On December 13, my phone buzzed with alerts: “Mass shooting at Brown University.” I was home in New Hampshire, just two hours away, trying to study for finals. The fear hit hard. This wasn’t a distant tragedy; it was real and nearby. It involved students like me.
Brown canceled finals. Other schools shut down. Police searched neighborhoods. A “person of interest” was detained but soon released, leaving everyone with the chilling reality: a murderer was still out there.
This is what it feels like to be a college student today. We refresh news sites during study breaks, memorize evacuation routes, and text our parents that we’re safe—often before they even know what happened. The dread is always lurking, reminding us this won’t be the last tragedy.
Two students died, others were gravely injured. Their families are living a nightmare, one every parent fears. Yet, a numbness settles in as if these incidents are just part of life in America now. But they shouldn’t be.
I grew up in a small town where communities support one another. When disaster strikes, we come together—baking casseroles and offering help. But when it comes to gun violence, we wait for others to act—Congress, agencies, judges. Meanwhile, young people, from elementary to college, must treat lockdown drills like routine classes. We’re absorbing trauma as if it were just another season.
The shooting at Brown isn’t just a Rhode Island issue. It’s a regional and national tragedy. Students across New England are watching, witnessing the pain and fear ripple through our campuses and homes.
College should be a time for growth, curiosity, and future dreams—not a place where we question our safety.
We can’t let violence become just another headline. It’s not just about the next news alert; it’s about families burying children with unfulfilled dreams. A generation is learning to accept danger as a part of life, thinking safety is a privilege only a few enjoy.
Change is necessary. It can happen when communities unite to prioritize student safety. New Hampshire may feel distant from Providence, but we share schools, worries, and hopes. No student should fear stepping into a classroom anywhere.
I refuse to be numb. The students at Brown deserved better. Every campus should be a safe haven. All families should have the assurance their children will return home. It’s time to demand more than just survival.
Tess Sumner, a freshman at Harvard studying Government, hails from Danbury and graduated from Newfound Regional High School in 2025.
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