![President Todd Pfannestiel poses with Jeremy Thurston chairperson Board of Trustees [left] and former chairperson Robert Brvenik [right] after accepting the university's institutional charter.](https://uticatangerine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/unnamed.jpeg)
Liam Payne, a former member of the boyband One Direction, died at age 31 after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Oct. 16.
Payne gained fame as a member of One Direction, one of the best-selling boybands in history, known for hits like “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Night Changes” and “Story of My Life.” The news of his passing has shocked the music industry and his fanbase, including some Utica University students, with many expressing grief and disbelief.
According to ABC News, a preliminary autopsy report from the Argentinian Public Prosecutor’s Office found that Payne died of “multiple traumas” and “internal and external bleeding,” with 25 injuries found on his body.
A partial autopsy found Payne had multiple substances in his system when he fell from the third-floor hotel balcony, including “pink cocaine,” which is a recreational drug that is typically a mix of several drugs including methamphetamine, ketamine, MDMA and others, as well as cocaine, benzodiazepine and crack.
The news of Payne’s death has caused his songs to trend once again on music platforms and many artists to dedicate performances in his memory.
Some students at Utica University, who are fans of both One Direction and Payne, were affected by the news. Most were between 8 and 15 years old when the band became famous, making this news trigger childhood memories and sadness.
Sophomore Jamiyah House said she started being a Directioner when she was around 8 or 9 years old, and her first concert was One Direction for her tenth birthday in 2015.
“When I heard the news of Liam Payne’s death, I was like there is no way it was real, it had to be a joke,” House said. “My friend sent the news article so I looked it up and saw that it was confirmed. I was so devastated by the news knowing that Liam did have a history of mental health that he was open about, and problems with his drinking and drug use.”
Sophomore Cassidy Forbes also did not believe the news was real when she found out.
“I checked Twitter and all the reports were in Spanish,” Forbes said. “When the Americans started reporting it, it started to hit like it was real. When the boys of One Direction released their statements and their joint statement, it made me cry a lot, and I watched their old stuff and just feel like a part of my childhood died.”
