TORI SCHNAUFER
Columnist
I have always felt safe and secure on the Northwestern campus and in Alva in general.
This past couple weeks’ events have widened my eyes to what being out in “the real world” is like. There is always something happening to other people until something hits close to home. In this case, things hit too close for comfort. With the rape that happened here on campus, I kind of altered my opinion about how safe we are anywhere.
The affidavit stated that the people involved met on a social media site named Meet Me. Just about everyone on campus uses social media in one form or another. Twitter, Facebook, Yik Yak, Snapchat and Tinder are the most common ones I am aware of.
Social media can be a good thing. Most of the time it is used to keep up with family and friends, but now some social media sites are being used to meet people for “hookups.”
What isn’t being taken seriously is that people can lie about anything they post online and everything posted online is there to stay even if it’s deleted. It is honestly an important thing to keep in mind when you post things, send a snap chat or when receiving one. No matter what, you should always ask people a number of questions when meeting them, especially before hooking up with them.
One of those questions is their age. I have a friend in the Navy and they even have a rule: ID her before you even talk to her. It may seem silly but it could save everyone a whole lot of heartache.
I still feel safe at Northwestern and in Alva but now I seriously think twice before I pick up my cell phone to do anything. I am a lot more terrified of the cyber world than I’ve ever been.