By: Jacob Woods and Susannah Sowell
Seeing a crazed group of nineteen scholars running down the hill in mad pursuit of a stolen Richard Nixon painting is not an uncommon sight on the Bellarmine University campus. These scholars are also known as our forensic scientists, led by their energetic instructor, Jim Seaver, who is a self-proclaimed forensics geek. Seaver is originally from Lexington where he was a UK undergrad but his plans to pursue his M.A. and Ph.D. in History landed him at Indiana University, where he currently teaches history and folklore. Seaver was a 1999 Kentucky Governor’s Scholar, but his contribution to the GSP community didn’t stop there. Since 2002, he has served on the residence life and faculty branch, following his call to become more involved. He stated that this role is a labor of love because of the constant fatigue from the late nights and early morning routine. Although his primary job does not revolve around forensics, his passion for this field of study began to thrive when he started working at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC as a Historical Art Theft Investigator.
The first three weeks of GSP have offered the exciting opportunity for learning various types of investigation skills such as fingerprint, bite-mark, hand-writing, footprint, and crime scene analysis. Additionally, they have studied lie detection, interrogation, and ballistics. These analysis tools prove to be the most vital aspects of an investigation. However, it can become confusing with the overwhelming amount of aspects to consider, so the tasks of a forensic expert must be treated with caution. Max Thompson of McCracken County mentioned how organization is key in these investigations since there are so many unique puzzle pieces that must be placed carefully in order to come to the correct conclusion. Thompson was anxious to learn about criminal profiling, which is where an unknown suspect is given an assumed identity based off the evidence that is presented. Moreover, Whitney Conley of Atherton enjoyed studying crime scene analysis because of the strong difference she was able to find between crime-related television shows and the reality of investigations.
One scholar in particular hopes to extend his passion in forensics beyond GSP and into his future career. Zach Broyles of North Laurel didn’t know what he wanted to pursue when he was younger but always considered something pertaining to the medical field. His love for hands-on activities and solving a problem led him to the idea of forensic science. One of the jobs that combines both fields is a forensic pathologist which is now his specific career choice. Broyles entered the class with more background knowledge than his peers but he has still been able to gain new information about forensic science that will become useful in his future. He states that there has been several blinders removed of fake investigation techniques and that this class has sharpened his view on forensic science.
Forensic scholars have already received a vast array of knowledge within the field of criminology and are ready to put their skills to the test. Beginning in week five, the class will conduct a campus-wide crime investigation that will combine everything they have learned thus far. This will include the various analytical tools and the knowledge they have gained from the field trips taken to the local FBI and cadaver lab in Louisville. Each student will be assigned different roles during the investigation and Seaver will have little to no interference with the assigned project. This gives him the opportunity to see what the students have learned and how they will react to a strict time constraint in solving the crime. The class has already carried out several smaller investigations that included a Richard Nixon painting theft, a Jimmy Neutron doll murder, and a GSP office staff footprint analysis. These experiences were designed to prepare the scholars for their final investigation and to challenge the students with the reality of solving a crime.
The most striking feature of the class is the interaction and personality that steers the group of scholars into a tight-knit community. Caroline Sowell of Oldham County states “I love the community we’ve built...we have fun as we’re learning.” She made it clear that the atmosphere in the classroom is untouchable and that it is amazing to observe how much the scholars have grown together in such a short time. Seaver has loved how the students have created this environment and describes them as “anxious to learn and even naughty.” Their shared eagerness to explore the forensic field and grow tighter as a community is what makes this class exceptional.
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