When I first met Roger Weber, he was Professor Weber to me.
The year: 2007
The setting: junior year at Oakland University.
The class: ‘JRN 332: Radio and Television News Writing'
The professor: Roger Weber of Local 4 News.
(Talk about a freak out moment!)
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I always knew I wanted to be in the media business, but to be taught, first hand, by one of the best in the business, was a gift I can never repay OU for.
JRN 332 was a night class, started at 6:30pm on Tuesday's. I remember anxiously awaiting to learn the ‘ins and outs' of TV news, but a lot of the time our class was delayed because Professor Weber was often tardy. Trust me, this will have you laughing.
Anyone in this business knows, being on time and working the dayside shift doesn't normally go hand in hand. If you're live in Ann Arbor during the 6pm news, there's no way to make to Rochester by 6:30! Back then, college students couldn't understand it, I didn't really understand it, but booooooooy I do now!
No matter how late he was or how tragic the story was he had just covered – when Roger walked into the classroom, he turned into Professor Weber. He dedicated that time to teach, mold and hopefully shape future journalists and I feel honored that I was one of them
Not only did I gain priceless knowledge from one of the best in Detroit television, but I eventually would work alongside him.
Remember that Local 4 Traffic Reporter contest thing I won? Well, I was auditioning for that, while taking Roger's class. Every Tuesday, when I would soak in Roger's classroom guidance, I would think, ‘how lucky would I be to get the chance to *work* with him' – that dream came true months later.
While JRN 332 eventually came to end, Roger never stopped teaching me and the legacy he's left behind, means he never will.