The hardest thing I've ever done
I've been at Purdue for 5 1/2 years now, and I'm in the midst of the biggest BFD to affect this campus in that time. For those of you who haven't heard, Freshman Wade Steffey has been missing since the early morning Saturday. On Thursday, Purdue Police coordinated a 300+ person volunteer search effort that scoured campus and surrounding areas. I was a part of one of those teams, at it was quite an experience.
At first, it was a little exciting. Here's my opportunity to do something that actually matters. Hooray that (although the circumstances suck). There were so many volunteers that the police could barely handle them all, I think they expected maybe 100 or so. It started getting pretty awful once the search started. My group started near WLHS and moved south toward PGNW. We looked in dumpsters, garages, under decks and in stairwells, hoping to find anything. A watch, a scrap of clothing, a shoe, a cell phone (which has since been determined to be on the academic campus, at least as of Wednesday). One of the guys searching in my group was a friend of Wade's, and had driven up from Bloomington earlier that day. He had a look in his eyes that was indescribable.
I think at this point, most of us think he has to be gone. Either he was absconded with, or the elements claimed him. To me, at least, the former seems more likely. Even if you tried, I don't think you could hide yourself well enough between Tower Acres and Cary to not be found for a week. Still, there's still that hope that just maybe he'll come back. Boiler up, Wade.
Follow the latest: http://www.purdue.edu/uns/
At first, it was a little exciting. Here's my opportunity to do something that actually matters. Hooray that (although the circumstances suck). There were so many volunteers that the police could barely handle them all, I think they expected maybe 100 or so. It started getting pretty awful once the search started. My group started near WLHS and moved south toward PGNW. We looked in dumpsters, garages, under decks and in stairwells, hoping to find anything. A watch, a scrap of clothing, a shoe, a cell phone (which has since been determined to be on the academic campus, at least as of Wednesday). One of the guys searching in my group was a friend of Wade's, and had driven up from Bloomington earlier that day. He had a look in his eyes that was indescribable.
I think at this point, most of us think he has to be gone. Either he was absconded with, or the elements claimed him. To me, at least, the former seems more likely. Even if you tried, I don't think you could hide yourself well enough between Tower Acres and Cary to not be found for a week. Still, there's still that hope that just maybe he'll come back. Boiler up, Wade.
Follow the latest: http://www.purdue.edu/uns/