My first Halloweekend of college has come and gone. Looking back on the weekend, want to know the most frightening thing that happened? I do not remember. Have you ever read Alice Sebold's "Lucky"? Well, you should. It is a very heavy read, (trigger warning, by the way) but I think every college student should read it. This book paired with the bits and pieces I have of my weekend is the scariest God damn thing anyone could conjure up. Living and partaking in the "college" life is really, very fun, however I think, for myself at least, we all need a refresher in safety.
Rape: lets talk about it. It happens. It happens everywhere. In "Lucky", it is Alice’s rape, Alice’s family, and Alice’s recovery and real life experiences in college. On the news, you hear frequently about rapes on campus’, rape culture and how we may all fall victim to it, false rape cases, persecuted victims, underreported rape cases, the list can go on and on. Law and Order: SVU is a show I grew up watching with my mom and sisters--rape was something always in the back of my mind. Today, it is terrifying to say I am a female college student, and there are so many opportunities to fall victim of such a horrible crime. This past weekend, “Halloweekend”, the campus was alive with parties and nightlife. Looking back on the night, I made countless mistakes that could have ended horribly wrong. Exposing us to a book as harsh and as real as Lucky, so far, has proven to instill a healthy sense of awareness, you could say. Awareness that these crimes happen everyday, everywhere, and to anyone. I think diving into Alice’s world made it all too real for me.
Ladies, gentleman, and everyone in between: be safe. Be smart. Know your boundaries, respect everyone else's boundaries. Have fun, it is college, but drink your water and do tour squats, too.
