In this episode, Cadie and Emma are joined by Iyana Richardson to discuss CHSS's Criminology, Law, and Society program! From focusing on true crime, to the justice system, to helping future lawyers, this program has a bit of everything.
EMMA Hello, welcome to CHSS Connection, a podcast where we interview different students about all things CHSS, from academics to careers to everything in between. This is a student success podcast for CHSS students by CHSS students. However, if you're not a CHSS student, welcome! We're so glad you're here. I'm Emma Howard. CADIE: I'm Cadie Junker. BOTH: And we're your hosts. CADIE: In this episode, we're discussing CHSS's criminology program. Of course, we could not do this alone. So today we are joined by a senior criminology student who is also working on an accelerated master's in criminal justice and a proud member of the International Association of Crime Analysts. Please welcome to the show Iyana Richardson. Iyana, thank you so much for joining us. How are you doing? IYANA: Of course, I'm good. And thanks for having me. I'm really excited. EMMA: Yeah, we're happy to have you here. So to kick things off, Iyana, can you explain your degree path a little bit? Your major, minor, band path, etc. IYANA: Okay. So my major is criminology law and society, and I have a minor in forensic psychology. So my band pathway, I just started my first set of classes. CADIE: Ooo. IYANA: So yes, so it's really exciting. I feel like it's more, how do I describe it? It's more application, I will definitely say. So I will say doing undergrad mixed with grad, you get that baseline knowledge and you also get to apply at the same time. So I think that's really nice. CADIE: What drew you to major in crim law and society? IYANA: I will say I like how the path's very broad. So of course, I will say a lot of people, their interest starts like with the true crime stuff. But I will say for me, I really, I want to make a difference in the sense of the victims. They really need their stories heard. And that means a lot to me. And there's also a lot of ways you can go. You can go the policy path, the crime analysis path. You could go a psychology route. So I really love the broadness of the field. You can kind of fit in anywhere. EMMA: Yeah, absolutely. Can you tell us a bit about your concentration? What drew you to it? IYANA: I will say what drew me to, I would say my concentration is, I would say I've always loved a good mystery and a good deep dive. Like I love conspiracy videos, the three-hour run ones, like Red Threads, all that stuff-. EMMA: Oh my gosh. CADIE: I listen to Red Thread! IYANA: Yes! CADIE: Sorry, that was my most listened to podcast. EMMA: It was. CADIE: This year on Spotify. IYANA So good. Like with Isaiah Wendigoon. CADIE: Mmm-hmm. IYANA: Oh my gosh. CADIE: I love Wendigoon. IYANA: I'm halfway through the Unabomber episode, the three hour long one. CADIE: Oh, it's good. It's so good. IYANA: So really those videos, I mean, they always get recommended to me. EMMA: So what is something about your concentration that people may find surprising? IYANA: Well, I will say there's a lot of research. I will say in the sense of like, I think a lot of people think it's more tactical in the sense of you're the one, like, it's like, go get the bad guys. You know, it's hands on, but really there's a lot of behind the scenes work. And, you know, you have to also know how to conduct research and be able to summarize your findings to, you know, the general population. So I feel like that's something I didn't expect, like, because you think you're learning a lot of knowledge about the criminals themselves, but you get a lot of other knowledge, like how to even further yourself into like more advanced academia. CADIE Yeah, absolutely. This next question, a little bit broad, can you tell us a bit about your experience in the criminology program here at Mason? IYANA: Well, I will say it's been a pleasure. It's been delightful, actually. I love all of my teachers. I've loved all of them. The teachers are very supportive. So I really liked Dr. Udell, Professor Udell. She was amazing. Great. So really, really made me love the field more. But I will say also, I really love Dr. D’Anna. He's really cool. So I will say, in general, great professors, like they really make you feel seen, supported. And if you have any questions, they're glad to answer because they love their field. And I feel like that makes a difference. They're not just there to teach and, you know, input, output. They really care that you learn and you grasp the material. So... EMMA: That's always a good quality for a professor to have. Can you tell us a bit about the core classes you've taken for criminology? IYANA: OK, so my core classes, I will say, so I took a constitutional law class. And I'm basing my classes on like, the last semester because I have a mix right now. So I would say Constitutional Law, Research Methods and Analysis, that was one I took, Applied Criminal Psychology and Homeland Security, Introduction to Homeland Security. Those are some... OK, I'm sorry, it's the semesters.... I realize I forget a lot of the classes. CADIE & EMMA: Oh, you're good. IYANA: I'm trying to remember. Those probably weren't even upper level classes. EMMA: You're good. CADIE: I mean, from my experience, core classes have