Photo by Balazs Balassa<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Harding Criminal Justice Association (HCJA) hosted an event on Dec. 6 for students from the criminal justice department, challenging them to find the culprit of an elf\u2019s murder.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The murder mystery experience was put on by the HCJA in the Ezell Center, in conjunction with assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry Chantelle Taylor and assistant professor of behavioral sciences Samuel Jeffrey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Harding Criminal Justice Association has been looking to do some fun but educational exercises that advance our learning of careers in law enforcement and the legal system,\u201d senior criminal justice major Emma Smith said. \u201cLast semester, we took a self-defense class with Harding Public Safety, which was enjoyable and also taught us some valuable lessons in escaping situations that could be potentially harmful. The hope for this simulation is similar: to enjoy our time while learning the techniques of handling crime scene murder investigations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the group was based in Ezell 212, clues were scattered throughout the whole building \u2014 along with multiple suspects, Taylor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c[The goal was] to help them be engaged with each other and with the thought of possible future careers on a more fun scale,\u201d Taylor said. \u201cBut really just to bring people closer together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The event was originally supposed to be built off of an online kit, but shipping issues kept it from coming in on time, senior HCJA president Todd Yurcho said. Instead, the association leadership created their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAny good facilitator or logistics individual would have a plan B and a plan C, and if you have to go to plan D, well maybe it\u2019s just doomed to fail,\u201d Yurcho said before the event. \u201cMy plan B, which is looking like it\u2019s going to work out, is to have Chantelle Taylor provide some things from her forensics class.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The crime scene was built with Taylor\u2019s forensic experience and designed to be fun as well as logistically challenging. Some of the evidence included a discarded glove, a sharpened candy cane and an elf hat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBeing able to investigate a crime scene, even a simulated one, will be good,\u201d Yurcho said. \u201cGood experience for individuals to be able to see the layout of a crime scene and how it works, but also to our students who want to go into law enforcement or a different profession in the law field.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It wasn\u2019t just criminal justice majors involved, either. Three of the suspects during the event were sophomore molecular and cellular biology major Katie Yurcho, freshman psychology major Rachel McKinlay and senior social work major Lauren Masteller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just a good end of semester … team bonding kind of adventure,\u201d Todd Yurcho said. \u201cThose are the best kind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Harding Criminal Justice Association (HCJA) hosted an event on Dec. 6 for students from the criminal justice department, challenging them to find the culprit of an elf\u2019s murder. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The murder mystery experience was put on by the HCJA in the Ezell Center, in conjunction with assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry Chantelle Taylor and assistant professor of behavioral sciences Samuel Jeffrey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Harding Criminal Justice Association has been looking to do some fun but educational exercises that advance our learning of careers in law enforcement and the legal system,\u201d senior criminal justice major Emma Smith said. \u201cLast semester, we took a self-defense class with Harding Public Safety, which was enjoyable and also taught us some valuable lessons in escaping situations that could be potentially harmful. The hope for this simulation is similar: to enjoy our time while learning the techniques of handling crime scene murder investigations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the group was based in Ezell 212, clues were scattered throughout the whole building \u2014 along with multiple suspects, Taylor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c[The goal was] to help them be engaged with each other and with the thought of possible future careers on a more fun scale,\u201d Taylor said. \u201cBut really just to bring people closer together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The event was originally supposed to be built off of an online kit, but shipping issues kept it from coming in on time, senior HCJA president Todd Yurcho said. Instead, the association leadership created their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAny good facilitator or logistics individual would have a plan B and a plan C, and if you have to go to plan D, well maybe it\u2019s just doomed to fail,\u201d Yurcho said before the event. \u201cMy plan B, which is looking like it\u2019s going to work out, is to have Chantelle Taylor provide some things from her forensics class.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The crime scene was built with Taylor\u2019s forensic experience and designed to be fun as well as logistically challenging. Some of the evidence included a discarded glove, a sharpened candy cane and an elf hat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBeing able to investigate a crime scene, even a simulated one, will be good,\u201d Yurcho said. \u201cGood experience for individuals to be able to see the layout of a crime scene and how it works, but also to our students who want to go into law enforcement or a different profession in the law field.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It wasn\u2019t just criminal justice majors involved, either. Three of the suspects during the event were sophomore molecular and cellular biology major Katie Yurcho, freshman psychology major Rachel McKinlay and senior social work major Lauren Masteller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just a good end of semester … team bonding kind of adventure,\u201d Todd Yurcho said. \u201cThose are the best kind.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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