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• 1 2019-12-06T02:49:53+00:00 Reflection 11 plain 2019-12-18T15:58:26+00:00

   

  Through our research, we discovered a new perspective on parks and their interaction with culture. For one, the variety of uses that land provides to both humans and wildlife is staggering. Even more staggering is how much of an impact humans have on the land versus the impact of wildlife. While most wildlife thrives on the abundance of trees, other animals, and self-sustaining lifestyles, humans often thrive in the destruction and abuse of trees and wildlife, often leaving the land we touch devoid of any organic nature. Having said all this, what if we attempted to create spaces that attempted to respect the wildlife and plant-life, in addition to serving the community in some fashion? In many ways, community parks attempt to serve this need by offering a recreational space in the presence of nature in some capacity. Usual staples of recreational parks include baseball diamonds, playgrounds, and walking paths, all surrounded commonly by woods and rivers. Spaces like these exist in spades all across the United States, and the history behind the creation and use of these spaces continues to intrigue countless people. Glassboro itself serves as a prime example of this. The town home to an impressive amount of community spaces despite the modest size of the town, such as the CC Woods or Recreational Parks, each of which hold some form of significant cultural relevance or importance. 
  
   

  As a result of our study, the way that history and memory interact became apparent. So much of what we uncovered, such as the Runland Park fire, is unknown to the average Glassboro resident. Their memory is instead shaped by two things: what is told to them and what they want to remember. Even if the do hear about it, the average Glassboro citizen is probably not going to remember about a German labor camp in the town unless they want to, unless it fits the perception of the town they have. Additionally, if a certain historical event does not match someone’s vision for the town, they may not share it with anyone. As a result, that piece of history does not live on in people’s memory. Although we have seen the concept of contested viewpoints and how they shape memory from geographers such as Jon Anderson, it was eye opening to discover this in our own research. As society continues to grow, it is important that they acknowledge all parts of the past to improve for the future. 
  
  This project could not conclude without thanking the kindhearted individuals that aided us. Initially, we simply just had questions about the history of parks in Glassboro. Thanks to work done by a previous student named Paul Buzzi, who wrote about the German prisoners of war, we realized there was a depth of information to cover. To start our research, we visited the local parks and searched for visible and invisible cultural traces. Additionally, we were able to talk to local citizens like Andrew Halter, a city councilmen, and Carmen Trifiletti, a longtime resident, who described their experiences from their time in Glassboro. As we researched more, the input of Professor Jen Kitson, Mike Benson, and fellow classmates helped us realize that Glassboro parks were an analog to the culture of the town. In other words, as the town has changed, the parks changed to reflect and meet its cultural needs.