been like, you normally have a 200 level one, couple 300 and then a 400 level one. So even if they're not like upperclassmen classes, like might still be core, might still be like what you need to take. IYANA: Yes, I will say. OK, so, yes, those were definitely ones like I had to take. Like and in general, they were they were really nice. I feel like they allowed you to kind of ease their stepping stones into like deeper material. So I will definitely say that they prepare me really well for like the academia I'm doing right now, soI love that. EMMA: Very nice. CADIE: What about some of the major specific elective courses you've taken? You know, the ones where like, yeah, you get to choose whatever you want, but it still needs to be within the degree and field of CLS. IYANA: OK, so let me think as far as electives, I would definitely say like I had to take two psychology classes. So clinical and psychological fitness. And I will say those are nice because-. Oh, and I also took a death, dying and grieving class. That was really interesting. So I will say those three classes, it gives you peripheral subject matter. So, for example, clinical, it teaches you, I guess, how to interact with people. You know, you learn, you know, how to hear people out properly and things like that. I will say psychological fitness, it's a little different, but in a field like this, it really is important because it teaches you how to take care of yourself because, you know, you hear a lot of heavy subject matter. Like I recently had to do a crime series on, you know, a graphic topic, you know, just stuff like that, learning to like take care of yourself. And also death, dying and grieving. That was an elective I had to take. And it really helped me to kind of grasp what victims are going through and things like that. The families of victims, you know. So that was great. Really great insight. EMMA: Yeah. Out of all the classes you've taken, what do you think is the best class you've had within the CLS program? IYANA: I would say easily Applied Criminal Psychology. That was 10 out of 10. I took that with Professor Udell. That was amazing. It was so interesting because it's kind of like it's an academic look and it feels like you're included in, let's say you're watching a true crime show. You know, it felt like we really got to do those things, you know, analyze these patterns, you know, modus operandi, all those things. Like, you know, we got to pick those things out. The who, the what, where, when, why. Well, you know, guesses, you know, things like that. So that was the best one ever. I mean, we really got to do all the major serial killers, you know, the ones people, you know, are interested in. EMMA: Right. But an academic look at it. CADIE: Yeah, for sure. You've kind of already thrown out some names, but just to make it super clear, which professors do you recommend other students take? IYANA: OK, so for undergrad... OK, so I really like Dr. Denholm. He was really nice, really great. We got to do a bluff project. So basically we had to do an intelligence briefing. That was really fun. I love projects where you're actually doing as opposed to just like, you know, slides. That was great. I would say him. I love Professor Udell. Very nice. And I will say she just, she made me kind of like, well, she ignited my passion for the program because I really got to learn a lot about how, like criminal behavior. But I would say my most like my favorite is definitely crime analysis, which that's with Dr. D’Anna. And that's really fun. You know, we're using ArcGIS. We're going to use the maps. And, you know, it's like it's a new language, you know, learning all this stuff. But, you know, he makes it fun. And I feel like that's what that's what that's what matters. You know, we're going through this rigorous class. But, you know, it's kind of like make it fun. You know? CADIE: Yeah. Do you have a specific moment in any of their classes or a lesson that you've learned from them that you'd like to shout out and highlight here? IYANA: Well, in general, I guess the classic term, like correlation is not causation kind of thing, because, you know, there's a lot of patterns and things I feel like you pick up on. And that kind of applies to both the applied criminal psychology and crime analysis class, because, you know, you think a lot of patterns, we're very quick to make inferences about things, but sometimes the factors aren't even related, you know? CADIE: Right. IYANA: So in this field, I've learned to just not jump to conclusions because there's a lot more underlying factors to things. EMMA: Give everything the time and attention that it deserves to come to a good conclusion. IYANA: Absolutely. CADIE: I feel like, too, in criminology, like that's so important because it's like you need to make sure you're not getting the wrong guy, too. You know, you can't go into it with a preconceived notion or like, oh, I really think it's suspect number one. You can't look for evidence only pointing to suspect number ones. You can't have that confirmation bias because it's, you know, real people, real lives that you're affecting. And also, you lock up suspect number one who's innocent and is actually suspect number three. EMMA: Right. CADIE: Now suspect number three is running loose. IYANA: Absolutely, yes. EMMA: What is