."
Jennifer Hankins, a sophomore from Crawfordsville, Ind., agreed. "It's fun to play with fake blood and (watch it) splatter," she said. Hankins, who hopes to be a coroner someday, believes the academy helped give her a better understanding of the realities of her future profession.
"Everything isn't as fast as television (makes it appear) to be."
Other activities that piqued the students' interest were working with bones to determine sex and race and DNA testing, which eventually led to their catching the "criminal."
Of the 16 students, sophomore Victoria Ross traveled the farthest — from San Diego, Calif. — to attend the academy. For her, just doing the science was a treat. "It gives me a chance at college life," she added.
Philipp said the scholars' biggest challenge was performing upper-division college level science. "At least two of the students had never had a chemistry class before (the academy)," he said. "It took away their fear of science at this high a level."
In fact, they enjoyed it so much that Philipp said on a white board in one of their classrooms, students wrote, "chemistry is awesome," and "I heart chemistry."
For a teacher, it doesn't get much more rewarding than that.
