We’re a public university and sometimes people discount us because of that. I think it’s important for people to see what we are about. That we have amazing opportunities, wonderful professors, and mentors that guide us. I’m proud of that.
When creating a bucket list, it’s fair to assume that most people wouldn’t include exploring a pitch-black prison cell. However, for Bridgewater State University criminal justice majors Kyle Robbins, ’25; Rachel DiMonda, ’22, G’25; and Julia Swirbalus, ’20, G’26, it was high on their list.
Last year, the three BSU students traveled to San Francisco to take part in the American Society of Criminology’s (ASC) conference. While there, they signed up and took a nighttime tour of Alcatraz Island, the site of an abandoned federal prison.
“There are many notorious prisons in America, but I don’t think there is one as infamous as Alcatraz. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Julia said.
For Robbins, learning more about the prison and its history was eye opening. Particularly the last part of the tour when they were brought down into the belly of the prison, where inmates were kept in solitary confinement.
“We were only standing there in the pitch-black room for about 30 seconds, but to know people were in there for days, or weeks, that they had to experience that? I definitely gained another perspective on the prison system, even in that short period of time,” Kyle said.
During the trip, all three also presented at the ASC conference.
Rachel spoke about how art can be used as a healing tool within criminal justice, Kyle talked about youth, and the adversity that comes with exposure to social media, and Julia presented on institutional injustices, specifically the British military and suppression of the study regarding shellshock.
As for the conference itself, getting to meet experts in the field was inspiring.
“It was amazing to be around other criminologists. It was interesting to go and listen to other people present their research, go to panels, listen to different discussions,” Julia said. “You get to meet people that are in the field you are pursuing. It’s really cool to make those connections.”
Rachel said she was intimidated at first but soon found it to be a welcoming environment.
“Here I am, this little grad scholar, surrounded by people who have been in the field for years. But then you start to bounce ideas and gain input, and hear a lot of different perspectives,” she said. “It was a great way to network and talk to people in different fields.”
As an undergraduate, Kyle was even more nervous about what to expect but at the end of the event, he walked away feeling confident.
“Being able to get out there in the field, especially as an undergrad, to engage with others; I am grateful and appreciate the opportunity to present,” he said.
All three students were able to attend thanks to grants offered through BSU graduate and undergraduate programs.
These types of opportunities also help with exposure, Julia said, to show others that Bridgewater State offers quality programs and produces exceptional students who are doing solid work.
“We’re a public university and sometimes people discount us because of that,” she said. “I think it’s important for people to see what we are about. That we have amazing opportunities, wonderful professors, and mentors that guide us. I’m proud of that.”
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