the best story you have involving your major? IYANA: The best story? So in terms of like, what success or like, what would you say? CADIE: I guess anything at all, honestly. EMMA: Anything that's memorable. CADIE: Yeah. IYANA: I would say, well, in my BAM program, I would say that, you know, my best moment, one of my favorite moments was, you know, doing really well on the first test. So I'm in a research methods and analysis class. I have Dr. Cotter. And, you know, we're running our studios. We're doing, you know, we're running all these tests like Chi-square, ANOVA, T-test. So it's complete, it's new, it's a new language. But I feel like when I did well on the test, you know, I was the test, I was really proud of myself, you know? CADIE & EMMA: Yeah! EMMA: Absolutely. IYANA: Because it was like a new terrain. It's like, it's one of those things. It's like, you can't like study it. You have to do. So I would say doing all the questions, that was like, it was great practice. And I did well. So I would say that was great. Cause I didn't, you know, I was nervous at first. CADIE: Yeah. Is this your first semester as a BAM student? IYANA: Yes. CADIE: Okay. Very exciting. I'm applying for the BAM program right now, but for COMM. So I'm always relieved to hear, like success stories. Cause you know, going to graduate school while you're still in undergrad is kind of intimidating. Just a little bit. IYANA: I will say the professors, they do a really good job preparing you. It's kind of like, I will say more, kind of more than undergrad. They hold your hand a lot in a good way. They're very supportive. You know, I know one of my professors is like, you know, I'm going to make sure, you know, you guys do well. You know, encourages questions, very responsive to emails. So I would definitely not worry at all. You know, they want you to succeed because these teachers are going to be catapulting you into a career. Like these things are teaching, you know, it's no longer undergrad. You know, you have to do these things. Like, for example, my research methods and analysis class, like, you know, I have to like run these tests, like chi-square, t-test, ANOVA. That would be my job as a crime analyst. So they really prepare you and they care. So I would say it's great. CADIE” It's always nice to hear. Professors that care really do have such an impact on your schooling experience. Now, during your time here at Mason, what's the best criminology event that you've been to? IYANA: I don't know if I've been to an event. I will say maybe... CADIE: That's okay. IYANA: I don't know. Yeah, I haven't been to one. CADIE: Because maybe criminology needs to have more events. EMMA: What's one that you would like to see or you think that CLS students would benefit from? IYANA: Oh, okay. I just remembered. Okay, so an event I did a Q&A with Michelle Murphy. So it was a bunch of students. She was an exoneree from Oklahoma. And I think she's one of the only woman exonerees from Oklahoma. So I actually got to attend that. And, you know, I just got to see her answer some questions. And there was a spreadsheet where we could put questions on it, like a doc. But I got to go. So I did attend that. And that was, I think, it was either the third or the second. Or maybe the first. But it was great. Like, it was really great hearing from her. So, yeah. EMMA: That's really neat to hear. Have you done any research internships? Or are you part of any clubs tied to your major? IYANA: Not yet. I will say, besides... Well, yeah, I'm not in any clubs at all. Just the International Association of Crime Analysts. That. But nothing, like, yeah, school-wise. EMMA: Do you want to talk about the association? CADIE: Yeah. IYANA: Sure. I haven't been to any conventions yet. But I will say, like, I check the forums. So I see that sometimes other crime analysts, they're asking other questions, they're posting job postings, things like that. But I will say, I really like how just reading through the things they say, the questions they ask. So I'm like, I'm starting to understand it. I'm like, OK, I know what ArcGIS is. I know how to add that. So it's starting to make sense. I feel like I utilize it more now that I understand these things. So, yeah. CADIE: Yeah. What about your research and methodologies class? Are you working, like, on a specific project within that class? IYANA: Not specifically. Like, so we kind of get random data sets. But we have worked with federal sentencing data. So we've kind of, so basically we control for variables. So, for example, if you want to know crime in relation to economic status. So, and you can add other things to it depending on the test. So that's something we've done, like, just as practice. But we do get to work with live data, even a little bit off topic. But even in my crime analysis class, you know, we get to work with live DC data and things like that. So live crime data. So that's great. CADIE: That's really cool. What connections have you made within the program? IYANA: OK, so define connections. CADIE: People that you've met. EMMA: Professors, mentors, fellow colleagues or classmates, things like that. IYANA: OK, OK. I asked because I'm like, you know, like a connection in the sense of, you know, like, connection... EMMA: It's a broad word. IYANA & CADIE: Yeah. CADIE: Yeah. IYANA: So I would say