As the temperature rises, so are death rates due to extreme heat, drowning, and injury. With death comes complex autopsies and reports about the causes, and forensic pathologists investigate all types of deaths, big or small.
With the forensics class offered at the high school, taught by Mrs.Weigel, students can learn the ins and outs of analysis, evidence collection and duties of many forensic-related careers.
One part of this class, open to any student interested, is the opportunity to travel to PennWest University to take a tour of their Cadaver Lab and experience a few parts of an autopsy firsthand. On May 7, 2026, this semester’s forensics classes attended the lab. The SportsMed program also goes on this fieldtrip, but the presentation they go through has a slightly different focus.
Weigel stated, “The woman in charge is going to put a forensics spin on our field trip. For example, last year one of the cadavers had a hip replacement and the metal they used started deteriorating inside and caused her death.”
30 students between the two periods offered this semester will hop on a yellow school bus and attend this field trip.
They will have the opportunity to hold a variety of real human organs and experience the day in the life of a forensic pathologist. Since there is one trip each semester, the students taking this class last semester could have gone. However, the first semester trip got cancelled due to the weather conditions. For future years, both semesters of classes should have the opportunity to go.
“For some people, it’s really emotional seeing a person on a table and moving their body parts around. But, it’s sort of mind-blowing how different everyone’s body is. It really looks nothing like the textbooks or pictures,” shared sophomore Elyse Bosnic, who went earlier this year with a group from SportsMed.
The field trip is definitely not for the faint of heart, but for anyone interested in a possible career in forensic science, or even in the medical field, this field trip can open their eyes to all the pros and cons of the work they may want to do in the future.
Senior Miranda Schury stated, “I’m excited because it’s always been a backup plan for me to do something in first responding or forensic science. I’m curious about how organs look after death and to see the connections between them.”
Since the visit is interactive, kids are held to a strict dress code.
“They must wear long pants, long sleeves and closed-toe shoes to avoid getting fluids on them,”affirmed Weigel.
They also can’t use their phones or have very many carry items, and they have to be escorted everywhere by a chaperone.
Since there’s a risk of feeling faint, sick or nauseated, they are also encouraged to eat a good breakfast and drink enough water.
This trip is a wonderful opportunity for students interested in lab work but also the specifics of forensic and medical work. To go, the only steps are to take Forensic Science and maintain good grades.
