Changing our language, taking action
Mo McGoff, Contributing Writer
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Take a moment or two to imagine your favorite park. What do you see? What do you hear? What are your memories? What are the best aspects of the park and the surrounding community? What is the name of the park?
Here, in the neighborhood south of Regis campus, we have a park called Rocky Mountain Lake Park. Many of the neighbors who grew up here, and live here with their families, feel a strong connection to this park. Regis students, however, have mixed views, and some joke about the park, or have never taken advantage of what it has to offer.
I believe that the language and attitude toward Rocky Mountain Lake Park and the surrounding community should be addressed. Regis University students tend call the park area "Rape Lake." A random survey of 20 students found that majority of them did not even know there was a park in our neighborhood. However, for those that did know about that park, most of them were unaware of the name, instead it was called "Rape Lake." Still, those same respondents did recognize that parks, in general, benefit a community.
It could be that students use the name in order to feel part of an in-joke-you get the joke, then you feel part of the group. Most students don't have to be here very long until they here the joke. But the name could also be a sign of fear. Where might the fear of the park and its surrounding come from? One possibility might be what sociologist Barry Glassner calls "the culture of fear." As Dr. Eve Passerini, assistant professor of sociology, described to me, the media uses fear and violence to draw viewers and sell advertising, which then leads many Americans to be predisposed to fearing urban areas.
But, as Dr. Passerini also pointed out, women also have real concerns about violence. According to the U.S. Department of Justice and National Organization of Women, "every year approximately 132,000 women report that they have been victims of rape or attempted rape, and more than half of them knew their attackers. It's estimated that two to six times that many women are raped, but do not report it. Every year 1.2 million women are forcibly raped by their current or former male partners, some more than once."
The apparent concern about Rocky Mountain Lake could stem, in part, from a real assault. About 8 years ago, the Denver Police Department notified Campus Safety of a sexual assault at Rocky Mountain Lake Park. Campus Safety decided to send out notices in order to inform the students to be aware. It seems that some members of the Regis community have used this note of awareness to jokingly name the Park, "Rape Lake." This name has encouraged many students to believe that this Park is dangerous; therefore, they refrain from going down to the Park.
Bart Dean, of personal counseling, and I concluded that these negative feelings may be a result of the safety that one feels. On campus we have security that patrols the campus; however, once one ventures outside of the gates, one is out in the community, without the campus safety. Therefore, some people may not feel safe in this neighborhood because of the tight security here on campus.
On the other hand, according to Denver Government crime statistics, in 2004 the Regis neighborhood reported 342 incidents of Type I crime and the Berkeley neighborhood reported 670 incidents (see chart below). While Regis was ranked 27th, the Berkeley neighborhood was ranked 42nd in crime rates, out of over 75 neighborhoods. In 2004, one sexual assault occurred in the Berkeley neighborhood, and two in Regis. Although there was one sexual assault at Rocky Mountain Lake Park years ago, this northwest part of Denver is safe relative to other communities around the Denver area, and typical urban areas.
When I run or walk around Rocky Mountain Park Lake, I see many different families walking together or on the weekends, and football or baseball games being played in good weather.
Unlike the old adage "sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me," names do matter. As the field of language and culture teaches us, they shape the way we perceive the world. They make an impact on the community and the place that it represents. Given this relationship, I believe that when Regis University students refer to Rocky Mountain Lake Park as "Rape Lake" it degrades the park as well the surrounding community. In an attempt to change the Regis University student's language and attitudes toward the Park and the surrounding community, here are approaches to solving the problem.
First, I propose an educational campaign that could hopefully change the mixed attitudes and degrading language that Regis University students use toward our surrounding community. We could also publicize the park and surrounding community's highlights and historical significance when it is appropriate.
Another possibility that would benefit the entire community is adding signs to promote the historical significance of the Park. For example, surveys showed that many of the people who regularly used the 1700 parks, playgrounds and recreational facilities in New York City know little of significance behind their names. In response, New York Parks and Recreation installed historical large wooden signs in each park that describe the park's name and historical significance. This project was a huge success. I believe that this type of a program could be a success here, and that we at Regis could help raise money and look for grants to make this happen.
Historical signs could explain how Rocky Mountain Park is part of the city of Denver's park system. This system was built as part of the City Beautiful movement over 100 years ago, in order to offer relief from urban living. The park served as the site of an auto camp and then had a dance pavilion in the 1920s. This history could also include comments on how building 1-70 through the neighborhood in the 1960s affected the park, and how steps have been taken recently, such as the renovated bathrooms and new parking lots on the northwest and southeast sides of the park.
Another idea would be to add signs that welcome visitors and passersby to the park area. Please think back to the park that you thought of at the beginning of this article. How does it fit into your community? Or does it? If we can change our attitudes and language first, and then think creatively and take action, I believe we can be good neighbors. Please contact me at mcgof932@regis.edu if you are interested in joining this effort.