It could be exam pressure or just a roommate’s lack of personal hygiene, or just a cyclical need to unwind, but there’s times when a person just needs to get away! For a large majority of Columbia’s student population, it isn’t easy to pack up and get out of here. A large number of students have left cards behind to lead the pedestrian or biker life. Luckily, there is a retreat within the limits of Columbia that is perfect for any kind of peace and quiet one could ask for. Tucked away in a cozy little niche and in close proximity to both the Mizzou Journalism Institue and Shakespeare’s Pizza is a quiet and beautiful place known today as Peace Park.
Formerly McAlester Park, it served as an anti-war rallying point during the Vietnam era. After the infamous Kent State riots in 1970 protesting the bombing of Cambodia by the United States, McAlester Park was renamed Peace Park. It has become a promotional symbol of peace and tranquility in Columbia. The park is also home to many community and school activities.
On a sunny Sunday afternoon, one might find it home to the Pagan Pride Day Festival, resonating with chants, laughs, and rhythmic drumbeats. As an extension of itself, Peace Park hosted Pagan Pride Day to promote religious tolerance, as well as raise food and donations for charities. The festival was populated by tarot readers, educational and religious groups, and street vendors selling homemade gifts – such as the aforementioned drums.
Several feet away, one may find teams wearing multi-colored shirts and competing in team activities such as the three-legged race. Where there aren’t people gathering for a common cause or activity, there are those who come to enjoy the park simply for its tranquility and beauty. Sun sporadically breaks through the trees that abound in Peace Park, making it possible to tan or keep cool. Water streams downhill in a small, rocky creek toward the center of the park, and if you listen closely, you can hear the soothing sound. Many are found reading a book or having a picnic with friends or significant others, or even napping on the grass. All of these diverse people do share one thing, however: they are at peace.
Not a single somber face is to be found in Peace Park. Everyone is completely happy with who and where he or she is, and that justifies the purpose of the park entirely. When people can finally be accepting of who they are and where they are in life, the world will know lasting peace.
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