College Offers Summer Programs for High School Students/Teachers

High school students from the 2010 Criminal Justice Summer Camp stage a mock raid on a hotel room using fake guns after a briefing by the U.S. Marshals Service.

 

Sam Houston State University (SHSU) is providing opportunities for Texas high school teachers and students to learn about forensic science and criminal justice at camps and trainings this summer.

High school teachers will get hands-on training by SHSU faculty and professionals in the field at “Advanced Crime Scene Investigations,” offered by the Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Science Facility (STAFS), one of only four “body farms” in the United States. The trainings, which will be held from June 20-June 24 and July 25-29, will include human skeletal recovery; forensic anthropology; entomology; crime scene photography; and crime scene processing, such as identification, collection and preservation. 

"This will be the second year we are offering forensic training to high school teachers who are teaching or preparing to teach forensic science," said Dr. Joan Bytheway, director of STAFS. “Teachers find the course very fulfilling and helpful for planning their own course material. This year we've decided to offer a forensic anthropology and entomology short course so teachers can get hands-on experience and then take that back to the classroom and share with their students." 

The College of Criminal Justice will offer a series of three summer camps for high school students interested in pursuing a career in criminal justice. In addition to getting hands-on experience in various aspects of the field, students will meet law enforcement agents and college professors; tour a prison, crime lab and morgue; and participate in the investigation of a mock crime scene. 

"Our summer camps provide high school students a great opportunity to solidify their interest in criminal justice and/or forensic science," said Dr. Holly Miller. Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Programs. "Many students have misconceptions about both fields, and the criminal justice summer camp allows them to obtain accurate information and meet professionals in the field. The summer camps also serve as a wonderful recruiting tool for our College, as many high school students decide to complete their degree at SHSU because of their experience at the CJ summer camp." 

The College is one of the oldest and largest criminal justice programs in the nation, with experts in criminology, law, psychology, criminal justice, sociology, forensic science, history, and political science.

The “Advanced Crime Scene Investigation” program will be held at STAFS, a state-of-the-art research and training facility designed to advance scientific and technical knowledge in the application of forensic science disciplines to crime scene and criminal activities. The predominant focus of the study is the human body and evidence that can be gleaned from the careful recognition, collection and preservation of the evidence. 

The research center, a willed body donation facility, provides opportunities for many disciplines, including anthropologists, toxicologists, DNA analysts, criminalists, geologists, entomologists, microbiologists and chemists. 

Among the instructors for the summer teachers’ program will be Dr. Sybil Bucheli, a Forensic Entomologist from SHSU; Chris Duncan, a photographer from the Houston Police Department, and Dr. Bytheway, a Forensic Anthropologist from SHSU. 

Teachers who complete the program will be eligible for 40 credit hours from the Texas Combined Law Enforcement Office of Standards and Education, Texas’ professional policing agency. 

High school students will meet professionals in the criminal justice field, including the Federal Bureau of Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service, Drug Enforcement Agency, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office and local law enforcement agencies. The activities planned include an introduction to forensic science technology, martial arts, law, crime scene investigations, and arrest procedures. 

Students participating in the program were nominated by local school districts and must be between the ages of 15-17 years old. The four day camps will be held June 19-23, June 26-29 and July 17-20. 

The media is invited to attend the two training programs on Tuesday, June 22 and Wednesday, June 23. For more information, contact Beth Kuhles, (936) 294-4425.

How to Stop Being Late for Work!

Do you scramble to get ready for school or work in the morning? Do you have to get creative to come up with excuses for being late? While schools pass out tardy certificates, employers pass out termination slips for persistent late comers. Now that summer or graduation jobs appear on your daily calendar, it's time to learn how to show up when expected. If you're habitually showing up late, here are some steps to help you get to work on time.


1. Before going to bed, do some activities the night before that you normally save for the morning. For instance, you can pick out your work clothes, iron your clothes, and gas up your car.

2. Set your alarm 10-15 minutes earlier than your normal wakeup time. If you usually set your alarm for 7:00 and snooze until 7:15, set it for 6:45. That way you'll still be able to snooze for 15 minutes and be up by 7:00.

3. Set another alarm, such as on your cell phone, for 5 minutes after your alarm clock goes off. Now you'll have alarms ringing within a few minutes of each other, and they will eventually get you out of bed.

4. Get to bed at a time that allows you at least 8 hours of sleep. Most people run late in the morning because they oversleep or hit the snooze button on their alarm clock one too many times.

5. Plan on leaving your house 10 minutes earlier than usual. If it normally takes 30 minutes to get to work, allow yourself 40 minutes to get there. Of course, there will be times when you run behind or traffic is bad. Those 10 minutes will save you from being late to work.

6. Scope out a good place to park that's not popular. Go directly to this parking spot instead of driving around the lot trying to find an open space.

7. Wave and smile at your coworkers instead of stopping to talk to each one. Being on time means being at your work station, not merely inside the building door.

8. Fill up your coffee cup in the employee lounge in the minutes before you're due at your work station. Being on time also doesn't mean showing up at your station one minute before start time and then taking five minutes to get coffee.

Based on an article from eHow.

What's Unethical

You demonstrate your work ethics every day, whether it's taking only 15 minutes for your 15-minute break, giving credit for information you take from an Internet site, or not joining in with gossip.

Unethical work behavior can have harsh consequences, such as the loss of your job in extreme cases and not being considered for a promotion because of unethical behaviors you exhibit on the job.

