Lessons from Lauren

How should we use the Lauren Spierer case as a reference for future situations?
Spierer’s legacy is a sad one, and I sincerely hope, as I’m sure most do, that someday she is found alive and well. But for now, she serves as a lesson, especially to the younger girls on campus, of how careful one has to be.

Bloomington is a safe city, and IU is a safe campus, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that people won’t try and take advantage of students.

She’s everyone’s cautionary tale, essentially the ghost story told around the campfire to incoming freshmen.

During high school, I think I attended more “Be Careful at College” programs than I care to count. Earlier in the year, when I told my co-worker that I was going to IU, the first thing she said was, “Oh, be careful. Remember Lauren, that could be you.”
Not exactly encouraging.

But she made a good point. Spierer could have been anyone. I could be writing a column about a completely different girl right now.

I could even be writing a column about something else entirely because no one went missing last year, and Spierer could be happily preparing to go home for winter break.
Unfortunately, she’s not. Her disappearance is a great tragedy, but I think the whole horrible thing would be pointless if no one learned any lessons from what happened.
During my time at IU, there’s never been one moment where I haven’t felt secure. But even I get jumpy at night.

One time I made my friend stay on the phone with me all the way back home, a short 10-minute walk, mind you, because I’d gotten it so in my head something was going to happen to me.

But I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. Every time I go out at night, I make sure I have a group of friends around me, and I never let a friend walk a distance alone.
Everyone is on their guard, because everyone remembers Spierer.

Security on campus has stepped up enormously. The students are even more protected and better protected than before. I only wish it hadn’t taken the disappearance of a student to ensure that security.

In short, Spierer’s tragedy should not have occurred in vain. She should be remembered not only for the good person that she was, but for the lesson that she teaches.

We shouldn’t let her become just another Bloomington ghost story. She’s an IU student and just like that, she was gone.

Hopefully, the more we learn from her and about her, the more students we can protect, and nothing like this will ever happen again.

­— ewenning@indiana.edu