definitely Professor Udell. I've reached out to her before and I've consulted her about, you know, ArcGIS. Like, I asked her if she could, you know, look over a map, like as a crime analyst herself. You know, so it's great to be able to reach out to professors and kind of ask them because they're professionals in the field. Hey, is this good? You know, someone who's learning or wants to get into the field. So I would definitely say her. She's Dr. Udell, Professor Udell. She's great. EMMA: Wow. She sounds like an incredible mentor. I mean, the amount of times you've already said her. I mean, like I want to meet her now. She sounds so lovely. IYANA: And not to be redundant. EMMA: No, you're good. IYANA: Those are just ones that really stuck with me. EMMA: Yeah! IYANA: Like, I really love that class. EMMA: Absolutely. And we're actually going to close out act one with the question of what is one resource you think every CLS student should use? IYANA: I would say definitely timely care. I found that really helpful. The resource, the mental health resource, because, you know, I would say school can get overwhelming. And even the subject matter itself, you know, you life can already be a certain way at times, you know, as life is. But, you know, also when you're hearing grim things, to say the least, it can be a lot. So it's great to, you know, have someone to talk to. And the school offers that like you can get a primary counselor through it. And I think you can get up to 12 sessions and they also provide on demand care. So I think that's great. And I've used that a few times. EMMA: So it's incredible to hear. I've heard about timely care. You are the first student I've ever met at, because we had it at Nova, and we have it here. You're the first student I've met that actually has a personal experience with that. And I think that's just so awesome. Anyways, with that, we're going to close out act one listeners. You're going to hear from Jada Crocker, who is our advisor slash correspondent for this episode. She's going to tell you a little more about the CLS program. And you're going to hear about CHSS announcements and some shout outs. We will see you in act two. CADIE: Don't skip this. This isn't an ad break. This is the Bulletin Board. In every episode, this is where we'll announce upcoming events and opportunities in CHSS, hear from correspondents and give shout outs to the resources that make this podcast possible. JADA: Hi, my name is Jada Crocker. I am an undergraduate academic advisor in the Department of Criminology, Law and Society. And my email is JCROCKE4@gmu.edu. So the Criminology, Law and Society program is located in Enterprise Hall on the third floor. You come out of the elevator, you make a left, and we are the office suite right there. So the Department of Criminology, Law and Society offers one major in Criminology, Law and Society, but two different degree types. So we offer a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science. So there is a bit of a misconception about students that are pursuing the Bachelor of Science needing to complete additional science coursework, which is not entirely true. The key difference between our Bachelor of Arts degree and our Bachelor of Science is students that are pursuing the Bachelor of Arts are going to be required to complete additional College of Humanities and Social Science requirements. So things like your non-Western culture, additional social and behavioral science coursework, as well as that foreign language proficiency through the intermediate level. Now our students that are pursuing our Bachelor of Science do not have to do those CHSS requirements, but they are required to complete either an internship through our CLS internship program or an area specialization. That area specialization can be pursued as an approved minor, double major, or a dual degree, and there are over 60 options that are inside our department, inside CHSS, and across the university that we feel will complement our degree type. But all in all, a student pursuing a Criminology Law and Society major will complete the exact same five required core courses. So your things like your Intro to Criminal Justice, your Criminal Justice Ethics, Research Methods and Analysis, Constitutional Law of course, and then that capstone. There's also the opportunity to complete between 9 and 10, or the equivalent of 27 or 30 credits of criminology electives. So those are essentially courses within our department that students get to pick based on their areas of interest, and those areas of interest can lead them to complete an optional concentration in Law and Society, Homeland Security and Justice, or Criminal Justice. CADIE: Perfect, thank you. What sort of student do you think would be interested in pursuing a CLS degree? JADA: Someone that is obviously interested in working at any level of law enforcement, whether that be government, local, or state, or federal. We also have students that are interested in pursuing law school as an option, even students that are interested in research. So the Criminology Law and Society degree doesn't speak to just one particular student. It's so versatile. Students that are interested in any kind of government role would be perfect for a criminology law and society degree. We also have students that are interested