Eric Marrapodi '03 was sure he had the world figured out back in his days as an intern at AM 1220 WQUN. His editor wasn't so sure.

"She'd tear up my copy and tell me to try again," he said. The honest feedback did him a world of good, however. He now covers that world for CNN, based in the network's Gulf Coast Bureau in downtown New Orleans. "Hurricane Katrina is the underlying theme in every story we do," Marrapodi said.

"My job is to find the stories within the story, the shots, the people who will talk, and I find out what they will say. Lengthy pre-interviews are common. I steer the editorial direction by figuring out what the story is and the best way to tell it," Marrapodi said.

Marrapodi says his professors were an important influence on his career. "From Professor Bill McLaughlin, I learned what it means to be a journalist, and how to put together a story for TV," Marrapodi said. He credits Michael Bay with making him a strong producer and Professor Liam O'Brien with emphasizing that you can never have enough shots.

Marrapodi also learned the ropes from his internships. He interned at WTNH in New Haven and "48 Hours," which hired him out of college. All the jobs taught him to temper compassion with his passion for journalism.

Marrapodi has taken an active role in the rebuilding efforts. He and his wife, Dawn (Stinton) Marrapodi '03, MPT '04, open their home to relief workers as well as missionaries from their Presbyterian church. Members of Quinnipiac's Christian Fellowship group recently made a trip and the Marrapodis hosted a dinner for them.

"Being in New Orleans is an incredible experience," Marrapodi said. "Every single person has a story to tell, and we have the responsibility to them and to all people to hold public officials accountable."