Ryan Kopacsi Profile Story

He’s a fixture on the sidelines of the Virginia Commonwealth University basketball court. Whether it’s a men’s or women’s game, he takes his position directly behind one of the nets. He’s not a ball boy, a manager, a coach or a photographer. He’s Ryan Kopacsi, the director of the VCU Pep Band.
“My first impression was that he wasn’t like any other band director,” said Julie Pence, a VCU sophomore and member of the Rowdy Ram student section. “I was just really surprised. He seemed to be having so much fun with things and he was a little risqué. He was just really, really cool and not like anything I’d ever seen before.”
Pence said the VCU Pep Band stands out from other collegiate instrumental groups because of their more modern musical selections that range from big brass pieces to Beyoncé songs, and of course, because of their colorful director.
Known for his outrageous dance moves, and fun-loving style of directing, Kopacsi has quickly become a fan favorite with students and families alike. But who is the man groovin’ with the Rowdy Rams? He recently sat down to answer some questions and help us find out.
https://docs.google.com/a/mymail.vcu.edu/Doc?docid=0AbYsv3RHMZQbZGhtNThtYzlfNGNyYzZ0Zmd3&hl=en

The Richmond Flying Squirrels

Melanie Beck has been a baseball lover since she was 8-years-old. Her favorite professional team is the Baltimore Orioles. Although Beck, a Virginia Commonwealth University sophomore, was excited when she heard that the San Francisco Giant’s affiliate and Double-A team, The Richmond Flying Squirrels, would debut at The Diamond on Boulevard in April 2010, originally the team’s name left her confused.
“I was a little thrown off by it,” Beck said. “I have no idea how that came about so it’s just like random and I don’t know what squirrels have to do with Richmond.”
While the Flying Squirrels’ first home game won’t take place until April 15, they have been striving to become a valued member of the Richmond community.
In late September, the franchise held a contest with the Richmond Times-Dispatch to name the team. The competition helped generate some buzz for the new team, and was actually how Beck first heard about them.
https://docs.google.com/a/mymail.vcu.edu/Doc?docid=0AbYsv3RHMZQbZGhtNThtYzlfMmZkNnpja3px&hl=en

The State of Journalism and Plagiarism

Even though journalists and newsrooms have new technology, plagiarists are still getting their stories printed and their bylines seen. Google and other search engines have made it easier to catch suspecting offenders, however, not all are. I think the only way to prevent plagiarism is for editors to truly keep on top of everything reporters do, especially involving an inaccuracies that are reported in their stories.
I understand that reporters should be allowed freedom and given the benefit of the doubt, but it’s actions like that that allowed former New York Times reporter Jayson Blair to make up countless articles. Of 76 articles he wrote on national events at least 36 of them were fictitious or contained falsehoods, according to the New York Times. They also go on to say that on more than one occasion staff members expressed concerns about his writing.
https://docs.google.com/a/mymail.vcu.edu/Doc?docid=0AbYsv3RHMZQbZGhtNThtYzlfNmhjcDU2N2hy&hl=en

Valentine's Day

Pink is the color of Valentine’s Day, and it’s also the color of dinner for Virginia Commonwealth sophomore Sarah Hess.
“My family always makes dinner,” Hess said. “We make everything pink. We dye the chicken breast pink, the mashed potatoes, and the cauliflower. Seriously, everything is pink.”
However, Hess will not be joining her family for the pink buffet this year. Instead she will be bowling with her Valentine, her boyfriend of more than a year.
“We’re going bowling, and then we’ll probably go out to Olive Garden for dinner,” Hess said. “I’ll probably get some flowers because I never get those.”
This is Hess’ second year with a Valentine, and she says it has increased her enjoyment of and participation in the day of love.
https://docs.google.com/a/mymail.vcu.edu/Doc?docid=0AbYsv3RHMZQbZGhtNThtYzlfN2Zndmc2c2dq&hl=en