Anyone who find themselves in need of an extra safety measure walking home can now use an app that tracks their GPS location.
I woke up on a Monday morning of my junior year of college wanting cereal.
As I sat down at the long dining table across from my roommate, I casually scrolled through social media, because that’s how I, and the rest of my digitally obsessed generation, start my day.
I swiped up and down on the Facebook app and froze. Hannah Graham was missing.
Hannah Graham was reported missing on Sunday Sept. 14, 2014 by family and friends after not being seen or heard from in almost twenty-four hours. Her roommates thought she was studying at the library.
As I choked on my cereal and spat out the news to my roommate, who was only half awake herself, I went to class and the rest of the day nothing else seemed to feel real.
I tabled for my Italian study abroad group that afternoon, talking about Italy seemed stupid and senseless — Hannah was missing. I sat in class and zoned out, refreshing my Twitter and Facebook feeds waiting for answers, news updates, anything. It only got worse.
Hannah was a sophomore at the University of Virginia, originally from Alexandria, Virginia and a graduate of West Potomac High School, my alma mater. She was a sweet and sassy quick-witted girl that everyone seemed to know and love. She had a passion for French and helping people. At times in high school when I spent weekends and after-school meetings volunteering with her, I swore she was a certified genius. Ask anyone: Hannah was going to change the world one day.
Hannah had left a party that night, by herself, to go to another friend’s apartment, and got lost along the way. The last text message she sent said “I’m lost, come find me.”
Her body was found six weeks later, about twelve miles off campus. The man presumed responsible for her disappearance, Jesse L. Matthew Jr., was arrested on Sept. 24 2014 on a beach in Texas after a nationwide manhunt.
I used to be like Hannah. Not wanting my friends to have to leave the party just because I wanted to go home, not wanting to force my boyfriend to get out of bed just to meet me halfway after I had gone out. But that’s not OK.
We all would have grown to see Hannah change the world if a friend had just walked with her that night.
Recently I read about an app that could possibly make those unwanted walks home by yourself safer — and relieve that nervousness. I immediately thought of Hannah.
Some innovative students at the University of Michigan created Companion app, which allows users to request a friend or family member to virtually walk them home, according to Business Insider. The app tracks their journey home using a GPS locator, and does not require the companion to have the app downloaded.
It’s successful because of its simplicity. Just put in your current and endpoint location in the app, choose the contacts in your phone to send the invite to, and it will track you all the way to your destination.
If at some point during your journey you start to run, you are pushed over, or your headphones are ripped out of the jack, the app asks the user if they are ‘OK’ and it starts a fifteen-second notification countdown until it contacts your friend.
If they do not tap the ‘OK’ button in fifteen seconds the phone emits a loud alarm to ward off possible criminals, rapists or unwanted presences. It also allows you to immediately call the police.
Another cool feature is the app allows college students to report unsafe areas on or off campus, and Companion will report them to your school.
Since launching an updated version of the app in August 2015, it has garnered over 500,000 sign ups, according to Katie Reiner, one of the creators and founders.
This article is for all the women and college students who claim they are fine when walking home alone. I believe you’re strong and independent, but download Companion anyway.
This column is for you Hannah, who we all miss very dearly.
Clare Palo is a senior studying journalism and Digital Content Director for The Post. Do you think this mobile application will be useful? Tweet her @clarepalo or email her at cp954211@ohio.edu.
