As I’m sure many of you have heard, Landon Hill, a well known student at Appalachian, has passed away. Although I did not have the privilege of getting to know him myself, countless people across the world did. To lose a best friend, brother, and son is an unimaginable experience that I cannot even begin to fathom. While I could never possibly have the words to describe the life of such a unique and caring individual, his dear friend Johanne has kindly taken the time to share with me who Landon was, what he aspired to be, and how he left a mark on our world.
Q. How would you describe Landon?
A. Landon was a very hard working, talented, passionate, and loving person. He wanted to do something to make the world a better place. Everyone would tell you the same. He was interested and very knowledgeable about politics, literature, and different cultures. He was an avid reader and someone worth talking to. Still, while studying very hard, he also worked a lot by waiting tables. His dream was to raise enough money to afford a semester in Spain. He wanted to be someone, and I know he would have been successful. He was so easy to get along with. I don’t think it was even possible not to love him. His charisma, his personality, his smile, his vitality, everything about him was great and fascinating. He was also a great cook and a great dancer. He knew how to get along with people from every country. What can I say? He was one of those people who was meant to love and be loved back.
Q. It seems as though Landon had a lot on his plate, and yet he still managed to capture the hearts of thousands?
A. Yes. Anyone else would have been exhausted by such a life, but not Landon. He still took time out of his day to hang out with his friends, go out, cook, and just enjoy life. Landon was a great friend. He would always speak his mind, cheer people up, and make everyone feel like they were home, even while we were miles and miles away from family. He changed peoples’ lives, that’s for sure.
Q. If Landon were here today, what do you think he would say was his greatest accomplishment?
A. I think going to Spain was something he was very proud of. He was also writing a paper called “Born This Way” about “Mass Media’s representation of the LGBT community and its influence on the public sphere.” He was actually about to give a conference in Boston about it and that was also something he was proud of too. He wanted to change things.
Q. How was Landon involved here at Appalachian?
A. Landon was a member of INTAPP (International Appalachian) but he definitely didn’t need that to be involved in our lives. He just loved discovering different cultures. While in Spain, he went to Portugal, England, Germany, and was going to spend the whole Christmas holiday with me in France (and it breaks my heart to know he won’t be there…).
[pagebreak]
Q. Do you remember the first time you met Landon?
A. Of course I remember the first time we met! It was at an international party at the beginning of my first semester in the US. He was friends with pretty much everyone in INTAPP and was very involved with helping international students. So he was dancing with someone and I was standing next to them, he grabbed me at some point and told me that I needed to dance with him. At first I thought he was hitting on me, which was obviously not the case.
And then we danced all night, took funny pictures, and hugged. And our friendship was born. It was one of those indestructible friendships that are meant to last forever. Ever since, we would hang out together as often as possible. He used to call me his French Girlfriend. I also lived with him for a week before going back to France after the dorms closed.
Q. What is your fondest memory with Landon?
A. It is so hard to pick one memory over all the others. The more I think about it, the more I realize they’re all good. We never had any fights. We were so similar, so close. I could tell you about the time I was having a hard time. He picked me up, took me to the restaurant, and then to his place where we cuddled, and watched “La Vie En Rose,” one of his favorite movies ever.
I could tell you about when he told me he was going to spend 2 wonderful weeks with me for Christmas next winter, and that he couldn’t wait to meet my family.
I could tell you about this time when he told me he considered me to be like a family member.
Or I could tell you about all the things we did in Spain, less than 2 weeks before he passed away, when I visited him for a week.
I could tell you so many things.
“My friends try to explain away my eccentric antics to strangers with ‘Oh, that’s just Landon,’ or the timeless ‘Mom, it’s Landon, please be serious.’ So, to the possible dismay of classic wordsmiths, might I be so bold as to suggest that my name has become an adjective to describe something that the English language can’t express: me.” – Landon Hill (1990-2011)
For those who are interested, here is a link to his paper, “Born this Way.” http://landonmhill.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Born-this-Way-Pop-Music-and-Mass-Media%E2%80%99s-Positive-Representation-of-the-LGBT-Community-and-its-Influence-on-the-Public-Sphere-.pdf