When you go out with your friends, do you stay with your friends? Some people do not. On March 29, 21-year-old South Carolina University student Samantha Josephson was waiting for her Uber outside of the Bird Dog Bar in South Carolina when a black Chevrolet Impala pulled up. Thinking it was her Uber, Josephson stepped inside the car. Surveillance footage shows the car pulling away at 2:09 a.m. That was the last time Josephson would be seen alive.

14 hours after the vehicle drove away, and 2 hours after being reported missing by her friends, Josephson’s body was found. It is reported that Josephson was leaving the bar from a night out with her friends. Alone.

It is reported that Josephson went to the bar with a group of her friends the night of her disappearance. Josephson’s story is just one of many examples of how young women should stick together when going out together. Especially at 2 a.m..  

Now I am not pointing fingers at Josephson’s friends or blaming them in any way for her disappearance, but this event does highlight how the night could have gone differently if Josephson were not alone.

The situation might have taken a completely different turn if the group of girls that went out to the bar together, Josephson and her friends, left together as well. If that were the case, then at least one person would be able to point out that the car that Josephson stepped into was not her Uber.

To learn from this case, I think that as young women living in this world we need to stick together in times of vulnerability. While out on the town for a night with your friends, following the “buddy system” would be one of the strongest defenses against the dangers that flood this world. It would be ideal if young women did not have to face the fear of being taken advantage of and murdered, but this is one of the many harsh realities that we must deal with. It is known that 1 in 5 women will be the victim of a sexual assault on a college campus. South seniors reading this article–look at your 5 best friends–statistics show one of them will be sexually assaulted on campus. 

Being the high school students that we are, college is just on the horizon but that also means an increase in dangers that come with the campus life. We have to start thinking about how we will ensure our own safeties and the safety of our friends. If you are ever caught in a situation where you have the option to leave alone or leave with your friends, leave with your friends!