in like the park service, secret service. So you can really run the full gamut because there are so many transferable skills that our students learn. And that's one thing that I would also like to highlight is that the connections that our students can make with those transferable skills, especially with our faculty, most of them are still actively working in their field. A lot of them are actually adjunct faculty. So we don't speak to one specific student. We will assist students in tailoring their coursework and their extracurricular activities to align with what they're interested in. So of course, we have five assigned academic advisors, and those are assigned to our students based on their last names. In addition to that, we have our own CLS internship program. And I want to highlight this because this program is super unique. So within it, students are required to complete either, excuse me, students are required to complete a three credit criminology college and career prep course. That course we recommend for all students, even if you're not planning to pursue the internship program. That will provide you with information on how to structure yourself and prepare yourself for graduate school, law school, and even, of course, the career field. That is a requirement for students completing the CLS internship program, but it's not exclusive to those students. After that, students are able to complete the 12 credit internship at a site of their choosing. But what I really want to highlight is the fact that because of that internship program, we also have our own department wide internship expo, where we'll have different employers come in specifically seeking out, you know, criminology majors from George Mason University because we're so well connected and well versed, of course, due to our faculty, as well as our prime location right outside of DC. So that is definitely one thing I want to highlight in addition to just the fact that our faculty are actively connecting our students and actively working in their fields as well. CADIE: Perfect. And what about some events that CLS does? JADA: Yes. So we typically do a welcome back event. We usually do that at the beginning of the semester. We also have speaker series that depart that our students are welcome to attend. And those happen throughout the semester, throughout the academic year. We most recently had the opportunity to meet with an exoneree virtually, a female exoneree, and she got to share her story. And that was great for our students to actually listen in. So those are the kinds of events that we have. In addition to that, we also provide a finals week event just to make sure that students know that we're here to support. And then additional events within the semester. So, you know, like our internship expo, sometimes our transfer student evaluations or, excuse me, transfer student weeks. So different events based on the timing of the semester as well. CADIE: Absolutely. Sounds great. Is there anything else you think students need to know about the CLS program, whether that's misconceptions, underutilized resources, scholarships, things like that? JADA: So definitely a misconception that I've heard serving as an advisor in the department is students come in to say, well, I don't want to go into law enforcement. And I do just want to debunk that. That is not what our degree necessarily pushes you towards. Yes, if you're interested in pursuing law enforcement, that this would be a great degree option for you. But that is not the only thing. Our coursework, number one, it doesn't lean solely to law enforcement. We have courses that are, they run, again, the full gamut. Things like applied criminal psychology, law and society, excuse me, law and justice around the world, hate crimes. You can really explore multiple pathways and multiple interests that are tangentially related to criminology. It doesn't just lead to law enforcement. So I think that's something that we kind of want to break students away from is thinking like, I have a degree in criminology, law and society, you know, or criminal justice, as most students will call us, and think that like, okay, the highest level of career that I could attain would be law enforcement. But really, you can shoot for the moon with this degree and still, you know, beyond that. CADIE: Absolutely. And if students wanted to reach out to you or make an appointment with you, how could they do that? JADA: Yes. So if you would like to make an appointment with me, of course, you can do that through Patriot Connect. But you're also more than welcome to contact our generic email, which is cls1@gmu.edu. And you can also schedule with any of the five assigned academic advisors within our department using Patriot Connect as well. CADIE: Perfect. Well, those are all the questions that I have for you today. Thank you so much for coming on and being a correspondent for this episode, Jada. We really appreciate all of the wisdom and insight you're able to give. JADA: Thank you so much for having me. CADIE: And once again, I just want to give a shout-out to Criminology Advising. If you are a Crim major or a Crim minor or considering switching over to Crim, please book an appointment with one of your advisors. Thank you so much to Jada for being our correspondent for this episode. Now on to your