Creepy careers

If discovering the secrets of a mystical cosmos or investigating crime scenes seem like attractive career choices, keep reading (at your own risk).

In honor of the Halloween spirit, Career Services hosted an array of professionals in what may be deemed creepy careers on Friday-including a funeral home director, an Amherst Police detective with the Special Victims Unit and a local astrologer.

In addition, the workshop featured a number of informative (and some gory) videos at stations that covered jobs in crime scene clean-up and paranormal investigation.

According to Katie Skomra, a graduate assistant with Career Services, the event was meant to be both fun and informative.

"We tried to decide what scary careers we could bring in," Skomra said. "We wanted to open the door for students who are interested in these careers that are never talked about."

The astrologer, Cassandra Joan, markets herself as a professional in not only astrology, but healing and massage as well. Using a laptop to project students' astrological charts, Joan interpreted information about students' personalities and destinies based on readings of their particular signs.

Joan explained the different signs which comprise one's chart.

"A planet in a particular sign means something," Joan said. "Planets are in various houses in life, and they make relations to each other based on geometry. I interpret each of these aspects in conjunction with one another to create a reading of one's energy."

Joan recounted her beginnings in the astrological field.

"I was originally in social work, and I was always frustrated," Joan said. "I've always been interested in psychology."

Joan said she went to a local paper and asked how one becomes an astrological columnist in 1987, and consequently became very well-known astrologer in the area.

She continued the paper column for 10 years, and then began to practice privately.

"The number one reason people come to see me is for validation that they are a unique person," Joan said. "Life goes through cycles, and sometimes people can't figure out why everything is falling apart, and I offer that explanation."

Joan observed that astrology illuminates the fact that we live in an ordered universe.

"Whether there is a God, or divine creator, or whatever you believe, things seem to have an order and cycle and life is not random," Joan said. "Astrology shouldn't be used as counseling, and can't tell everything that is going on in one's life, but it could explain why someone is going through a hard time."

Joan admits that even she was skeptical about astrology when she first started studying it.

In addition, Joan helped the local police force by (correctly) projecting the date that "Bucky" Philips would be caught.

Mike Torrillo, a detective with the Amherst Police, was also on hand to describe his creepy career.

Torillo, who specializes in photography and documentation, said that he and his co-workers try to collect anything connected with a crime scene including bodily fluids, weapons and powder, fibers, in order to gain criminal evidence for cases.

Torillo noted that his job is based on a certain premise that ultimately helps solve crimes.

"Anytime someone enters an area, they both leave something behind and take something away with them," Torillo said.

According to Torillo, this concept of DNA evidence helped solve one of the area's toughest cases throughout the years-the bike path rapist and killer of UB's Linda Yalem and others.

"After the last homicide in Clarence, we had DNA and a blood test," Torillo said. "We had so many subjects and people that Altimeo Sanchez was put on a back burner, but we were finally able to get his finger prints and a DNA sample that matched."

Torillo described his work on a few gruesome crime scenes, as well as on other cases where the tiniest bit of evidence determined the final solving of a crime.

"Crime scenes come in all different shapes and forms," Torillo said.

Funeral home director Wilhelmina Klimeczko of the Pietszak Funeral Home of Buffalo and Cheektowaga was another visiting professional ready to discuss her career.

Though most would view her job as thoroughly spine-chilling, it doesn't seem to faze her one bit.

"I lived above a funeral home for my whole life, so it is second nature to me," Klimeczko said.

Klimeczko, who has been a licensed funeral director for three years, got involved in this career because it is her family's business.

She does everything from embalming to overseeing funerals.

"It's a service to the public, and you need it," Klimeczko said.

Those looking for out-of-the-ordinary, frightening, or just plain interesting careers should stop by Career Services in 259 Capen Hall for ideas and some helpful advice.