When I read a newspaper or watch television, there’s always another story about someone missing.

A college campus does not guarantee safety. Recent stories force us to face the possibility that it can happen to us.

We all feel invincible when we’re young. We think that we can take care of ourselves. We think that things happen to other people, but there’s always someone stronger or smarter.

We have been very lucky at UTM. Being a small university has its advantages. Everyone is close and we look out for one another. But safe campus or not, there’s no excuse not to practice common sense. If something doesn’t feel right, then it isn’t.

If you feel invincible, think about the people in your life that you care about. Now picture them gone, because they feel invincible, too. No more phone calls from them. How does that make you feel?

The impact of a missing person puts a strain on family and friends. It’s something that nobody should ever have to live through.

Most of us will live to be old and have many stories. The story we don’t want is the one when someone we cared about disappeared and we never got to say goodbye.