CHSS announcements. As always, every single week we've got CHSS Pop and Talk, and that is from Thursday from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Horizon Hall Atrium. The other thing that we've got going on is the CHSS Info Booth. This will be the second one this semester. That will be in the Johnson Center atrium, most likely J.C. Kiosk A, first kiosk next to Panera. That'll be on Tuesday, March 31st, from 3 to 5 p.m. This is where you will be able to ask questions or talk with a CHSS student ambassador, which might help connect you with resources or answer whatever questions, inquiries you may have about life here in CHSS. This is an event especially for CHSS students, but everybody is welcome, and there may be cookies. The next thing that I have for you is a very important event. That is our undergrad research symposium. If you are somebody who has done research within the past year, whether that's summer, fall, or spring semester, this symposium is for you. Abstracts are due April 10th, however the research symposium itself is on Thursday, April 23rd, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. This will be held in the Horizon Hall atrium, and please stop by, look at posters, grab some food; lunch will be provided. And finally, because we are post midterms, it's gearing up to the end of the semester. Finals are going to be here before we know it. I hate to mention finals right after midterms is over, but that is just the reality of the situation. And so the CHSS end-of-semester de-stress event, which will be a picnic and wellness activities, will be Thursday, April 30th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. I hope to see you all there! CADIE: Now on to some resources for you guys. Welcome to the Mason Innovation Exchange, also known as the Mix, George Mason University's marketplace, media lab, and entrepreneurship incubator. Located in Horizon Hall rooms 1408, 1410, and 2100, the Mix gives you access to cutting edge tools like 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC routers, textiles, and electronics. We also offer pathways into advanced opportunities through our microcredential courses in blimp prototyping, drone prototyping, robotics, and the NSFI core program for the student entrepreneurs. The Mix is always collaborating with student RSOs, academic departments, and courses and events for the Mason community. Open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., the Mix hosts rotating workshops to help you kickstart your creative ideas. Learn more at themix.gmu.edu or find us on Mason 360 under Mason Innovation Exchange. Explore your potential with the Mix. CADIE: And welcome back. We're going to get into act two and this is going to be a little bit deeper reflection. You know, act one was more of a general overview of the major and program. This will be pulling even more from your personal experiences. Our very first question for you is why did you choose CRIM and what was that experience of choosing your major like for you? IYANA: I will say I definitely, well, I chose CRIM because I will say from a young age, I've always really liked that stuff. I mean, I love Unsolved Mysteries, the 1980s version with Robert Stack. So stuff like that I love. So this was something I felt like was going to inevitably happen. But when it came to choosing it, I had a great advisor, you know, helping to just kind of push me in that direction because so I started actually at a community college and, you know, it's the big thing of declaring a major, you know, knowing like, where do I fit? So I will say I had a advisor, Olivia. She was great. And she just helped me to kind of pick the pick the major and it fit perfectly. Like, you know, I knew I didn't want to be a normal criminal justice major. And, you know, amazing like undergrad criminal justice. But criminology, I kind of like the ology portion to it. I'm like, you know, it was it was more of like.... It offered more insight into things like it was more what's the word strategic instead of tactical. Yeah. CADIE: Well, when I think of criminal justice, I think you're going into that because you want to be a cop or a detective versus criminology. We've had a lot of like aspiring lawyers on the podcast who want to go to grad school and get a law degree. But also like you said to me, it's all about that ology portion. It's all about seeing the stats and reading it. What can we gain from this? What knowledge can we gain for this more so than like boots on the ground? IYANA: Yes. EMMA: Why did you choose CLS here at Mason versus another school? IYANA: Honestly, I had teachers at my high school who had been to Mason and they had been for other things like specifically like I would say counseling or those majors. But I know that George Mason is very renowned for their social science sciences programs, like social science programs. They're amazing. So that's how I kind of knew. And I know they're I believe they're the number one research school in Virginia. So that definitely drew me in. And I wanted I want to academic rigor, but I wanted a school that is like, hey, this is the school for this. And I think it's great. So that's what made me want to do it. EMMA: What would you say is the most valuable non-classroom experience you've had here as a CLS major? And when I say non-classroom, I