Crowdsourcing Journalism for the UCI Worlds

My first ‘final thought’ is that there is no way these will be near my final thoughts at all. Parts of this experience- like all experiences- will come alive in my thoughts often. I learned things doing social for the RTD about my abilities and have already transfered them to my similar position at which I am employed.

To talk about the actual class and classwork- I liked it. Things were a little freeform, but I still enjoyed it. It reminded me immensely of writing professionally. Things are just fluid and moving really quickly until all of a sudden there’s a due date and wow it’s concrete and it’s in front of you and it’s finished!

This course felt like it was over before it even began for me. Same holds true for my time at the RTD. I felt like the whole thing may not of taught me new skills, it honed ones I already had. The skills I had were taken and sharpened into a toolkit. And I’m going to use that to take on the world.

I wasn’t sure how to make this interesting, but I honestly hope I did.

Students walk through a brick walkway on the VCU campus, headed about their day.

Students walking by have become accustomed to the disruptions the renovations of James Branch Cabell Library have brought to the center of the VCU campus

Large holes, their purpose a mystery, exist in parts of the upcoming library expansion.

Students utilize bicycles to move to and from campus at a quicker space. It is unclear how the upcoming UCI Road World Championships will affect casual riders.

Tyler Conrad, the manager of Break Point in the VCU Student Commons, looks up from a quick snack for a portrait.

Hibbs Hall was built in the 1950s as the first new space for academic instruction on the VCU campus.

Cassandra Hudson stops for a portrait on the way home from class.

Dustin Reinink hides from the camera following a particularly awful pun from the photographer.

A driver finishes his delivery in front of a pedestrian bridge built to transport people over Franklin Street during the UCI Road World Champions.

Students play with their dogs during a quiet afternoon in the compass.

Hello, I’m Ben Weiner, I hope you’re ready to learn some fun facts. Strap in!

I’m studying Broadcast Journalism and Political Science in school, but defining myself by major is a little limiting. Outside of the university, I spend my time helping to run a small record label named Running Around Records. That takes up most of my time I’m not working my jobs, one in retail and the other in communications.

I signed up for this course because I was selected by Robertson school faculty to help the RTD cover the UCI Worlds Bike Race in September. I am happy to be along for the ride.

I don’t know if I would call myself a cyclist, but I own a bicycle and I use it, on occasion, to get around from place to place in the city. It is a somewhat convenient option, but not really a hobby.

Now my social media platforms? That’s a big one. I’m probably most active on Twitter, followed by Tumblr, then Facebook. All personally. I also have an Instagram but I am not very active on it.

The only other thing I really use as a social network (and its debatable if it is one) is YouTube. Beyond that, I use Pinterest and Flickr at one of my places of work.

Let’s see where this goes, ride on.