Last week, Temple University was graced with a visit from the multi-talented actress, singer, comedian, performer, and talk show host Whoopi Goldberg. Whoopi not only received her Lew Klein “Lewie” Award, an award given for achievements in media excellence, but she also hosted a talkback with students in the Temple Performing Arts Center.
The floor was open to the students who were able to get up and ask Whoopi anything they wished. The talkback first started with some words of encouragement from Goldberg. In true Whoopi fashion, this hour-long session was jam packed with humor. At one point Whoopi even commented on her appearance comparison to rapper 2 Chainz.
Though humorous, Whoopi also discussed her trials and triumphs. One touching story Whoopi shared was her story to quit smoking. For years she has publicly admitted to being a smoker, but one day the story of one little boy changed her view. After seeing a little boy with Cystic Fibrosis struggling to breathe, he told Whoopi he had one wish, to be able to breathe normally. Now of course Whoopi couldn’t, “Donate her lungs,” she said, but this moment contributed to her decision to give up the habit. Since then, Whoopi has been using the power of Social Media to help others quit smoking, and using Social Media for empowering social issues.
When asked about what doubts she had in the beginning of her career, Whoopi said that she had no doubts in herself. She truly believed that she could achieve many things, and her work in the entertainment industry has proved just that.
Whoopi is one of eleven “EGOT” winners. An “EGOT”, is a person who has one an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and a Tony. Well now Whoopi Goldberg can add a, “Lewie”, to her list of achievements in media excellence.
By:Brett Jaffe
THE EXCLUSIVE 