Last Sunday, A University of Texas-Austin student, Haruka Weiser, was found dead in a creek on campus. It was described as a "brutal murder" by UT President Gregory Fenves. Thankfully, justice was served and police made an arrest on Friday. The campus got together in memory of her and even shut down all lights in the UT Tower.
It is hard to even comprehend the hurt and feeling of lack of security on that campus right now. When I am walking to my car after night class or a late night study session at the library, I am often scared and freaked out. When I first read about this murder, it was a huge wake-up call. I know that University Police does everything in their power to make sure each and every student can have the feeling of safety, but like Haruka I'm sure, we may not see our offender coming. It is so important that we take precautions ourselves on, and off, campus.
1. Always check the back of your car.
When walking up to your car, first of all, don't unlock it until you're about to reach for the handle. Even the shortest amount of time can allow someone to sneak into the back of your car, and if you're still far away, on your phone, or distracted by something else, you may not even notice. With breaking into cars being so common, always check the back of your car as you walk past before entering. If it's dark, shine the flashlight from your phone. You have the advantage of not being in the car yet and a head starts in running if the problem arises.
2. Lock your doors immediately after getting into your car.
Just like above, even a small amount of time is enough for someone who has been following you to enter the back of your car. Lock your car and if you can help it, don't sit in your car for too long checking your phone, searching for a song, or other activities that are not necessary at that time. Especially if you are the sole car in a parking lot at night, get out as fast as you can.
3. Utilize your keys.
When I am walking to my car, I always have my keys in my hand. If you are put into a situation where you feel like someone is following you, put your keys in between your fingers (think Wolverine from X-Men). It may not be a lot, but it can still be a good defense mechanism for an attacker and buy you some time.
4. Never lose sight of your drink.
My mom always told me, "keep your hand on top of an open drink, and never hand it to someone else". I always thought this was common sense, but now in the college atmosphere, friends and people around you can often make you feel so comfortable. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but giving a drink to a stranger in line at the bathroom while you go in is not something to take a chance on. Take it in with you, have a trusting friend, or throw it out.
5. Avoid walking home alone.
I hope that this is a given. However, there are nights where you're ready to go, and your roommates or friends are not. I have been placed in this situation before and have walked home alone. But there are many things you can do to make it a safer walk. Sometimes, I'll call friends who I know will answer and have them talk to me until I make it home. This way, they know I am walking alone and know the moment I make it through my door safely. Also, I have the app, Companion, which virtually walks you home. They have easy to reach buttons to say "I feel nervous" or to call the police. It's easy to activate, doesn't take much time and tracks where you are. A must download.
6. If you are in a creepy situation, get someone's attention.
Often this happens at parties. My friends and I have a rule that if we see each other talking to someone strange and make a big eye contact, we jump right in and say something along the lines of, "have you seen Courtney? Let's go look for her". Not only does it get them out of the conversation, but it doesn't involve me and we both get to walk away. This shouldn't only go for your core friend group either, help any girl out, it can change a lot.
For me, I like to blame numerous Criminal Minds and CSI episodes that have made me this paranoid, but honestly, it's for the better. We may all be in the mindset of "this will never happen to me" or "I already feel safe on my campus and in my college town", but it all comes back to being safe rather than sorry. I'm thankful my parents have always taught me ways to be safe and cautious in any type of situation. With one being a nurse and one a police officer, I knew there was a scary world out there and I'm not always protected, so I shouldn't let my guard down easily. I want to make it home so I can wake up and tell my friends a summary of my day or night. And I want them to make it back safely so I can hear theirs.
