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Student reflect on life in the spotlight
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Written by Amy Turlington, Staff Writer
Fame may be in the future for junior Lauren Gentile. Although some people may want to be famous for the money and glory, Gentile has her own reasons.
“I think if someone wishes for fame it’s for the wrong reasons,” Gentile said. “I believe you should try your hardest and maybe hope for fame, but it should be something that goes along with being great at what you’re doing, like icing on the cake.”
Gentile believes that one positive aspect of fame is being able to provide entertainment for an audience.
“The best thing about being famous is to have that media platform to do what you love,” Gentile said. “It’s about finding that platform to where you can reach everyone and do what you love for the joy of others.”
With her passion for singing, Gentile has performed for an audience. “I sing a lot,” Gentile said. “My dad, brother and I have a trio, and we do jazz concerts. I really enjoy it. I do Falcon Idol. It’s something that I wish I could pursue, but I’ve got so many other goals, and it’s hard to know which one to follow.”
Gentile has even auditioned for the television show “The Voice.”
“I did audition for ‘The Voice,’” Gentile said. “For the show you have to go online and fill out this profile. You print out your audition pass and bring that to your location. You wait in a line, and finally, they call you up to the room, and you audition with 10 other people. You step out of the line and sing your verse and your chorus, and you step back, and the producer points to who makes it. No one in my group made it.”
Competing in pageants is another way for Gentile to express herself and do what she loves. “I have really enjoyed being in pageants,” she said. “I’ve learned a lot about poise and how to reflect the person that I am.”
Fame is a possibility for Gentile to consider.
“The drawbacks are getting caught up in the fame,” Gentile said. “So often we hear about Lindsay Lohan. The fame just consumed her. She didn’t stay true to herself or her morals. Staying close to your religion and your family is really important. My family keeps me steady. In the end, they’re the only ones that are going to be there for you. You have to give the glory to God, stay true to your morals and remind yourself every day why you are successful.”
Many students have turned away form the idea of fame because of the recent celebrity deaths. For sophomore Hannah Graham, fame isn’t as desirable as it used to be.
Like most young girls, Graham used to long to be famous. Who didn’t? She used to want to be glamorous, gorgeous, and glorious like the celebrities she saw on TV. Thanks to Photoshop, makeup and other camera tricks, celebrities can fool people into thinking they are perfect and confident. Recently, however, something happened that allowed her to see through the image celebrities portray, and made her change her mind about fame.
The death of Whitney Houston erased every dream Graham had of becoming famous. She had always admired Houston, and loved listening to her inspirational music. Houston had been a role model for Graham. Without a role model, Graham had no desire to be famous anymore.
“When I was little, I used to want to be famous, because everybody used to want to,” Graham said. “But after Whitney Houston died, I didn’t really want to be famous anymore.”
Whitney Houston’s death caught Graham by surprise. She wasn’t expecting someone so young, lively and motivational to die.
“I was in the car, and one of Whitney Houston’s songs came on,” Graham said. “Then my mom told me she died, and I was sad because I really liked her music, and her songs were inspiring. She was really young, and I didn’t expect it.”
That day, Graham learned that celebrities are far from invulnerable. They may seem overconfident and satisfied, but in reality they can be just as insecure as regular people.
“Whitney Houston’s death showed me that even celebrities die, not just normal people,” Graham said. “Everyone, whether they are famous or not, is a human being, and human beings are not perfect. Celebrities definitely act cocky to make people think that they have it all together. In real life, they do stuff like drugs and have eating disorders, so they’re not as cocky as they seem. I’m sure they have things about themselves they don’t like.”
Graham said that she would not like being a celebrity because there are just too many drawbacks. As soon as a celebrity steps onto the street, they are instantly swarmed with reporters and people hoping to get an autograph. Every move they make, down to their outfits, is constantly analyzed, criticized and then gossiped about. None of this appeals to Graham.
“The drawbacks of being a celebrity are that everyone always knows your business and are always talking about you, whether it is true or not,” Graham said.
In Graham’s opinion, a normal life has many more advantages than the life of a celebrity. She believes an average person with a normal job would be more relaxed, less self conscious, healthier and would have more time to spend with their family.
“I would rather have a normal life, because I would rather have more privacy and be able to control what people hear about me,” Graham said. “You wouldn’t always have people watching everything you do. Normal people probably have more wholesome lives, too. You would live healthier and longer because you wouldn’t have as much stress in your life, and you wouldn’t have to worry what people think about you all the time. “
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