In his book It's Called Work for a Reason, Larry Winget provides a list of unethical behaviors to avoid if you want to rise to the top. Place a check by any of these that might tempt you to be unethical in a full-time job.

____ Calling in sick when you aren't

____ Taking company office supplies

____ Lying on your resumé

____ Getting a haircut between customer calls

____ Fudging on an expense report

____ Saying a product will do something it won't

____ Being late for an appointment

____ Making personal phone calls or texting at work

____ Using the company copier for personal copies

____ Over promising and under delivering

____ Using the company postage machine for personal mail

____ Criticizing a competitor

____ Participating in office gossip

____ Taking a too long lunch hour

____ Not returning phone calls

____ Not checking your voice mail as often as is needed


You know in your heart whether something is right or wrong. Listen to your heart when taking an action that might be unethical.

UW Admit Summer program for Juniors!

The University of Washington (UW) Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity (OMA&D) cordially invites your students to the 2011 UW Admit.edu seminars. The seminars will be held on the following dates and locations:


- July 25, 2011 – July 29, 2011 Tacoma - UW Tacoma campus

- August 1, 2011 – August 5, 2011 Yakima – Heritage University

- August 8, 2011 – August 12, 2011 Seattle @ UW Seattle campus

UW Admit.edu is an important outreach program for under-represented minority (URM) current high school juniors (c/o 2012) who are interested in attending college. Last year we proudly served a total of over 150 students from all over the state of Washington and we are expecting a similar turn out this year.

We ask that you inform your students of this wonderful opportunity to interact with admissions counselors and to get an in depth look into the admissions processes used by many 4-year universities across the nation. Please encourage your students to respond as soon as possible. Participation in these seminars will be based on priority and a first come, first served basis. Priority will be given to current juniors (c/o 2012) with above a 3.0 GPA. The application deadline is Friday, July 8, 2011.

For more information about UW Admit.edu or to download the application, please visit the https://depts.washington.edu/reach/

Mistakes You Should Not Make during a Job Search

Robert Half International helps thousands of people find jobs each year. This successful job search company, with 360 offices worldwide, says characteristics some teens bring to school can take them out of the running if they surface during a job search. Teens may not realize they are creating a problem for their job search.


Waiting until the last minute to study

Even though you may have been able to procrastinate when you were in school, you can't delay getting a jump on your job search.

• Don't sit around waiting for the perfect job to appear. There are no perfect jobs.

• Start looking now and apply for all jobs that look promising. Jobs are hard to find, and you have lots of competition in these tough economic times.

Picking and choosing which interviews to go on

You may have gotten a lower grade in school by failing to complete homework assignments; however, you don't receive an A, B, or C on your ability to win a job. You get the job or you don't.

• Don't pick and choose among the interviews you are offered. Consider yourself lucky when you get a chance to interview and accept every interview invitation.

• Learn something at every interview. Even if the job you interview for is not the one you want, you may learn about another opportunity at the employing company.


Preparing poorly for an interview

To truly excel, you need to prepare for the interview much like you would for an exam. Don't overlook any information about a company with an interesting job opening.

• Research the company and the industry to determine how your skills meet the employer's needs. Make the connection for the interviewer.

• Ask a friend or family member to play the hiring manager in a mock interview so you can practice answering questions you might be asked. You'll give better answers if you are prepared.

• Give yourself several days to gather information about the company. Find out everything you can that will show you care about the position that's available.

Failing to revise your work

When writing a paper in school, you might have thought one draft was enough. Taking the same approach to your résumé and cover letter can spell disaster.

• Use the job ad as your guide. Emphasize your abilities and background that most closely match what the company wants in an employee. This may mean placing more focus on your certifications and "strong presentation skills" for one prospective employer, while playing up your "self-starting" nature and "ability to be effective with minimal supervision" for another.

• Review your résumé and cover letter several times before submitting them. Make sure they are free of typos. Eighty-four percent of executives Career Builder polled said it takes just one or two typographical errors in a résumé to remove a candidate from consideration for a job opening.

• After you proof your résumé and cover letter, have someone with good grammar skills review them to catch errors you might have overlooked. Asking for help with proofreading is important.

Goofing off

Fooling around in class may have been tempting, but it also was disrespectful to your teacher. You may not goof off during a job interview, but unless you are giving the hiring manager your full attention, you might as well not be present.

• Don't let your attention wander by thinking about the response to a question before the hiring manager has finished asking it. Asking a person to repeat the question shows you weren't paying attention.

• Stop watching what's going on outside the interviewer's office. What goes on outside isn't important to your future, but what's happening inside is.

• Keep your focus firmly on the potential employer throughout the entire meeting. You'll perform better when you remember more of what the hiring manager said.

Looking unprofessional

Be on your best behavior while waiting in the lobby to meet the interviewer.

• Talking on your cell phone, applying makeup, bombarding the receptionist with questions about the company are all distractions. This behavior leaves a poor impression.

• Remember that everyone you meet, including the receptionist, has the potential to influence the final hiring decision. Consider that all the people you meet may be forming an opinion of you that will be reported to the interviewer.

Adapted from a Robert Half International study reported by Career Builder.

Congratulations Rotary Scholarship Winners!

It is with great pleasure to announce that for the first time ever the Burien/White Center Rotary offered 4 $1000 scholarships! Please congratulate Rosalva Cruz (TEC), Corey Grace (TEC), Daniel Garcia (HS3), & Linda Ba (HS3)!

AAA visits Western