On Saturday, October 18, human remains believed to be those of missing University of Virginia student, Hannah Graham, were found in an abandoned property outside of Charlottesville, Graham, who went missing the morning of September 13, is a sophomore at UVA, and was last seen on surveillance footage leaving the Tempo Bar around 2 a.m. followed by 32-year-old Jesse Matthew.
As a senior in high school planning on attending university next year, with my top choice just so happening to be UVA, Hannah’s case has been a regular dinner conversation at my house. With my mom going on and on about how sorry she feels for Hannah’s parents, and my dad trying to get me to take an oath never to leave my dorm without a taser, college seems slightly less fun. Not to excuse underage drinking or say that it is okay, but realistically, drinking in college seems like the norm. Why would Hannah be concerned about someone kidnapping her in a college town, where dozens of other students are drinking? When you think about kidnapping cases, it is easy to reassure yourself that it would never happen to you because you would never leave a door unlocked, walk home alone at night, or accept a ride from a stranger. In Hannah’s case, however, most college students would probably think it is safe to drink in a bar with witnesses.
Emily Abrishamkar is a staff writer for Pulse Magazine.
