Interested in forensics? Hoping to ease your test experience by drawing on a test bank? Want to raise money for charity? Or even pick up a gun licence? All of these opportunities are offered by the UTM Forensics Society.
According to president Tiffany Lee, one of the most valuable opportunities the society offers is the meet-and-greets with forensics professors. “A number of our profs are part-time profs only—they’re mainly police officers and forensic identification specialists—which makes it tough for students to reach them,” she says. “We try our best to be the bridge between the students and the profs through our meet-and-greets.” Among the non-academic events are the Firearms program, in which students can obtain a gun licence, and events where they can learn about careers in forensics.
The club hosts several events yearly to raise money for Child Find Ontario, a charity that supports families by helping them protect their children. One such event is Murder Mystery, held last Wednesday and covered in the arts section this week, which raises money through a raffle. The Murder Mystery is an interactive play in which guests try to guess who the murderer is. Another popular event, Get Arrested for Charity, allows students to get a mug shot.
The club also offers academic assistance. “Many students sign up for the huge test bank,” Lee laughs. “We offer tests for biology, chemistry, calculus, anthropology, sociology, [and] psychology […] courses that cover material in forensic science and more.”
Members can also attend seminars that help them with the forensics program application, which includes an essay component, unlike most other programs at UTM. The club also facilitates signing up for the American Academy of Forensic Science, an annual conference at which forensic scientists come together to talk about new research and its applications.
The forensics club is young and looking to expand. The society currently has 300–400 members, and its executives are coming up with ways to allow it to grow and develop. “We’re currently working on getting volunteer work offered to members […] we’re hoping to get it underway in a year or two,” says Lee.
The club seeks to educate its members and nourish an interest in the field of forensic science. Questions and inquiries can be sent to forensics@utmsu.ca.
