Volume 5, Issue 3

Meade High School

March/April 2013

Homeland Security Signature Program

Street Gangs in Maryland
Antoinette Pigatt from the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services spoke with Homeland Security students in order to raise awareness of the presence of street gangs in Maryland. Street gangs are defined as three or more people organized for criminal activities. A gang identifies itself through hand signs, colors, and symbols. New gang recruits generally range in age from 12 to 24 years old, so many students could personally relate the topic to their own lives. Ms. Pigatt provided a review of the presence of gang influence in popular culture including music and fashion. She connected with students by pointing out references to street gangs in the music they listen to regularly.

History of the National Security Agency

UPCOMINGEVENTS April 29 - IT Job Shadow Day at NIST April 30 Tara Oursler, Chief of Staff for Rep. Dutch Ruppersburger will speak with HLS students May 3 - HLS II field trip to New York City June 7 - The 2nd Homeland Security cohort graduates!

Although the NSA is down the road from Meade High, many students have never come any closer to the agency than MHS. That changed when thirty HLS students visited the NSA's Cryptologic Museum. Museum staff gave students a tour, describing the history and technology behind cryptology. Some students were able to work with a World War II era Enigma machine which was used by Germany to encrypt and decrypt messages. Following the tour, NSA professionals spoke with students about NSA's mission and what is required if a person wants to get a security clearance.

Students worked with an Enigma machine.

Biometrics and Cybersecurity at the U.S. Naval Academy

U.S. Naval Academy professor Dr. Angie Moran hosted thirty students from the Homeland Security Program on April 11. Students were given valuable, hands-on lessons on cybersecurity and the use of biometrics in security by professors Dane Brown, Chris Brown, Currie Wooten, Thomas Murphy,William Stanton, and Ryan Rakvic.. The first lesson demonstrated how insecure login information can be stolen and the Students play biometric paddle ball security protocols that should be followed by using only their eyes. website developers. Students participated in activities that showed how their identities could be easily stolen and how IP addresses could be spoofed. A visit to the biometrics lab topped off the visit. The lab studies how the use of a persons physical or behavioral attributes can be used for identification. Students played paddle ball with their irises and used facial recognition technology to identify the gender, age, and demeanor of a person.

Homeland Security Staff John Yore, Principal Sean White, Asst. Principal Harli Ramos, Teacher Brian Rooney, Lead Teacher Jim Hopper, Signature Program Facilitator Please direct comments or questions to Brian Rooney (brooney@aacps.org) or Jim Hopper (jhopper@aacps.org).

Current and former Homeland Security students presented the program to Meade Middle School 8th graders in March.

Meade High School Homeland Security Signature Program

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Advocating for Victims of Human Trafficking

Katie Wallis and Danielle Lohan from the Maryland Rescue and Restore Coalition are advocates for victims of human trafficking and they travel Maryland to raise awareness. Ms. Wallis and Ms. Lohan brought their cause to Homeland Security classes in March. The United Nations defines human trafficking as the act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harboring, or receiving a person through a use of force, coercion or other means, for the purpose of exploiting them. Ms. Wallis and Ms. Lohan focused their presentation on the Baltimore region which is a hub for trafficking because of its proximity to BWI, I-95, and the Port of Baltimore. Several students were surprised that human trafficking occurs in this area and were engaged in lively discussion. One student stated that one lesson she learned from the presentation is that human trafficking is local. Another stated, I cant believe that it happens in Jessup, after she learned of problems at the Jessup truck stop. Students walked away with a clearer understanding of human trafficking, some promising to educate their friends.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers & Emergency Response

Amongst the many missions of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is to provide assistance when natural disasters or other emergencies occur. The Baltimore District's area of responsibility includes the District of Columbia, Maryland, and portions of New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, and Delaware. The Corps of Engineers assists state and local governments when the disaster exceeds state and local capabilities. Representatives from the Baltimore District spoke with students about the roles they played in responding to Hurricanes Sandy and Katrina, and 9/11. Brittany Bangert, Jay Hershey, Duane Alston Mitch Burns, and Mike Vaccaro, members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Baltimore Division, provided Homeland Security, GIS, and Civil Engineering students with an overview of the organizations roles in emergency response to disasters.

Maryland State Police Training Facility

Twenty Homeland Security students visited the Maryland State Police Public Education and Training Facility in Sykesville on April 16. Students began the day participating in an emergency management tabletop simulation and then a tour of the facility. Following the tour, students engaged in a team-building activity led by Rick Harding. Teamwork was applied to a simulated raid of a house and participants were expected to apprehend three suspects. Many students finished the day by completing the training facility obstacle course.

Students work together to respond to an emergency during a tabletop simulation.

Edith Guardado-Martinelli (center) leads the group through a team-building exercise.

Michael Barteck works hard to successfully complete the obstacle course.