You all know you’ve seen him, whether you’ve met him or not. He’s the kid that seems to be everywhere. Well, this is because Eric Marrapodi is a junior Mass Communications major who is always on the go. Marrapodi has developed himself quite the resume over his years here at Quinnipiac, and he still manages to have a social life.
Marrapodi’s first responsibility on campus is being a resident assistant. He currently lives with sophomores in Larson, but last year he worked with freshmen in the Commons.
“The freshmen challenged me to be a better person, because they were always watching,” he said. “This year is especially challenging, because of the girls.”
Even though the job is tough, Marrapodi would never quit. Being a role model and being there as a friend for the students means a lot to him.
“One of the very rewarding things about being an RA is the conversations you have with your residents,” he said.
Although being an RA takes up a great amount of his time, Marrapodi is still able to be involved in several organizations on campus. He is the executive producer of “QU Unplugged,” which according to Marrapodi is a combination of the shows “Storyteller” and “Unplugged,” and it airs on Channel 30 two to three times a month. The show usually features smaller acoustic bands from the area, and sometimes from campus.
Marrapodi is also in charge of running all of the media events for Christian Fellowship, a non-denominational Christian organization on campus. His responsibilities there include getting acts and speakers to come to QU during Fair Week, which takes place during the spring semester.
“It is a week long information celebration about different religions,” said Marrapodi.
This year Marrapodi was able to get Nico, a progressive modern rock band, and Moon Groov, and hard core rap and metal band. He will be sending invitations to Laura Bush, Bono, and Joe Liverman to come and speak.
Marrapodi can be quite a convincing and powerful speaker himself, and most of the student body has heard him speak before. The most recent occasion was the candle light vigil held in honor of those lost during the attacks of September 11.
“Speaking at the vigil was a real honor for me,” he said. “I am always happy to get an invitation to speak.”
He gets many, and his favorite speeches to give are for high school religious retreats.
“I love to go and talk about my faith to high school kids and encourage them on their faith journeys,” he said.
Besides volunteering his time on campus Marrapodi also uses his talents to make some money. He is a reporter for WQUN radio station and a sideline reporter at all Quinnipiac basketball games. According to Marrapodi, both of these jobs get his name out in the journalism world and are great opportunities for a young reporter.
Reporting isn’t his only field of communications, though. At home, Eric owns and operates his own production company called ICTHUS Productions.
“The main goal is to be a tool for non- profit organizations to use,” Marrapodi said.
His company produces videos for churches, schools and soup kitchens, and sometimes they also do promotional work for bands. Marrapodi does all the editing on his home computer, and usually only charges for the cost of the equipment.
Marrapodi said he has developed great time management skills. He must be flexible with his time and always use it wisely.
“I don’t sleep,” he said, laughing. “I get stressed out a lot but it’s fun, and I spend time with a lot of very interesting people that makes it all worth while.”
Marrapodi is definitely able to keep himself busy while at school, but he said his greatest passion above all is to hang out with his nephew Mica and his sister. He said four year old Mica is the joy of his life right now, and because of him he finds more and more reason behind all the work that he does.
“I want to be there for him and be a good role model,” he said.
Eric Marrapodi has a strong sense of what is important in life. He uses every second of every day to make the most out of the opportunities he has been given. His willingness to work hard and put other people first has made him the person he is today.
“None of this would be possible without the support from my family and the base I have in my faith,” he said.