Violence, tragedy can be avoided

On the evening of Sept. 23, the University community lost a little bit of its innocence. Tamara Williams, an LSA senior who excelled in a pre-law curriculum, was murdered by her boyfriend Kevin Nelson in front of her North Campus apartment.

Her death marked a tragic moment for students - both those who knew her and those she had never met. The murder came as a sobering shock to the University community - showing that walls of academia cannot protect students from all of the realities and horrors of the outside world. The social plague of domestic violence was forced into the spotlight.

Nelson had been arrested numerous times for beating Williams in previous years. But her pleas for help, like those of so many other victims of domestic violence, went unheard.

But domestic violence at the University does not end with Tamara Williams. There are no doubt numerous other victims out there - hiding the evidence of their abuse from those that surround them. Sarah Heuser, the training and education program counselor at the University's Sexual Awareness Prevention and Awareness Center, said "one-fourth to one-fifth of female college students are sexual assault victims during their college years."

The University should do more to educate incoming students about how to prevent domestic violence and sexual assault. In addition, it should publicize the wide variety of services available through SAPAC and various other University programs. Everyone must learn the boundaries of their relationships with others and what types of behaviors may lead to future abuse.

But simply helping students from getting themselves into a bad situation is not enough. Students should learn all that they can about the signs other exhibit when enmeshed in a dangerous relationship. They should also be available to provide the emotional safety net that those who leave abusive relationships almost invariably need.

First-year students venturing out alone on their own for the first time need to be wary also. Domestic violence on campus will not be eliminated until the entire University community takes a stand and works together to prevent it. Awareness is the first step toward preventing further dangers for students, and the University must continue to play an educational role in this issue.

- Daily Staff Reporter Jason Stoffer contributed to this story.

09-08-98