Journalism piece

It's been a little over a month since University of Texas freshman Haruka Weiser was murdered on the UT campus. And although McCallum seniors are looking forward to graduation and the next stage in their lives, it is hard for some, especially those going to UT, to forget the tragic event.

Murders happen, but this one seemed to really hurt. One reason is that murders just aren't common in Austin. The last murder on the UT campus takes you all the way back to 1966 when Charles Whitman killed 14 people from the UT tower. "It affected my sense of security," said senior Elisabetta Diorio," because we take safety for granted a little bit because Austin definitely does feel very safe and unobtrusive and so that incident, I think, sort of shook everyone up, and made me kind of appreciate the safety that I have a little bit more."

The murder drew different reactions from different people. Some think the murder was tragic but is a part of life, while others were shocked by the proximity of the crime. For senior Caitlin Williamson, who is planning to go to Austin Community College before going to UT, the murder was just an unfortunate event. "I wasn't terribly surprised," Williamson said. "It happens so often, not here, but just around the country.

Although Williamson isn't scared about going to UT, others are worried for their safety. One of which is senior Hannah Cooley, who will be attending the university next year. "It was definitely scary to hear about (the murder) knowing that I'll be there next year and being of the same variety," Cooley said. "She was a young girl and walking around on campus is a scary thing when you're alone. ... It was definitely scary and kind of a reality check about how safe you actually have to be if you're going to be walking around campus alone."

Walking around campus alone is something Cooley won't be doing along with taking other safety precautions to ensure her safety on campus.

"My mom told be never to walk with headphones in because you can't hear what is going on around you. Walking in groups, I plan to not walk alone at least mainly at night, just paying attention to my surroundings."

Despite the different reactions people had, the murder was a reality check that every city and every school is going to have a problem ever once in a while. Like Caitlin Williamson said, "It just happens."