Ms. Mackanin’s Forensics class completes an annual project where she creates a storyline, characters, and evidence for the students to discover. This year’s project was about stolen fundraising money from the main office. The project involves several teachers and is the end-of-the-year project for the Forensics class since 2016. The official trial for the People of Becton v. Thomas McGuire was set in place on May 25, 2023, in the Media Center. The objective of the trial was to determine if the defendant is innocent or guilty based on only the facts of the case. The process of the trial began with the Judge Keliah Gonzalez entering the courtroom. The Jury was comprised of a group of students who were randomly selected.
In light of the recent news by BRHS Cats Eye View, Ms. Mackanin’s Forensics class has completed their annual Forensics case project. This project has been taking place since 2016, and each year Mackanin creates a different story for each class to participate in. This year, the case was about stolen fundraising money from the main office. The teachers involved with the project this year were Mrs. Tabaka, Mrs. DeSantis, Mr. Caputo, Mr. Matos, Mrs. O’Neil, Ms. O’Driscoll, Ms. Felten, and Ms. Skeahan.
Mackanin prepares her volunteer characters for their parts, which also takes a lot of time. “It literally takes me months to put together a storyline, create the characters, and create the evidence for the students to discover,” she commented. “I imagined that if I was a student and had the choice to take this course, I would want to do something like this,” Mackanin said. She had mentioned that she had become interested in true crime stories when she was a teenager and wanted to be a detective!
The Forensics class end-of-the-year project requires a lot of hard work, but it is worth it as long as the students have fun, In light of the recent news by Mackanin. Student Grace Padvano notes, “This project was my favorite project that I have gotten to do this year.”
The official trial for the People of Becton v. Thomas McGuire was set in place on May 25, 2023, in the Media Center. The objective of the trial was to determine if the defendant is innocent or guilty based on only the facts of the case. The process of the trial began with the Judge Keliah Gonzalez entering the courtroom. The Jury was comprised of a group of students who were randomly selected. All Jury members were sworn by taking an oath by the Bailiff.
Throughout the process, the Defense was actively maintaining the position that McGuire remained innocent. The Prosecution called their first witness to the stand, Alexa Felten, who works in the Office. She was cross-examined and argued about who conspired to the crime of theft. Next, Joan O’Neill was the second witness, who was sworn in. She works as a Custodian and Bus Driver. There was a claim that she was the one helping McGuire with the fundraising box from Track and Field. She has a key to the office, but not the box and at the time of the crime, she was driving the school bus. There was an objection in the court, and it was sustained. Those watching were hanging at the edge of their seats trying to see how the defendant would react.
The Forensics class end-of-the-year project is not only a fun and exciting way for students to learn about the criminal justice system, but it also provides them with valuable skills in critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork. It requires months of preparation and a lot of hard work from both the students and the teachers, but the end result is a rewarding experience that they will never forget.
