Digging Up Bones: An Interview with the SMU Forensics Society

Written By Carolee Avery

Thumbnail Photo by Hannah Gibbs on Unsplash

Saint Mary’s University’s Forensic Science program allows students to participate in numerous interesting and exciting opportunities including the Saint Mary’s forensic society. The Saint Mary’s Forensics Society began as a society that was exclusive to students and faculty involved in the Forensic Science program at Saint Mary’s University. However, it has been open to anyone at SMU who is interested in forensic science for some time. 

Photo of Journey Giesbrecht by SMUForensics on Instagram

I met the current President (Chloe Champion) and Vice President (Journey Giesbrecht) of the society over Zoom at the end of April. I started the Zoom meeting by introducing myself, then asking the Vice President and President to tell me a little about themselves. Journey started off the round of introductions. This interview has been edited for clarity.

Journey: I am Journey, the current Vice President of the Forensic Society. I am in my fourth year at Saint Mary’s University, I am majoring in Anthropology, and I am taking the Forensic Science certification program. This is my second year on the executive team and my fourth year as a member of the society.

Chloe followed up by introducing herself:

Chloe: I am Chloe, the President of the Forensic Society. I am also in my fourth year at Saint Mary’s. I am majoring in Biology, and I am also in the Forensic Science certification program. I have been a part of the society for four years and have been on the executive team for two years.

As we talked, I asked  Chloe and Journey if they felt that the pandemic had impacted attendance at general meetings and events this past year. Despite the challenges that the pandemic brought forth, the President and Vice President made it known to me that the Forensic Society was still able to thrive and host several virtual events, including a pumpkin carving and costume contest that ran from October 16th, 2020 until October 31st and the Study with your Forensic TA’s event on November 2nd, 2020.

Photo of Chloe Champion by SMUForensics on Instagram

I asked both Chloe and Journey which event hosted by the Forensics Society was the most successful and enjoyable. They quickly agreed that their Trivia Night had been a resounding success:

Chloe and Journey: We actually had a good turnout for a majority of our events, but I think the most successful was our Trivia Night.

As for their individual favourites, Journey spoke highly of the Night Stalker Watch Party event:

Journey: When we watched the Night Stalker over Teleparty, it was such an easy and fun event, and I really enjoyed the episode. In the past, the society has done movie nights, so it was nice to be able to continue that [tradition] even in a pandemic.

The Night Stalker Watch Party, which took place on February 16th, 2020, was a virtual event where members of the society gathered on Teleparty. Teleparty, which is a Google Chrome extension, allows for long-distance movie nights by syncing video playback and creating a group chat right on screen in your Chrome browser. During the event, present members watched the first episode of Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer on Netflix, a documentary about Richard Ramirez, the American serial killer.

Chloe agreed that the Night Stalker event was a great way for everyone to get together virtually, but reiterated the success of the Trivia Night:

Chloe: My favourite event was definitely the Kahoot Forensic Trivia night we had. 

The Forensic Trivia Night took place over Zoom on October 8th, 2020. It was the society’s most successful event this year and while there were no prizes handed out, winners of the event did get bragging rights.

I asked the executives if the society had any events planned for April and May, which they did not. However, they did say that they are currently getting ready to choose the executive team for next year. To do this, Chloe and Journey are asking anyone interested in becoming a part of the executive team to send them a message through Instagram or by email. The message should include which position on the team you wish to fill, as well as a short introduction about yourself and your past work. Chloe said that the current executive team hopes to have next year’s team selected by the end of May.

Photo by Hannah Gibbs on Unsplash

I ended our meeting by asking Journey about the podcast she hosts called What The Forensics. She had this to say:

Journey: Basically, the three [hosts] are all members of the society. There’s me (Journey), Rebecca Ryan, who was on the executive team last year, and Nicole Hopper, who is the reigning champion of trivia for two years in a row. We wanted to share our love of forensics with everyone, including those outside of the Saint Mary’s Community. We’re building off the society by sharing the world of forensics with those who are passionate about it but don’t have the opportunity to take classes in it. Our episodes cover a crime and the forensic science that was used to solve that crime, which makes us stand out from other true crime podcasts. Since the three of us are in the forensics program at Saint Mary’s, we figured this was an easy way to educate people on the world of forensics while fueling our passion for forensics and true crime.

You can listen to Journey’s podcast What the Forensics on Apple Music, Spotify, or Listen Notes. Journey also mentioned that podcast listeners could send in topic requests for future episodes on their Facebook page or by visiting their website. If you or someone you know is interested in joining the SMU Forensics Society, you can reach out to the society through their Facebook, Instagram, email (smuforensic.society@gmail.com) or by attending their general meeting in the fall.