mean like job, club, internship, research. IYANA: I would say I got to well, I got to shadow an attorney. EMMA: Whoa. Wait, that's cool. IYANA: I got to shadow an attorney in Warrington and I got to I got to go to a trial. CADIE: Oh my gosh. EMMA: Wait, that's so cool. IYANA: It was great. His name is Mark B. Williams, and he's really nice. And so that was great. I kind of got to see, you know, the layout of everything. I got to talk to him. I actually I had a I had a case that I knew about. And me and him were talking about it, like the outcome. Like, what is he what is he looking at? Sentence wise, stuff like that. So it was great. And the trial was great. You know, I got to see voir dire, you know, how they eliminated jurors. That was amazing. And this was specifically a domestic violence case. So they were asking questions such as, you know, do you believe a man has the right to defend himself? So I got to watch that in action because I took a criminal. Well, I took a constitutional law class. You know, you hear these terms and things, but when you see it in action, it's like amazing. CADIE: So, yeah, I mean, the use of practical application really can't be overstated. Like, I don't know. It's always so great whenever you realize, like the things that you're learning in classroom are things that you actually need in everyday life and within your career. And I don't know, I think when you have those experiences, it's very rewarding and it's a great way to realize, like, yes, I am on the right path. EMMA: Yeah. CADIE: And speaking of paths, what are your current career goals for your major? IYANA: I would say I do want to be a crime analyst. Really love that. It's really fun. I would say also working in RStudio. So, you know, running the code, you know, the output. I get to see the graphs. And, you know, you can basically download data sets and you can run certain codes and you can perform analysis on the data. So that's really fun. Just seeing patterns and things like that, even with using the other software, ArcGIS. It's really fun. It feels like it's, I don't know, it feels like you're doing what you're supposed to be doing. CADIE: Yeah, that sounds great. EMMA: What are some maybe common misconceptions about criminology or CLS that people have? And what do you think the field can do to change their minds? IYANA: Some misconceptions. I would say just how everything is done. Like when so when you get there's like a lot of shows, like, for example, and I can't watch them anymore because it's like, it's so loud and wrong. I'm sorry. So I don't watch it, watch those anymore. I will say there's a lot of like misconceptions about the process itself, like how how fast a criminal is caught, the processes, all that stuff. And even what goes on behind the scenes, like, you know, it's it's often not... And another thing, too, is a lot of people don't know. It's often not a lot of crime analysts, which I'm learning from other people. I know Fairfax County only has one. CADIE & EMMA: Oh wow. IYANA: So while there's people that they cover certain portions of the jurisdiction, if there's a larger ones, but that's another thing. So I feel like in shows, when you hear about that stuff, if you think it's this team of people, you know, they're basically having a lot of people work on this. But a lot of people, you know, they're in charge of a certain ward or area, district, and it can be a lot, you know. So that's another thing. It's a field. It is I would say it can be understaffed. Like it's not.... you see these large tactical teams or things in these shows and you know, but really it's it can be less people than you think. So I would say that. And yeah, it's it's even a crime analysis. It's more research heavy. It's not just, you know, making an inference like I think this person did this. You know, it's it requires more of an in-depth like dive. CADIE: Yeah. So I'm curious in your time since becoming a crime major, have you noticed the amount of unsolved cases that are only unsolved because of people messing with the evidence or like something in the process messing up? Because I didn't realize like unsolved cases get a lot less mysterious when you actually like get a good information about it and just realize how much the police like did not follow protocol. IYANA: Yes, I actually think that that's the case for a lot of them, you know, how it's handled, you know, how the evidence is handled and just, you know, how I also noticed though, too, there is a lot of error in like the evidence portions of cases like that. So I feel like show that's another thing I could connect to the previous question, you know, shows are kind of like with DNA and all that. It's like the ultimate whodunit. But then, you know, you figure out that, you know, in real time, there's a lot of cases where there's been faulty DNA and faulty evidence. So that's something I feel like a lot of people don't realize. It's not like the end all say all like this is right because it's science and it's prone to errors, just as the research we do in this field is. CADIE: For students, sorry, I totally forgot that it was my question. For students interested in learning more about the CRIM program and its offerings, what do you recommend they do? IYANA: I would definitely say, you know, go on the website and look at the