A group of interested 7th and 8th grade students at Canton Middle School attended the school’s very first Lunch and Learn session. The program was an opportunity for students made possible thanks to a generous donation from Duke Lifepoint and Haywood Regional Medical Center.
Students learned about Forensics from members of the Waynesville Police Department. For 8th grader Hannah Robinson, it was a chance to get an inside look at “how the police caught the bad guy.”
“When I look at a fingerprint,” she said, “all I see is a smudge. But when they see one, they see an important key to the crime scene.”
While enjoying lunch of pizza and cake, the students heard from Detectives Bryan Reeves and Tamara Vanderday about crime scene investigations and the work involved in the examination of evidence. Then students participated in hands on activities demonstrating the science of solving crimes.
Students learned about the history and science of fingerprinting from Detective Vanderday, who is a certified fingerprinting expert. They were able to study their own fingerprints using balloons. “We blew it up a little and printed our fingers in black,” reported 7th grader Azandria Rivera, “and then we blew it up even more looked closely at them.”
As 8th grader Sidney Gaddy observed, “It was really cool. I enjoyed seeing how similar fingerprints can be, yet so different in the smallest details.”
Detective Reeves showed students how to make a mold of a footprint in the sand using special material similar to what students are familiar with at the orthodontist when they are fitted for braces.
According to 8th grader Brian Lubinskas, when the session was over and he told his classmates (who hadn’t signed up) about the experience, “They were jealous that I got to take part in such a cool activity.”
Program organizer, Guidance Counselor Sarah Peterson, reported that the session was definitely a positive and worthwhile experience for the students involved. “My goals were to make it special for the students and for them to learn some new information,” she said, “and I think both goals were achieved.”
This sentiment was confirmed by 7th grader Emma Willis, who attended the Lunch and Learn for more than just a chance to do something different. “I’ve always been curious about forensics,” she said. Plus, she continued, “It may help me in later schooling.” Summer Shuler, another 7th grader, echoed that sentiment, stating, “It gives me another choice for a job when grow up.”
It is that kind of forward-looking College and Career readiness that the CMS Lunch and Learn hopes to bring out in as many students as possible. More sessions on more careers are in the works for the coming months.
Kira Stone is already encouraging classmates to sign up for the next Lunch and Learn. “Not only is it fun and enjoyable,” she declared, “it is truly educational!”
Submitted by: Bill Hunt, Canton Middle School
