“I Will Always Love You:” Mason Students React to Death of a Pop-Star
Comments: 5 - Date: February 22nd, 2012 - Categories: Uncategorized
BY: RYAN WEISSER
“Oh, I wanna dance with somebody; I wanna feel the heat with somebody!” sings Whitney Houston on a flat-screen in the popular late-night dining establishment at Mason, Ike’s, as college students stare at the late pop-star while munching on six-inch pancakes and crinkle-cut fries.
“I remember singing ‘I Will Always Love You’ with my dad on car rides to school,” said Erin
Hoehl, a 21-year-old senior at Mason studying criminology and administration of justice who is from Essex Junction, Vt. “I’m sad that Whitney’s gone, but I am happy that she gave me some special memories just through her music.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVg9-2mpQA0&feature=relatedIn her prime, Houston was No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts seven consecutive times – a musical record that no one else has beaten. Her death on February 11 was a shock to the world.
And on Mason’s campus, students remember Houston. In honor of her memory, Mason sophomore Amy Kerr is playing her albums all week.
“Every single one of my birthdays, until I was like 10, we had a karaoke challenge, and I would always sing Whitney Houston,” said Amy Kerr, a 19-year-old Mason sophomore from Alexandria, Va., studying conflict analysis. “It’s weird for me to think that she’s dead, especially since I went to one of her tour dates in Manchester, U.K., a few years back. There were a lot of rumors then about her bad health and drug abuse, but I never expected her to die.”
“She was such a great artist,” Kerr added. “There aren’t too many musicians anymore who had a true talent like Whitney did.”
And while some may be tired of the re-occurring news headlines updating the world about Houston’s untimely death, many are awaiting the news as to how and why Houston died.
“I just want to know the details,” said Hoehl, looking up at the flat-screen in Ike’s that is displaying Houston’s music video for “I’m Your Baby Tonight.” “I’m going to keep watching the news to see how else the story of how she died unfolds.”
5 Responses
I enjoyed how you didn’t take a stance on the topic and you left it up to those you interviewed. I would have thought it might be a bit difficult to say whether you liked her and her music, if you were saddened by the tragic date, or if enough was enough. But you gave both sides of the story, without emphasizing on the negative.
By Louie Mac, February 12, 2012 at 12:58 amThis was so sad to hear about today. In my opinion, Whitney’s voice in her prime will rmeain unmatched. She had awesome range, vocal power, but besides that she had the prettiest tone to her voice (which can’t be taught, either you have it or you don’t). It broke my heart to see the very media that tore her down every chance they could, get on CNN and tell everyone who would listen how iconic she was. People should hear more of that while they’re alive to benefit from it. I pray her mother and daughter find peace today. R.I.P. Whiney Houston =(.
I agree with Samita, I think you did an excellent job of remaining objective and you got straight to the point. I also like how there was a sense of nostalgia by way of interviewing the girl who used to ride to school listening to one of Houston’s songs. It personalizes it. Great Job 🙂
It was cool that you interviewed different students about her death and that so many people reacted to it. Personally, I think a lot of her music was for our preceding generation, so her death didn’t hit too close to home for me. But I do wish her family well during their grief.
Rough, rough, rough stuff. What a bummer. I’m glad you were able to get different opinions on the situation. Such a tragic life and loss. Great quotes and very interesting piece. Kudos.
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