If you’ve ever seen a Lifetime movie, you’re familiar with the fact that nearly every film must include a betrayal, a seduction and last but not least, a murder. For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure, these thrillers are ridiculously dramatic and suspenseful, but incredibly enticing (I may or may not have spent an entire summer exclusively watching Lifetime movies).
This is why when I heard about the tragic murder-suicide that occurred in Radnor, PA, just blocks away from our very own south campus, I was both saddened and intrigued. There were so many parallels to the plot-lines of a Lifetime drama. The small town, the personal feud and of course, the unfortunate deaths that occurred. There was only one main difference: it was real life.
Why do we find such drama so fascinating? Maybe because we’re young and don’t understand the consequences; maybe because it wasn’t us or our loved ones in that house on the night of April 23rd. After talking to many fellow students, I gathered through the gossip and excitement that it was simply the thrill of something new.
Going to Villanova, we are located in an extremely safe area crime-wise. According to their website, the Township of Radnor has continuously been rated as having the safest neighborhoods in the greater Philadelphia area. We are lucky to freely walk through and around campus safely at any hour, yet most students take this for granted. While we may roll our eyes and groan at the mention of Pub Safe, when it comes down to it, they are here to help.
This recent news story is an important reminder that we live in a protected bubble at Villanova. But anything can happen and lives can change in an instant. The excitement around drama we know and love on TV should stay there, as appealing as it seems. Real crime scenes are not entertaining, they're devastating and hearts remain broken for years afterwards. People caught in scandal and regret do desperate things and it's our job not to speculate, but to respect their lives and their families.
