The 2020 E-Board of CJSAC told us everything you need to know about meetings this year. Hear from Amanda Hasenauer (President), Lily Zukin (Vice President), and Isabelle Johnston (Treasurer).
The Criminal justice Student Advisory Council (CJSAC) is an organization for students interested in criminal justice topics. CJSAC hosts weekly discussions, events, and guest speakers to help students learn more about educational opportunities and careers in the field. Although most of the group is made up of criminal justice majors, CJSAC welcomes students of any major. CJSAC President Amanda Hasenauer assured us, “We’re always welcoming new members to join. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never been and it’s the middle of the semester–everyone is always welcome.”
This semester, amid Covid-19, CJSAC will be conducting all meetings and events over Zoom on Wednesdays at 6pm EST. According to CJSAC Treasurer Isabelle Johnston, “This semester will definitely look different, however, we’re still expecting to have fun and engaging meetings. Just subscribe to our email list and you’ll receive the weekly meeting Zoom link.” CJSAC has a number of goals for the unique semester ahead, one of which is to maintain a connection between CJSAC members, so everyone still feels like a part of the SCCJ community despite not attending meetings in person. To do that, the CJSAC E-Board has exciting meetings planned, like discussions about the dark web and the death penalty, a student panel about co-ops, and a student panel about the PlusOne Program at Northeastern. The organization also hopes to hear from guest speakers on the topics of law school, law enforcement, and women in criminal justice. They noted that members are always invited to make recommendations for an event or meeting agenda.
The E-Board shared their favorite part about being involved with CJSAC:
Hasenauer recounted, “My favorite part of CJSAC is definitely being able to meet and foster connections with other CJ students. Whether it be sharing co-ops we’ve done, classes we’ve taken, future career goals and options, or just talking about life in general it’s been really valuable to meet and grow close to people who have a shared interest but are still so different from you.”
Johnston recalls an event that stuck with her, “My favorite CJSAC memory was when a former police chief came in to talk to us. This was one of my favorite events because he was very honest about the issues facing our criminal justice system. In classes we learn about the issues in policing, however it was impactful to hear it confirmed by former police chief. His talk was very motivating and it reminded me of why I was initially drawn to study criminal justice: to make an impact and have an active role in social and criminal justice.”
The leadership team later touched on how CJSAC has left an impact. The weekly meetings brought Hasenauer closer to finding her career interests post-graduation. Similarly, hearing from guest speakers widened Johnston’s knowledge of topics in the field.
Students can connect with CJSAC by signing up for the email list, emailing nucjsac@gmail.com, or following CJSAC on social media (Twitter @CJSAC, Instagram @nucjsac, Facebook @neucjsac).
