JC Students Tackle Crime Scene Science

9/20/2012 (Updated 6:35:25 PM)

(Source: Jason Weinstein)

This field behind Johnson City High School was an active crime scene today - at least for these forensic science students.

"Today is a chemistry lab experiment gone wrong. So there's pieces of lab equipment all out there," said Johnson City Forensic Science teacher Chris Townley.

The Johnson City high school students are taking a new class offered by SUPA, Syracuse University Project Advance. It's a year-long course good for four credit hours at Syracuse and most other universities. And it has other benefits.

"We're outside. Hands-on. We're trying to figure out murder scenes. It's awesome," said Johnson City senior Justine Clark.

Prime-time television shows have made forensic science part of pop culture. But these students will tell you actually being out in the field and doing the work is much different than what you see on TV.

"There's a lot more specific things you have to do. It's not just you to into a lab, you get the blood samples in three minutes. It takes hours," said Johnson City senior Sarah Nezelek.

"The TV shows are really dramatized but here you're actually learning the facts you need to know," said Clark.

"Crimes don't get solved within 43 minutes like every show. It's not as easy as it sounds," said Townley.

One thing making life easier for these students are these tablets, which contain the course book and a camera to document the evidence.

"Rather than going home, going on the computer, you can do everything right in class and save it right here," said Nezelek.

The class is open only to seniors who pass the biology and chemistry Regents Exams. And although just a couple of weeks old, the course has become extremely popular.

"Unfortunately I've had to turn students down because I have 28 as it is right now. So unfortunately more kids want to get in. Maybe next year we can have two classes," said Townley.

****In Johnson City, Jason Weinstein, Fox 40 HD News.****

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