programs like I'm someone who when I'm making a decision, I'm like very meticulous, like with the details. So I know even before I declared a major, I was already just interested. I was looking through all the program requirements, like to where I was deep on the Internet, like it pulled up a PDF. And I got to see just kind of the the core programs just to kind of see all the core classes in the program to see what I would be taking kind of thing. So I would say go on the website. It's like a great start and maybe asking around like if you happen to know anyone, you know, yeah, it's really good. EMMA: What has been your most fruitful experience in the program? IYANA: Definitely kind of seeing the fruits of my labor in a sense. CADIE & EMMA: Yeah! IYANA: I would definitely say that because I'm going to be honest, working in RStudios can be grueling because, you know, you get error codes and then you're like, oh my gosh, what did I get wrong? Is there a tilde missing? Is there a comma, a space, something like one space, one wrong space can mess it up. And same for programs like ArcGIS, you know, it requires layers to the maps. So, you know, if if your Excel sheet, it wasn't put a numeric form. Now you have to go and redownload it, then re upload it. So I will say just kind of watching myself tweak things accordingly, then seeing the output, it's really satisfying because I'm like, I worked hard for that. CADIE: Yeah, absolutely. And here we are at our last question. Unfortunately, we could not go to Tangentown too much today. IYANA: No red threads. CADIE: No red threads, but do you have any advice for our listeners, perhaps, especially for those in the CLS program? IYANA: Do not be afraid to ask for help. I feel like that's, you know, it's easier said than done. And as someone who I will say, you know, I've struggled with anxiety and I know how it is. But, you know, I've noticed teachers are very accommodating and, you know, and also I know sometimes peers can make you feel like you're holding the class up. You know, that doesn't matter because your education matters and you grasping the material because, you know, you are being trained to be a professional in that field. So I would say, yes, don't be afraid to ask for help. You're not the annoying student. If anything, you know, you're it's good for you, you know, because everyone has their own individual journey and, you know, people can you know, they can wait a couple minutes, you know, for something to be clarified. CADIE: Absolutely. EMMA: Yeah. And I think that's a great way to close out the podcast. Iyana, thank you so much for joining us. Is there anyone or anything that you would like to shout out? Where can listeners find you on social media or in CHSS? IYANA: I would say you can find me on social media at Iyana Jillian. Well, I-Y-A-N-A is for the spelling and then Jillian. But yeah, other than that, I mean, I do have LinkedIn. EMMA: Oh, OK. Put the LinkedIn. IYANA: Yeah. Yeah. Iyana Richardson. You know, I have GMU in my in my. So I'm within the organization. CADIE: OK, perfect. IYANA: Yeah. EMMA: And then I know you're a senior. IYANA Yeah. Right. EMMA: What are your what are your postgrad plans? I know you're you're probably continuing on with like your master's. What are your postgrad plans before I start rambling? Oh, no, you're not. Just definitely looking into government jobs in my fields, you know, anything that just doing some volunteer work. That's kind of what I've been doing now. You know, there's it's in Durham, North Carolina. It's a death penalty abolition organization. So just getting into volunteer work just as a precursor for that. CADIE: Yeah. IYANA: For my career field. CADIE: Sounds great. EMMA: Yeah. All right. Well, we're so excited to see the things that you're going to do. And just again, thank you again just for being here. Listeners, thank you so much for listening to this episode of CHSS Connection. This podcast is hosted and written by Emma Howard and Cadie Junker. Our audio engineer is Danis Gabitov. Our supervisor is Eleana Velasco. This podcast is produced by George Mason University’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Undergraduate Academic Affairs. Special thanks to the Mason Innovation Exchange for their recording studio. The podcast could not happen without them. This project was developed in collaboration with Career Services and the On-Campus Internship Program. If you love the show and want to interact with more of our content, follow us on Instagram @chsspod or check out the CHSS website where there's an ongoing library of our episodes. You can also be a potential guest on our podcast. EMMA: If you enjoyed the show and would like to express your support, there are a few things you can do. You can leave a review wherever you are listening to this podcast. You can help by word of mouth, either by telling someone directly who might be interested in the show or posting about it on social media, tagging @chsspod. All these things help support the show and we appreciate anyone who has done it or will do so in the future. Again, thank you for tuning into this episode. We hope you will tune into the next episode where we are joined by Faith Dixon to discuss the Women in Law Association here at Mason. But until then, stay curious! CADIE: Stay creative! BOTH: And stay connected!