<p>^^^
A little compassion please. This is someone’s missing child you are referring to.</p>
<p>Seriously.</p>
<p>I did stuff like that in college, my friends did, so many girls did. In retrospect of course we were completely idiotic, doesn’t mean we deserved to die for it.</p>
<p>Don’t be so sure it had anything to do with that or some random person. It seems a lot was going on that night…other young men who were not her boyfriend visiting one another’s apartment late at night, an altercation allegedly between friends of the BF and the young man she was with late at night, etc. We don’t know that she is missing due to being alone on the street late at night or if those responsible or involved in some capacity already knew her.</p>
<p>One of the “persons of interest” is a graduate of my childrens’ HS. However, none of my kids know him because in my town, being Jewish isn’t something that makes you stick out.</p>
<p>It could be that nobody Lauren knows was involved in her disappearance, but at this juncture (and so little has been released), one can’t rule out that perhaps people she knew were involved, considering other circumstances that have come to light so far of that evening.</p>
<p>I don’t think being Jewish means you stick out at IU either. The only reason that I know that the parties are Jewish is because the Jewish communities here are showing support for the family of the young woman who is from here, and that fact came out in conversation with some neighbors. I don’t think there is a single mention of it in the articles. </p>
<p>I hope none of the young people there are involved in the disappearance. it does not seem to be the case, and from what I understand, they have all been cooperative.</p>
<p>What happened that night seems to be usual doings in a college town near a large university in the summer. Not to say it was wise; it was downright foolish but it is easy to get careless when you are in comfortable and familiar surroundings around a lot of people you know. The seriousness of the case has kept a lot of the onus and commentary off of a number of the kid whose activities do not show them in good light at all, but I am sure they are getting the brunt of it with the police, their parents, attorneys and peers right now, to the point that I truly sympathize. This is a reason why you don’t behave in certain ways—when something goes wrong you can look very bad.</p>
<p>11 years ago, within a week to the day, a young IU coed disappeared. Her body was found three years later, I believe, and what happened exactly is still a mystery, with someone saying she had something to do with it found to be unbelievable and the person convicted of it denying it and the case is still undergoing appeals. </p>
<p>It is truly hoped that this is a situation where the young lady decided to take a hiatus somewhere. If not, I hope that none of the other college kids had anything to do with it. The older case did not. A situation where some creep took the opportunity to assault a lone female.</p>
<p>I’m not Jewish, but I am in a Jewish sorority, and the president, as I said, is best friends with the missing girl. I have to really comment on how the Jewish community in the surrounding areas is really trying to help find her. The IU Hillel is spearheading the campaign, as has been mentioned, and even over here at UW the Hillel and Chabad are sending people to Indiana to help look and collecting donations. All the other Jewish sororities and frats at UW are also really into the search. I haven’t seen this kind of involvement in a missing persons case by a religious group before and I think it’s really admirable. One thing I have learned from being a non-Jewish person in a Jewish sorority is how close the Jewish community seems to be, at least at UW and at IU too, it seems. Many of them are from a similar area, however (Northeast, NY especially) and perhaps that has something to do with it. I know many Jewish college students from the Northeast do choose to head to the Midwest for college and they seem to stick together in a very inspiring way. I don’t know if it’s the religious part of it, or the fact that they are from similar places, or a combination, but it’s a very welcoming, tight community. I hope all this cooperation can help find Lauren.</p>
<p>Given the amount of searching that has been done, it would seem that whoever is involved in her disappearance, whether it be a stranger or someone she knows, almost definitely had access to a car. I would think that would narrow the field somewhat.</p>
<p>To many Jews, the feeling is like being an extended family. I happen to be from the missing girl’s hometown as well, but just knowing she’s Jewish makes me feel like a distant cousin has gone missing. People often say it only takes two or three degrees of separation to connect two Jews.</p>
<p>I am not Jewish, but in college, my dear friend, Liz Platzman, went to the city (NY) and never came back. Shot in the face. Wrong place, wrong time. I was devastated. In some ways, I never recovered.</p>
<p>With D going off to school in the fall, these stories haunt me. It doesn’t matter who you are – kids do stupid things. I think any parent is touched and alarmed by Lauren’s disappearance. This could be our daughter, or son. You don’t have to be Jewish to feel that mother’s pain when she said, “Shame on you.”</p>
<p>I hope and pray for her safe return.</p>
<p>This is so horribly sad. And terribly frightening for all parents, I think. Because we all remember (or, at least, those of us who weren’t perfect do) what it was like to be that age and do stupid things and take risks, thinking we were invincible. I’m quite sure my son thinks the same thing. Yes, he listens when I talk to him about safety, but I know there’s a significant part of him that’s rolling his eyes (even if he doesn’t show it) and thinking that nothing like that will happen to him. </p>
