Classroom CSI

Seniors at Holy Cross Academy are getting a look at real crime solving this year with former Virginia Sheriff’s Deputy Becca Ferek.

“I’m a hands-on person,” Ferek said of her teaching style. So her students are actively sketching mock crime scenes and gathering evidence with the same skills and tools used by professional investigators.

“It was cool because we got to see how it happens in real life,” said student Maria Twal.

They have also learned how to sharpen their observation skills by “tailing” other students.

“It was interesting because you can get a lot of information just by talking to someone,” said student Ivy Domes.

Ferek, who earned her master’s degree in forensics from George Mason University in Virginia, hopes to show students that what they see on TV crime shows is not quite reality.

“Nothing gets solved in 45 minutes,” she said. “There is what’s called the CSI effect where jurors are swayed by their misconceptions of crime scene investigations picked up from watching TV.” Ferek said she hopes to show her students how the process really works.

She also wants the class to show students all the career possibilities in forensics and how a multitude of professions can lead into the field. For instance, dental forensics can be used for identifying bodies, forensic photography for documenting crime scenes, and forensic psychology for behavioral profiling.

Holy Cross Academy is a Catholic junior/senior high school. For more information, visit www.holycrossacademy.com.

PHOTO COURTESY HOLY CROSS ACADEMY Becca Ferek explains how to sketch a crime scene during her forensics class at Holy Cross Academy.