In light of the heart-wrenching case of Hannah Graham, the University of Virginia student recently found murdered, we, as college students, are left to reflect on a topic that many of us cannot fathom.
No matter who you talk to, there will be bias about the case of Hannah Graham. “Wasn’t she drinking?” some will say. “How did she get herself in that situation?” others will ask. “I wonder what really happened…” The problem with each question, comment or remark is that we may never know the answers, nor ever know Hannah’s final moments. The main thing that we don’t say is what each one of us is thinking- “could this have happened to me?”
Something about Hannah Graham’s story shook us to our core. And it is simply because this girl is like us. Lively, ambitious, fun, and a loyal friend; Hannah is said to have embodied each of these characteristics and I’m sure that right now you can think of someone, even yourself, that is… just like Hannah.
As we mourn Hannah and other victims of this developing case, including Morgan Harrington, a Virginia Tech student who went missing and was found killed in 2007, it has caused us to think as college students what we can do to protect ourselves. We don’t want to live a life of fear, yet when something like this happens, you start to think and you start to doubt. You start to wonder if one wrong choice could cause this to happen to you.
I am sure that people have asked themselves: why did this case get so much press? Why is Hannah’s case so different from other women who have gone missing? We may not have the answers as to exactly why Hannah’s case is so prominent, yet for the college women of the United States, the thought that it could happen to anyone, only makes Hannah’s case that much more chilling and horrific.
It is this unknown that fills us with fear. It may haunt you while you’re out with friends or it may cause you to look over your shoulder at random points. This paints a picture of a college woman’s reality. This reality is that any one of us could have been Hannah Graham.
Rest in Peace, Hannah.