<p>I also think that the fact that he’s a young man rather than a young woman makes him worry less about safety issues. But things happen to young men, too. And he’s not that much bigger than this young woman, and he sometimes (unfortunately, from his viewpoint) gets attention from middle-aged strangers who are interested in him because of that fact. Anyway, he’s going to be living off-campus for the first time this fall (he’s sharing an apartment with three young women he knows), and I do very much hope he’s careful. Especially since he’s of drinking age now.</p>
<p>We all worry. Things happen to young men too. Sometimes more things when there are altercations. A few years ago, a young man from Fairfield U in CT went into NYC and did not return. </p>
<p>No matter what we tell them, they are very likely to do things that have this sort of risk.</p>
<p>While there hasn’t been any new evidence or leads, Rossman and Beth (two of the guys that were seen with Lauren on June 3rd) aren’t exactly coming off well in this article:</p>
<p>[Surveillance</a> video fixes time when Lauren Spierer last spotted - fox59.com](<a href=“http://www.fox59.com/news/wxin-surveillance-video-fixes-time-when-lauren-spierer-last-spotted-20110612,0,7227876.story]Surveillance”>FOX59.com | Indianapolis News & Weather | WXIN)</p>
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<p>This investigation is ruining THEIR lives? They could have least pretended to express remorse over Lauren’s disappearance. While I don’t think that this is worthy of being considered a suspect by any means, they both seem a little too self-centered right now.</p>
<p>I still read the Harrington family blog-- anybody remember that case? They found Morgan’s remains, but still no killer. Gil Harrington describes her family’s pain so poignantly… I hope that is not what this family faces.</p>
<p>No, the boys nor Lauren, the bar, the whole Bloomington college town scene does not come off well. There is a lot of speculation and blame going around. But for right now, the only important thing is for Lauren to found alive. Afterwards there will plenty of material to discuss.</p>
<p>As a mom of boys, I can see how stressful this is for the parents of the young men who had anything to do with Lauren. The boyfriend, and any of the young men around her that night or who even knew her more than casually are considered persons of interest. They are being questioned to the inch of their lives, the media is stalking them, there are aspersions and rumors about them, theories are being spun as to what they may have done, what they did do is being scrutinized and publicized. They have to give DNA, have submitted to thorough searches and questioning, including polygraphs in some cases. They are not permitted to search, have been asked to stay away what is happening but to stay in touch. The boyfriend is back home, and is the subject of speculation too, as he was the one who raised the alarm that she was missing, notifying parents and police awfully quickly for a missing college age coed. No one is coming off well. The parents of these guys have felt it is important to hire criminal attorneys to be right there with them. I hope she is found, and that they are cleared. This is more than just one set of parents’ nightmare. Doesn’t sound good at all for those kids at all, and there is always that thought that maybe, maybe they are involved further in this case than we know. The police are definitely focusing on them. as they would being the closest to young woman and having exhibited questionable behavior during that crucial time.</p>
<p>Such a Tragic and upsetting story makes me glad I have sons so they’re less vulnerable but Need to exercise good judgment nonetheless especially when alcohol is involved, god forbid.</p>
<p>aajjc, – yeah, its kinda like when the former head of BP said he wanted HIS life back after the rig explosion. Real lack of compassion and perspective. I can understand the kids not wanting to deal with the press, but the response should simply be no comment at this time. But they’re kids. </p>
<p>I don’t understand the point of taking DNA from people who admitted they were the girl earlier that night.</p>
<p>Corey Rossman’s account of the evening doesn’t sound credible to me. He doesn’t remember getting assaulted? He woke up with bruises and a sore jaw, but doesn’t remember how he got that way? He was the last person to see her. It sounds like a case of convenient amnesia to me. We’ll have to see how all of this plays out. </p>
<p>I really hope they find this girl alive, but it’s not looking good right now.</p>
<p>nysmile - according to the reports I have read, Rossman was not the last to see her. She left his apartment and went to visit another friend in the building before leaving that friends apartment. This is where I can understand the boys frustration and how they may be coming across as insensitive. Assuming the boys are innocent, can you imagine how they feel with everyone pointing fingers at them. Assuming they had nothing to do with her disappearance, they will be forever associated with this. Reputations are ruined by bad choices. </p>
<p>My heart breaks for Lauren’s parents. As a mother of 2 d’s this is a nightmare. My kids think I am totally neurotic (I am!) because I am always telling them how things can go wrong. You think nothing can happen to you. You are young, you are having fun, what’s the harm in that? They don’t think about the evil that is out there. And there are evil people.</p>
<p>I hope that this family has answers soon.</p>