After a crazy night out drinking, you wake up in the morning confused about what happened the night before, but relieved that you are safe in your own bed. This scenario is extremely common among college students after nights out drinking, but not everyone is so lucky. Lauren Spierer, a college student at IU, is one of those devastating examples. This story, which has gone viral through outlets such as Facebook and Twitter, is a tragedy no one thinks will happen to them.
On June 3, almost one month ago, Lauren went out to her favorite bar and then decided to go to a friend’s apartment afterward. She was last seen walking home by herself at 4:00 in the morning with no shoes or cell phone. Lauren is only 4’11, 100 lbs., and also has Long QT Syndrome, a disorder that can cause irregular and potentially fatal heartbeats, for which she takes medication. Since then, the Bloomington police, Indiana University police, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana State Police, FBI and volunteers from all over have been conducting searches around Bloomington. Lauren has yet to be found, but her family and friends continue their search.
Despite this horrible tragedy, there’s a lesson that can be learned from it. The most important lesson is that walking home by yourself (especially girls) late at night when you have been drinking is not smart or safe! There are many people who specifically target young women who are not in the right state of mind. After speaking about this issue with a group of female roommates who attend U of I, they were shocked and saddened by Lauren’s story. One commented on it saying, “I couldn’t believe what happened when I saw it on the news. Me and my roommates have each been there where we drink too much and decide to walk home alone, but we never think anything will ever happen to us.” Unfortunately, this is a common attitude people have.
After hearing about what happened to Lauren, this ongoing attitude among college women has to be changed. The world can be a scary place and there are bad people in it, and that is just the sad truth. This tragedy needs to open our eyes and raise awareness to college students everywhere. Watch out for each other, don’t let friends walk home alone and use any safety services available in the area.