The University of New Haven’s Psi Omega chapter of the American Criminal Justice Association (ACJA), also known as the “CJ Club,” recently attended their regional conference in King of Prussia, PA. The conference hands out a total of 60 awards, and the Psi Omega received more than half.

Out of all of the awards received, two were particularly special to the organization. One was the Sweepstakes award, which meant that ACJA won the most overall awards. The second was the Spirit Award, which means that their chapter demonstrated the most spirit during the conference.

“As a member of the executive board I am incredibly proud of the chapter for winning these awards and for being spirited and professional throughout the entirety of the conference,” said executive assistant Winter Lauch. “I think it shows just how excited we are to learn about the criminal justice field, how much work we put into our academics both inside and outside of the classroom, and how dedicated we are to our professional growth.”

Not only did the members win awards, but they had the opportunity to hear about regional business, listen to guest speakers, compete in written exams, a crime scene and physical agility.

The American Criminal Justice Association is a national organization that started in the 1930s, but was not brought to the university’s campus until 1944. Since then, the organization has experienced a lot of growth, specifically in their network of connections and the kind of events that they do. The organization has over 250 members, according to Charger Connection, and is considered one of the largest clubs on campus.

ACJA is a place for CJ majors to interact with others who share their passion, as well as to find job opportunities and get hands on experience in their field. Treasurer of ACJA, Zachary Wolff said that it is, “an honor to hold an executive board position in an organization that has done so much for me, as well as others on this campus.”

“My college career would not be half of what it is without ACJA. ACJA has provided me with some of my best friends as well as connected me with some amazing people in the field I am pursuing,” said Wolff.

Looking forward, the American Criminal Justice Association has multiple events coming up. On November 7, they are hosting a Hiring Panel at 6 p.m. where different law enforcement agencies are coming to speak to students about their hiring processes. On November 14, they are co-sponsoring with the Accounting Society and listening to an FBI Forensic Accountant from New Haven speak about her experiences. Finally, on November 28, they are hosting a discussion on the Annie Le murder case.