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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories 170 structures threatened in Oregon Gulch fire Oregon Gulch fire 11,000 acres and growing Changing winds saved Pinehurst Inn from Oregon Gulch fire Medford police have arrested a second arsonist Oregon Gulch Fire grows to 6,300 acres Crime, Courts and Emergency Services 5,000-acre wildfire forces evacuations in Greensprings Emergency Services Man cited for DUII after drifting into an oncoming lane of Interstate 5 and hitting a truck head-on Two-bit crime spree yields $866 in quarters Community blog: ARSON-FROM WORRY TO RELIEF Politics and Elections Medford council veterans plan exit Former colleagues laud Atiyeh's 'practical' leadership Former sheriff candidate is let go Education Migrant student numbers soar $21 million Science Building upgrades begin at SOU Eagle Point district mulls fate of Trail school SOU Provost James Klein plans to retire Poverty standard hurts Central Point schools State news Nation - World Obituaries Don Mallaghan Ethel Iris McCoy Margaret Elizabeth Powell Van Lynn LaMaster Jack Jerry Ansures (Tooter) Weather Photo Galleries Videos Sports Latest Stories Another decent start for Tiger Lynch ends holdout with Seahawks Coach Riley prepares Beavers for fall camp Coaches rank UO fourth in first poll Flurry of trades prior to deadline Varsity 541 College Sports Coach Riley prepares Beavers for fall camp Mannion, Beavers look to close the gap Riley's coaching longevity bucks the trend in Pac-12 His own Gary Payton Beavers hope new diet plans give them bite Pro Sports Judge OKs record-setting $2B sale of Clippers Recovered from illness, Serena ready for return Darvish, Rangers drop Yanks Even after payday, Seattle's Sherman hungry as ever Fists flying at Philly practices Community Sports LOCAL REPORT Cowden, Hunt power Mavericks in win Medford Mustangs stay hot LOCAL REPORT Rogues come up short against Bells Business Latest Stories Blog: Part 2: How to Stay Cool in 100 Degree Weather Avista requests rate hike of 9.7% Blog: Study finds Oregon's exports slow to recover Contractor sweep nets 34 violations in S. 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Dining India Palace Taco Riendo Uber Herbal Coquina Restaurant Home State BBQ Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living NEWS NOW Elementary, my dear Watson SOU offers a host of learning summer camps on subjects ranging from crime scenes to cooking In a crime scene investigation camp at Southern Oregon University, a happy passel of 8-to-12-year-olds is decoding cryptic messages, taking fingerprints and breaking down ink to figure out what pen it came from. By John Darling MailTribune.com By John Darling Posted Jul. 31, 2014 @ 12:01 am Updated Jul 31, 2014 at 2:01 AM By John Darling Posted Jul. 31, 2014 @ 12:01 am Updated Jul 31, 2014 at 2:01 AM » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> In a crime scene investigation camp at Southern Oregon University, a happy passel of 8-to-12-year-olds is decoding cryptic messages, taking fingerprints and breaking down ink to figure out what pen it came from. Called Crime and Puzzlement, the five-day camp is one of 60 for youngsters 6 and older being offered through SOU this summer. Others involve art, theater, scuba diving, Lego robotics, wilderness skills, horses, cooking, video game design, Claymation — the list goes on. Crime and Puzzlement is a far cry from the days of Ovaltine and the Secret Squadron decoder ring. "It's really fun," says 9-year-old sleuth Tate Oliver of Ashland. "We learn to figure out a crime, the steps of observing, interpreting, applying the tools. It's an arson combined with a faked murder." "We have to figure out who did it and should be arrested, even the small details," says detective Sophie Groener, 10, of Bend. Switching hats and other guises, teacher Steve Roby stages elaborate scenarios, each carrying new evidence that the kids learn to spot. Then they activate their deductive reasoning skills, he says. They also get to interrogate him and try to figure out when he's lying. "Yesterday, I rushed into class, out of breath and slammed down my coffee cup," says Roby, who during the school year is a teacher at Logos Public Charter School in Medford. "So, what can they deduce from this? What can they apply to the scenario, which started on Monday and changes every day?" In the arson scene, the kids examine scraps of wood to spy what marks were made by what tools. Who has the tools? The murder weapon — poison — came from a certain food; which suspect has a stain of that food on his hat? "The goal," says Roby, "is for the kids to feel confident in their own process of deductive reasoning." Gumshoe Grady Baymiller, 11, of Central Point, saying he wants to be a wildlife officer and would actually be using the fingerprinting he's playfully working on at the moment. "It's fun, comparing the bite marks on a Styrofoam cup and making notes in our booklets, trying to figure out where the suspects were at what time," Grady says. His pal, 10-year-old Jeep Risner of Ashland, says he wants to be a police officer when he grows up. "I really like it," he says. "We set up our investigation of the crime scene and create stories to go with it, learning the forensics as we go along." On breaks, Roby and the kids study cases in a crime scene investigation book and try to deduce clues from pictures. Was the glass door broken from the inside or outside? If from the inside, what does that tell them? The summer camps range from $69 to $279, depending on materials and travel. Most are at SOU, though an oceanography camp is being held on the coast, and another camp offers sewing classes at a downtown shop. A theater camp at Camelot Theatre in August will draw 50 students. Oddly, most camps are not that well known, says director Stephanie Butler of SOU's Continuing Education department. "It's a well-kept secret, and I'm always surprised how many people I meet who have no idea about it," says Butler. Coming up next week are camps in racquetball, tennis, fencing, realism in art and a college prep institute. Konaway Nika Tillicum academy for Native American youths was held earlier this summer, and Academia Latina, for college-bound Hispanic teens, starts Aug. 10. The camps are the creation of Continuing Education, an independent arm of SOU that enjoys the support, classrooms, computers, video equipment and other assistance of the university. The camps run through the end of August. John Darling is a freelance writer living in Ashland. E-mail him at [email protected]. By John Darling MailTribune.com By John Darling Posted Jul. 31, 2014 @ 12:01 am Updated Jul 31, 2014 at 2:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. 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