I think she's like a lot of college kids. I would like to add something concrete to your suggestion as to what to talk to our kids about. We should tell them:
1. Never walk alone at night.
2. Have a buddy system when out drinking.
3. If you are meeting someone or going somewhere, text a different person to create a record of where you are going, who you are meeting, and what time you are expected back.
4. Trust your gut instinct. If something seems wrong, get out of the situation.
5. When you are walking alone, walk with a purpose, upright, confident, and not texting or looking at your phone.
6. Learn to be assertive. Learn to loudly say, "No.".
7. Ask for help from businesses or groups that may be around. Do not be embarrassed to ask for help.
Incredible. Tear jerking. Thank you.
I think UVA, students, community, family will have a lot of accolades about this incredible young woman. And I do mean that she was incredible, in that she was incredibly talented, accomplished, with great character and personality. Which makes it all the more chilling, the decisons she made the day she disappeared. Clearly, if somone like Hannah can behave the way she did, make the decisions she did, it's very common. My guess is that this happens all fo the time, but without the dire consequences that this woman suffered. I hope that people open their eyes to the above admonitions. Yes, they can get you killed.
Want to add something about cell phones. Just about everyone has one. Young people live with them. My experience has been that they are on them constantly, running down that battery, which is NOT a good idea when going out anywhere, Taking a quick pic of a taxi license, texting what you are actually doing can make a big difference in terms of staying in touch with others and letting them know as well as those with you know that you are taking record. When you are walking to a destination, playing with the phone, texting, whatever, is not a good idea, when you should be paying attention to your surroundings, and maybe using your GPS app if anything. In my neck of the wood, kids get mugged regularly as the bee bop down the street, eyes and mind on the smart phone with perps right there to relieve them of it. It's not a safe stretch from public transportation which most of them take to the school, at certain times of the night, when you are alone. At prime time , in a apack of literally hundreds of students making the journey, you re safe as can be. Alone, you are prime prey.
So use the phone wisely when out and about as it can be a valuable safety tool. Does you no good out of juice and when it's distracting you from important things.
Again, that someone like Hannah, able, aware, smart, could act the way she did, find herself in the situation she was, shows how prevalent this all is.
