Abdenour Learning The Ropes As Teacher
By Amber Dorsey
Lemke Ledger Staff
Just a year ago, life was different for Seattle native Jesse Abdenour, a graduate assistant in the journalism department.
Abdenour assists Prof. Dale Carpenter with the TV Reporting I class, teaching students how to shoot, edit and write broadcast stories. They also teach the more technical aspects of broadcast journalism.
Abdenour graduated from Ohio University in 1999 with an undergraduate degree in journalism. While attending OU, he volunteered at a local NBC affiliate and worked with the morning team.
Since his experience in college, Abdenour has worked at five news stations. His last job was in Fayetteville, as a sports anchor for KNWA, an NBC affiliate
Graduate assistant Jesse Abdenour, a boxer himself, is working on the final
stages of a documentary featuring two boxers over 45 — one professional and
another who is 'doing it for fun.' — Matt Jones/Ledger
“I remember at one of my jobs, I was hired as a reporter, but I would beg to do sports. Eventually I became the weekend sports anchor,” Abdenour said.
But while his passion is sports and the news business, he imagined doing more.
“It was funny working in the newsroom," Abdenour said. "We would talk about what we would do after we stopped working in the news. I would always say I wanted to teach. I used to say that I would teach history because I love it and thought about going back to grad school.”
He met Professor Larry Foley while working on projects and expressed an interest in going to grad school and teaching.
“Foley called me the next day and told me that the journalism department would have a position opening up and he thought I should apply,” Abdenour said.
He was hired within 48 hours.
“I started in August and I plan on being done in two years," he said. “It’s funny because before, I thought I would like teaching and now I know I like teaching,” he said. “I enjoy the responsibility, watching students learn — like when their light bulb comes on.”
Teaching is not Abdenour's only responsibility. He also is a student.
“I am taking a documentary class and I feel like I have learned things in there that I would have never learned in the field” he said.
Abdenour's latest project is a documentary about boxing.
“I love boxing," Abdenour said. "I used to box and I am looking at taking it up here (again) pretty soon,” he said.
For Abdenour, boxing keeps him physically fit, and he enjoys watching the sport as well. For the documentary, he is following two men over the age of 45 who participate in boxing.
“One is on the professional level,” he said, “and the other is doing it for fun.”