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Community Corner

Is Your College Student Safe?

Missing college student, Lauren Spierer, is just one case of the many students who go missing each year.

Parents already have a lot to worry about when their child goes off to . For example, which major their child will pick, will they pass all their courses and will . In addition to all those stressors, parents now have to worry about their child's . 

Although college is primarily a safe place, many students can easily get lost in the massive number of students who attend the school. Without any curfew and a grand level of freedom many students can find themselves in danger. 

Lauren Spierer, a sophomore at Indiana University, went missing June 3rd after going out with another student and returning to that student's dorm. No suspects or evidence have been found regarding her whereabouts. The only clues police have are

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surveillance cameras and the statement from a student stating the time he last saw Lauren. 

Lauren's disappearance can happen to any student on a campus. And although college should be a time where students can be independent and unsupervised, both students and parents should take extra precautions.

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  1. GPS Tracker for Cell PhonesThere is nothing like knowing where your children are regardless of the time of day. If your child has a cell phone on them, they can easily be located with a GPS tracker. This will minimize calling them, especially when they don't answer. You will know where they are 24/7. This is especially good for parents who want to give their children privacy, but simply want to find their child in the event they come up missing. 
  2. Always Double Date: It may sound old fashioned, but this is one of the easiest things students can do in order to maintain a level of safety when going out late at night. Bring a friend along and encourage her to bring her date too. And by all means never leave each other. Stay together until the very end of the date. 
  3. Send a Text: Let someone know where you are going and who you are with. Even as an adult, I let someone know where I am and who I am with. This is to simply give peace of mind to those that love you. 
  4. Use the Safety Services on Campus: In undergrad, when I was at Michigan State, there was a program called Night Owl. They would pick up students when the regular transportation was unavailable between the hours of 2am - 8am. Or you could call a hotline and have a group of student volunteers meet up with you and walk you back to your dorm. Many campuses have programs like these, it would be good to call them in the event that you are walking on campus late at night. 

Colleges have security measures in place within the dorms, but when it comes to the public grounds of the campus, anyone may be able step onto campus. Be safe.

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