Alcatraz Reflections: When is a Rock just a Rock?

I actually liked the audio tour, much to my surprise. I was half expecting a propogandish PG-rated happy-place-for-tourists sort of thing, perhaps reminiscent of the photojournal we first read. But they didn’t leave the nitty gritty out (they even discribed the sound of a knife getting stabbed into someone (and then played that sound)), and they a decent amount of interview time and some interesting details that none of the books covered, like the actual quality of the food.

In general, I have a healthy distrust for the whole touristy business, so I’ll share one thing I thought was funny. Upon disembarking, the tour guides reminded us we weren’t allowed to take home rocks from The Rock – they’re pieces of the historic landmark, and not for you to take home as souvenirs to put with all your other rocks. You could, of course, buy them in the gift shop, and for only $8! They even came with their own fancy little plastic enclosures and child safety warnings: “This is not a toy. Not for children under the age of 5. Do not remove from enclosure.” Yes, that’s right parents, be careful not to let your kids ever get their hands on rocks. Or play with them. Also, this is actually not a rock – it’s a souvenir. I wonder if people really buy them.

~K.K.

Alcatraz Reflections: Size and Scale

I had previously visited Alcatraz when I was around the age of 5. At the time I had very little knowledge about the island and its purpose, only that it previously housed “bad guys.” At the time I remember thinking of Alcatraz as a huge place. The movies we have watched so far helped to maintain my idea. The films always showed Broadway as being a wide runway and the cell blocks as being very tall. In actuality everything was much more confined. Besides the size, one of the few things that I remember from my initial trip was the recreation yard. I remember thinking it was such a huge area and that the steps along the side were so high up. While my opinion of the size of Alcatraz has changed, the rec yard still stood out to me but for a different reason. When I stepped through the doorway to the rec yard, I was surprised to see a gorgeous view of the San Francisco skyline. I kept thinking how tortuous it would have been to be given that little glimpse of freedom every time you were allowed outside. After that view, descending the stairs into the yard surround by towering, thick concrete walls seemed so overwhelming. It even made me a little claustrophobic and usually confined spaces don’t bother me. I just kept thinking about freedom on the other side of the wall. It gave me an appreciation of trapped feelings prisoners felt and how they would do almost anything to get out.

~J.G.

Alcatraz Reflections: A Transformation

One of the most shocking things about the island of Alcatraz was knowing that some of the prisoners have returned after their sentences there. If I were a prisoner I would try to avoid the place where I was locked away for years, so it comes to a great surprise that some of the inmates returned and even helped promote Alcatraz as a tourist attraction. In the audio tour we hear the voices of some of the criminals that were locked away there. One of them says that they had never seen the warden’s area until after they left Alcatraz.

I have also tried to see the island from their perspective, was it ironic to them that one of the most notorious prisons now serves to entertain a wide audience? For me this would be unimaginable; however, this was the case with Alcatraz. It underwent a complete transformation: from a place that nearly everyone wanted to avoid, to a place that nearly everyone is curious to explore.

~M.G.

Alcatraz Reflections: Crossing of Space and Time

The Alcatraz tour officially began in the shower room, where tourists can get audio tour equipments. After I quickly received the audio player, I sat down on a bench against the wall and stared at the shower stalls. After Jennifer acquired hers, she came and sat beside me on the bench. Suddenly, she almost jumped up from the bench in excitement and said: "Oh my god, Al Capone had probably sat on this bench once!" Then two thoughts immediately hit me. First of all, Jennifer's comment made Al Capone felt like a celebrity or someone with great significance. Alcatraz had held many notorious inmates. But I wondered, did the inmates become significant in the U.S. penal history because they had once stayed in the famous Alcatraz prison? Or did the inmates themselves make Alcatraz famous and world renowned? The other thing was, Jennifer's words did ignite some kind of excitement and interest in me, because I just fully realized that I was touring a place where used to be a true creepy prison! This seemingly obvious remark is easily forgotten when one is surrounded by crowds of
curious tourists and kind tour guides, bathed under the Californian Sun, and walked past the beautiful newly-planted flowers and trees on the island. But after my late realization, the empty cells, which I toured later, did give me goosebumps as I imagined real living humans being caged inside. It is still the same concrete and stones, except the time has changed. I stood inside the solitary confinement cell, and was truly amazed by the crossing of space and time.

~T.Q.

Alcatraz Reflections: Seeing Alcatraz

A series of images from one of our class photographers (D.B.): Enjoy!

Alcatraz Reflections: Size and Space

It was an unusually warm day on Alcatraz Island on Sunday. The sky was blue and clear, and there was little wind. It was a very pleasant, balmy weather; I almost felt like I was on vacation. It almost seemed impossible that such a beautiful island could have once housed the country’s most dangerous criminals. I was also surprised by how small the building seemed. I imagined the structure to be much larger for some reason. I was also surprised by how the isolation chambers were right next to the D-block cells. I thought they would be in the basement, in the complete darkness. Overall, I had a hard time imagining people actually living in the old prison. The commercialization of the island has made the park feel more like a tourist attraction, something that is invented rather than preserved. I think the island would have felt very different if I had gone at night or when it’s cloudy and rainy.

~J.K.

Alcatraz Reflections: Looking, Seeing, Viewing

I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the island of Alcatraz in the middle of the San Francisco Bay. I was pleasantly surprised and ecstatic about the clearness of the day. The air quality and views from the island were breathtaking. Views of the campanile in the East Bay, downtown San Francisco, and the Golden Gate Bridge heading towards Marin were absolutely amazing. The ferry ride was also nice and easy in the morning. The only thing I was disappointed in was the lack of Indian history and the occupation on the island provided by the national park service. The prison and cell sizes were smaller than I pictured and remembered as a child. Overall a great time and experience on the
island.

~N.S.