Six Weeks at Syracuse Summer College

W hen I was 10 years old, the other kids in my school called me a freak. I can’t say I disagreed with them. After all, what kind of kid thinks bones are more interesting than people? That would be me. When I was a child, my mother

worked at a museum that had an “archeological dig” at which I got to dig up dinosaur bones. Seeing the bones and knowing that they had actually come from a living thing interested me to no end.

It took until I was 12 to figure out that being obsessed with bones could be a profession. That was the year my sister intro-duced me to a television show called Bones, which followed the life and work of a forensic anthropologist. After discovering the show, I would spend hours poring over forensic science novels (Kathy Reichs’ Déjà Dead!) and library journals, gleaning as much information from them as I could. I think one reason I found forensic science so appealing is that I’ve always had trouble focusing on the big-picture things in life; forensic science—the science of gathering and examining evidence for clues—focuses on the tiny details, and that is something I do with ease.

I aspired to be a forensic anthropologist like Kathy Reichs, a scientist who examines dead bodies that are altered beyond the point of visual recognition: mummified, burned, badly decom-posed. The field may seem dark and gloomy, but I’m attracted to the brighter side of it: When a body is discovered, it’s a foren-sic anthropologist’s job to identify the body and determine the cause of death. The anthropologist gives the body back its name and story. I love the profession because it helps give back some of what victims have lost in death.

The Coolest Program of AllAt 16, I’d been searching for months for a summer forensic science program suitable for someone my age. When my

stepmother found the Syracuse University Summer College program online, I was beyond thrilled. The program offers a variety of programs and classes geared toward specific interests. Most are intensive college courses meant for college students. There was, however, an opportunity for rising high school juniors to take certain courses. My attention was drawn to the coolest program of all: Forensic Science.

Students in the six-week Forensic Science program take classes four days a week. Each three-hour class includes a lecture and a lab covering topics such as toxicology, ballistics, blood analysis, and arson investigations. Students earning a grade of C or higher on the midterm and final would be awarded six college credits. I submitted my application, an essay on why the program appealed to me, and a transcript of my grades. Two months later, I received a notice from Syracuse: I was in.

Primed to LearnUpon arriving at Syracuse, I was excited to learn more about forensic science, but I was also nervous about being away from home for six weeks. Slowly, however, I realized how cool this would be. My dorm room had a mini-fridge, a huge closet—and a roommate from California who was as excited about forensic science as I was.

On the first day of classes, my roommate and I made our

The Science ofCrime Detection

by Lily Hinson

THIN

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22 imagine Jan/Feb 2014

way to our classroom and settled into our seats. We were 40 minutes early. We’d envisioned being in a class with other high school students, so we were surprised when college students began filing in. We eventually realized that it was actually a col-lege course that select high school students were permitted to attend, and we ended up among six high school students in a class of sixteen. That’s what really solidified the idea that this was not a course for kids. I was simultaneously excited and terrified.

Our professor gave an overview of the material we would cover, as well as a schedule of assignments and due dates. Then she dove right in, lecturing while providing notes via PowerPoint. That first day was taxing (we had to sit for three hours and frantically jot down notes), but then, it was already one month into summer and my brain hadn’t been primed to learn. I got over that real quick.

Gathering EvidenceIn lectures and labs, we covered topics including evidence analysis, fingerprints, DNA, fiber comparisons, forensic psy-chology, and drug chemistry and toxicology. In small groups, we acted as part of a forensic crime scene team, gathering and interpreting forensic evidence from a simulated crime scene. We took at least 10 pages of notes each day and read vast quantities of material at night. I felt as if I really were in college.

As Summer College students, we had full use of the library, which provided students with helpful resources and a place to work on labs and class assignments. When we needed a break, we often visited Insomnia Cookies. On weekends, we had the opportunity for off-campus trips to destinations such as a bowl-ing alley, a roller coaster park, and even Niagara Falls. Due to the heavy workload, I limited myself to two trips: the roller

coaster park (which was easily bigger than my entire neighbor-hood in central North Carolina) and Niagara Falls.

Larger LessonsAs a person who has always been uncomfortable with tests, I was nervous at the thought of the midterm and final exams. I spent hours studying, sometimes skipping meals and general social contact to work on the study guides provided. The effort paid off, as I did quite well on both tests.

By the end of the program, I had learned so much about forensic science. I learned how climate affects the rate at which bodies decompose. I learned that there are four types of mag-gots, and that the type found on a body can help determine where the person died. I learned that every weapon leaves a unique impression mark, or striation, on a surface or body. But I also learned some larger lessons about me.

Participating in the summer program allowed me to see myself as a smart, independent woman who can survive—and even thrive—in a college environment. The experience rein-forced my desire to pursue a career as a forensic anthropologist. Now, as a senior, I can’t wait to graduate from high school and get back to college.

Lily Hinson is a senior at East Chapel Hill High School in North Carolina. When she’s not digging up bones, Lily participates in science club at school and enjoys opera singing, graphic design, clothing design and creation, and theater.

Crime DetectionThe forensic anthropologist gives the body back its name and story. I love the profession because it helps give back some of what victims have lost in death.

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