Klein College of Media and Communication is committed to offering opportunities for students to create impactful works of community journalism. From the Logan Center for Urban Investigative Reporting to Temple University Television, Klein College provides ways for students interested in all mediums to spotlight stories about Philadelphia.
TUTV premiered its new series TUgether on Wednesday, October 1, in the Annenberg Hall atrium. TUgether honors the spirit of service and highlights powerful community stories tied to Temple by showcasing the individuals who create meaningful change.
“This new series from TUVU is the perfect example of the education Klein College and TUTV provides,” said Acting Dean of Klein College Deborah Cai. “The series highlights the service and resilience in our community, while giving students the opportunity to learn through doing.”
Students and faculty gathered to watch the opening block of the first episode, which centered around Officer Leroy Wimberly of the Temple Police Department. In a sit-down interview with TUTV staff producer Chelsea Scruggs, Wimberly shared his life story, what service means to him and his involvement in the Philadelphia community.
Wimberly has been a TUPD member for over 30 years. Students at Temple and the surrounding public schools have come to know him as a mentor and a father figure. During the interview, Wimberly discusses a basketball game he played with students from Dr. Tanner G. Duckery Public School and TUPD officers. He shared how he and his team have cultivated trust in their community through engaging in positive activities—like the basketball game—that have helped humanize the officers and shift young people’s experiences with them.
Wimberly admitted to not liking cops when he was growing up. It wasn’t until he took a step back and looked at the positive impact the police officers in his community had created that he changed his perspective. Wimberly’s mission is to serve Temple community members as a trusted resource, providing support through education, outreach and personal connections.
“There’s a lot more work to do, but we’re up for the task,” said Wimberly before the premiere.
TUgether was created to further Klein College’s mission to curb the negative impact that media can sometimes create in communities. TUTV hopes that a show like TUgether can help celebrate the positive stories unfolding in the Temple community and reshape general belief about a topic through storytelling.
“TUgether was born from the idea to create a platform that celebrates those who give themselves and teach students that journalism can be a force for good,” said Joe Schreiber, general manager of TUTV. “It’s only fitting that we launch this new series by highlighting someone who embodies the spirit completely, Officer Leroy Wimberly.”
TUgether will continue to highlight the changemakers on campus and in Temple’s community and future episodes can be found on https://templetv.net/watch-live/.