Written by: Claudia Louis
September, a lot of high school students will be attending post secondary schools. Most will move out of their homes to stay in dorms, and private housing. Therefore the safety of students living away from home is more prevalent now especially with the media coverage of the murder of Chinese visa student Qian Liu. On April 15, Qian was brutally attacked and murdered in her basement apartment. The story became an international sensation based on the fact that her boyfriend in China had been webcam chatting with Qian as the attack had taken place. Her boyfriend had seen a brief struggle before the laptop had been turned off; the police are still searching for this particular laptop but have charged Brian Dickson with first degree murder. The brutal death of Qian Liu was an immense loss to her family and friends, and definitely our city.
Some points to ensure safety is first:
- Always double check references before renting any private housing,
- Ensure that a proper security system is in place, (the old bat under the mattress may not deter criminals away)
- Being careful with whom you invite over. If a stranger is coming over, better to have that happen in a group setting.
- Walking in groups when leaving evening classes on campus, carrying a whistle, or pepper spray.
Moving out is an exciting time, an opportunity for ones growth personally and intellectually. With this comes the responsibility of ensuring one’s own safety. Some people may feel that it will never happen to them, however a little safety, a little bit of precaution may help to eliminate opportunities for such things to happen. Qian’s death was a tragic and unnecessary death, but she’s definitely brought out a serious issue, we should learn something from her.
Tags: News
