Forensic Students Solve Mini Murder Mysteries
By: Jessica Pinasco
Editor in Chief
The school year of 2016-2017 adopted a new course that is increasing its popularity at Buhach Colony High School, that course is Forensics. Lea Smith teaches this course and elaborates on all levels of forensics and their significance in solving crimes in real life. Since it is the end of the year, what class doesn’t have final projects? This class’s final projects will make your skin crawl, each student must make a miniature model of a crime scene! Students are assigned into groups and then brainstorm on any crime scene they want! They must also make witness statements, suspect statements, coroner’s reports, and create a video of a reenactment of their entire crime scene. After every piece of the project has been completed, it will be as if the crime scene really happened, and it’s up to other students to solve it. Each group must make a crime scene, and then each group is assigned randomly to a crime scenario made by another group and they must try to solve it. It’s a very large and creative project that requires a lot of time, effort and dedication. But the creativity some students have already put into their models really brought their crime scenes to life. “I am very excited for these projects! My students are very creative and really enjoy this course, I couldn’t have asked for more.” states Forensics teacher Lea Smith.
Editor in Chief
The school year of 2016-2017 adopted a new course that is increasing its popularity at Buhach Colony High School, that course is Forensics. Lea Smith teaches this course and elaborates on all levels of forensics and their significance in solving crimes in real life. Since it is the end of the year, what class doesn’t have final projects? This class’s final projects will make your skin crawl, each student must make a miniature model of a crime scene! Students are assigned into groups and then brainstorm on any crime scene they want! They must also make witness statements, suspect statements, coroner’s reports, and create a video of a reenactment of their entire crime scene. After every piece of the project has been completed, it will be as if the crime scene really happened, and it’s up to other students to solve it. Each group must make a crime scene, and then each group is assigned randomly to a crime scenario made by another group and they must try to solve it. It’s a very large and creative project that requires a lot of time, effort and dedication. But the creativity some students have already put into their models really brought their crime scenes to life. “I am very excited for these projects! My students are very creative and really enjoy this course, I couldn’t have asked for more.” states Forensics teacher Lea Smith.
An overhead view of Pete’s Bar and Grill with the kitchen, dining room, bar, entry way, and crime scene.
Photo by: Jessica Pinasco
Photo by: Jessica Pinasco
In this particular crime scene, created by seniors Dylan Jennings, Noah Gois, Jessica Pinasco, Garrett Groth and Jenny Zaragoza, a married couple, Mr. and Mrs. Sipman, walked into Pete’s Bar and Grill at around 9:30 p.m. for a late dinner date. The bar closed at 9:00 so the bartender was wiping down counters and chatting with a friend. There were only two other customers that were women sitting at one table in the entire restaurant. The married couple sat down next to the women’s table and ordered their drinks, about 10 minutes later their drinks arrive. The waiter doesn’t return so as to let the couple decide what they want to eat. At approximately 9:51 p.m. Mrs. Sipman began coughing up blood and Mr. Sipman called 911. When the ambulance arrived at 10:03 p.m., Mrs. Sipman was pronounced dead on scene. Shortly afterwards, Mr. Sipman was taken to the hospital because he began to vomit. How do you think this crime scene went down? It’s up to forensics kids to find out! “I really had a blast making this model with my team. We tried very hard and are trying to go out with a bang being the first senior class in this forensics class! I had so much fun, I’m going to miss it.” states senior forensics student Jessica Pinasco.
Multiple groups in the class consist of mostly juniors and some seniors, however, the seniors had a much larger experience taking the responsibility of being the first senior class to take the course. “To be honest, it was a little rough getting the hang of stuff in the class because it jumps right into the system of forensics. Forensics is really great and requires effort, and once you get the hang of it, it just flows! I’m glad I got to be apart of this my senior year and I’m looking forward to the final projects!” States senior forensic student Noah Gois. Presentations for this project begin on Thursday, May 18th. Every group will switch and display their projects and begin the investigations. Good luck forensics students!
Multiple groups in the class consist of mostly juniors and some seniors, however, the seniors had a much larger experience taking the responsibility of being the first senior class to take the course. “To be honest, it was a little rough getting the hang of stuff in the class because it jumps right into the system of forensics. Forensics is really great and requires effort, and once you get the hang of it, it just flows! I’m glad I got to be apart of this my senior year and I’m looking forward to the final projects!” States senior forensic student Noah Gois. Presentations for this project begin on Thursday, May 18th. Every group will switch and display their projects and begin the investigations. Good luck forensics students!