LEHMAN TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Students on the campus of Penn State Wilkes-Barre got the chance to be crime scene detectives on Monday.
The room has all the evidence that something bad has happened. It looks like a crime scene, but it is really just a classroom, and it's all staged.
"My major is forensics, so it's cool to see what I'd be doing in the future," said student Emily Brzozowski.
The students are in Penn State Wilkes-Barre's forensic photography class. Their professor teamed up with state police to stage a crime scene so that the students could practice taking photographs of it.
"It was nice seeing young (students) in college that are very passionate about forensic science," said Trooper Pete Smith.
"It's important because they don't have to want to go into the academy to become a trooper, but maybe they want to work in the lab, they want to be a photographer at a crime scene for the newspaper, for TV, so we can give them some pointers, things to look for, and how to better themselves," added Trooper Deanna Piekanski.
The fake crime scene provided a realistic look for the students, giving them a chance to see what it would be like to be a forensic photographer.
"We're doing as much as we can on campus to provide active learning experiences for our students so that it's much better retention of the knowledge and the ability to apply some of the things we learn in class," said professor Jonathan Pineno.
"It's a lot easier to understand things when you're in a real-life scenario rather than reading about it because you get more of a visual aid," Brzozowski said.
There will be two more demonstrations similar to this one held on campus before the end of the semester. The next one will be held on April 1.