The new Seton Hall Criminal Justice Club was recognized by the SGA as an official student club on campus in early November. The club aims to change the way Seton Hall students view criminal justice education.
“The criminal justice club’s focus will be to provide an environment for students to explore the multifaceted field of criminal justice,” said Amberlyn Dwyer, a criminal justice major with a focus in psychology and social work, and president of the club. “As a freshman, I would have benefitted from having an organization where I could learn from other criminal justice majors.”
On Thursday, Nov. 14, the club had its first guest lecturer. Angela Mullins from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) spoke about ATF, criminal investigations, and federal employment, according to the Criminal Justice Club’s Instagram page. In December, the club will host an N.J. state police recruiting unit, and they will plan for more guest lecturers.
One of the most notable features of the club is that the executive board is entirely made up of women. This includes Dwyer and Vice President Daniela Miranda Celle, a junior criminal justice major with a focus in psychology and sociology, and others.
The need for inclusivity in criminal justice has become a discussion topic in recent years. According to the United States Department of Justice, less than 13% of all law enforcement officers and only 3% of leadership. This club can help play a small part in the larger goal of making criminal justice as inclusive as possible, according to Celle.
“Regardless of our board’s makeup, our commitment to advancing the club's missions: fostering inclusivity, and providing value to all members remains the same,” Celle said.
Now that the club has been made official by the university, Dwyer said their work will increase with more representation of the club and communication with other organizations both within and outside Seton Hall.
“After the club is approved, my role will entail being responsible for representing the club and communicating with external organizations and the community,” Dwyer said.
Although the students of the organization have done a lot to get the club started, they also had help from career advisor and guest instructor Zaire Cone to build the organization up. Even though Cone left a lot of the planning up to the president and vice president, he said he still had some goals in mind.
“Our focus is to provide a community for SHU students who are interested in criminal justice,” Cone said. “We want them to learn about the many career opportunities in the criminal justice field [and] build a network of like-minded students and professionals.”
For more information on Criminal Justice Club, check out their Instagram page, @shu.crimclub.
Matthew Mendives is a writer for The Setonian’s Campus Life section. He can be reached at matthew.mendives@student.shu.edu.
