Ryan McElveen: Twitter sensation
Ask any student with a Twitter account. If they do not recognize the name “Ryan McElveen,” then they will probably be able to recognize his face, which has been photoshopped incessently by FCPS students. As winter weather approaches the area, students on Twitter hope and pray for a tweet from McElveen about school cancelations or the possibility of a two hour delay. And frankly, lately he’s been providing students with what they want to hear.
One student even said she would name her firstborn child after McElveen.
But the question begs, who really is Ryan McElveen.
McElveen has been an at-large member of the Fairfax County School board since January 2012. Although most FCPS students incorrectly accredit him for days off of school, that is not the case. Deciding to have school or not is the superintendent’s job. However, McElveen’s uncanny ability to be the first to tweet the news has led to his rise to fame. Along with his sense of humor which includes tweets like: “I know you guys have been waiting patiently for my snow bikini pic, but sadly I forgot to buy a bikini. Maybe next year.#sorryimnotsorry” and “There are many advantages to being bald. The best? Not having to worry about hat hair.#OnceYouGoBaldYouNeverGoBack,” McElveen has quicly become a sensation generating over 7,000 followers in the span of two months.
“I think the pictures are pretty funny and they’re not making fun of him, but praising him,” sophomore Ahmad Ayub said. “He actually likes them and at one point put a picture of him with gold chains and sunglasses as his avi. He’s also cool because he’s hip to social media and actually replies to some students that tweet at him.”
Ryan McElveen, FCPS School Board member, is a new internet obsession among FCPS students. His tweets about days off and delays jump-started his fame, and now he’s a go-to source for information. FCPS students have taken it upon themselves to make McElveen’s face a symbol of hope for school cancellations by the power of Photoshop. In this slideshow are some of the most popular creations that are sweeping Twitter. Check his Twitter for Fairfax County updates: @RyanLMcElveen
Cayley is currently a senior at AHS. In the past she has been the Photo Editor, an In-Depth Editor, and is now a Weekend Editor. Cayley is involved in...
AHS senior Alexandra Zernik is the managing editor of The A-Blast. She has been on staff for four years.
