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Meet The Staff - Mat Hopson

Weekday mornings at 4:30 a.m., most people are still soundly sleeping in their beds.  Mat Hopson is already in the WEMU studios, getting things ready to bring you the best possible Morning Edition he can produce.  Your reward for supporting WEMU is the dedication of people like Mat.  We sat down with him to learn a little about what makes Mat tick.
 

What do you do at WEMU -  Currently, I'm engineer/producer for Morning Edition with David Fair and announcer during Weekend Edition Saturday, This American Life, Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me, and Ask Me Another.  Previously, I was engineer/producer for All Things Considered with Bob Eccles.  I have also engineered live performances for The Roots Music Project (I think of it as a private concert).

 
What's your hometown -  Originally, Novi, MI.  Now, I call Brighton, MI home.

Where did you attend college -  Central Michigan University

 
What was your major -  Broadcast & Cinematic Arts (Minor in Interpersonal & Public Communication)

 
What are your favorite shows on WEMU -  Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me, Ask Me Another, Bluestime w/ Michael Jewett, The Roots Music Project

 
How did you end up at WEMU - My sister was in contact with former Program Director Clark Smith and suggested that I send him my resume.  Some time later, I get asked for an interview and was hired hours later.  Hey, it's what you know, it's who you know.

What do you do each day at WEMU - In short, a lot.  Specifically, I organize David Fair's news stories, publish those stories on the web, check for traffic updates (many, many times if necessary), and do live announcements on Saturday mornings.

 
Where do you love to eat - Stillwater Grill in Brighton, MI.  Beware of the Gusher Sundae there.

 
Have you ever had a song stuck in your head -  There was a time in high school where Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca" was stuck in my head for two solid weeks.  Not fun.

 

  

What's an album you think everyone should hear -  "No Cities to Love" by Sleater-Kinney.  It made NPR's best of 2015 list, so I figured I'd give it a shot.  Thank you NPR!

 
Are there any places you love to shop - Tie between Amazon and Gamestop

 
Where is your favorite vacation destination - Bed on a lazy Sunday morning

 
What are your favorite social media "follows" - Robert Downey, Jr. on Facebook, Very Lonely Luke Skywalker on Twitter

 
What's the last movie you saw -  Star Wars:  The Force Awakens (Loved it!).  And yet, I'm still paired up with David Fair, the biggest Star Wars hater in the known universe.

 
Have you had a memorable WEMU moment you'd like to share - Once I checked for a traffic update and learned that a hot tub had fallen off a truck on M-14 near Ann Arbor.

 
What's so great about public radio - It serves the people, regardless of their education or political affiliation.  Plus, you feel smarter for having listened to it.

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