“I’m not a prophet or a stone aged man, just a mortal with potential of a superman. I’m living on,”  said David Bowie in his song Quicksand.

Bowie was a well-known celebrity. He has done everything from acting to singing. Breaking out of the ‘norm’, and showing his fans to just be themselves, David Bowie has made himself known world-wide. “David Bowie is such a big influence to me. Everything about him as a person is intriguing to me.” said singer Leona Lewis.

Like Bowie, Alan Rickman has recently died. Rickman had many years of acting, and many people looked up to him and the way he portrayed his characters.

Both Rickman and Bowie were considered idols in today’s society, each having their own contribution to affecting the way we know media.

It is common for people today to idolize somebody, whether it be a celebrity, or a family member. We do this for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it’s because we see characteristics in that person that we wish to possess. Other times, we idolize somebody because they seem to make a difference in our lives, or even the lives of those around them.

“I know that sometimes my little brother watches what I do, and sometimes even tries to do the things I can. It gets frustrating because I know that I have to watch what I say and do in front of him,” said junior Scott Marvins (real name withheld). We don’t have a choice on who sees our actions, nor do we get a choice on when. What we do have a choice over, is how we live our own lives, and how we portray ourselves through our actions and our words.

We are all a role model to somebody close by, even when we don’t know others are watching us.

“I know that I sometimes find role models by the way they act, and the things they do. My role model is somebody who I want to be like, they are so inspiring,” said Marvins.

“You try to find things that are challenging and interesting and hopefully it will be the same to the audience.” said Rickman. Alan Rickman has shown others who he really is, and in doing that, has made a role model of himself to many in today’s society. He did this simply by going out into the world and finding ways to influence the lives of others.