Miller, '14, Reflects on Semester in New York Arts Program

June 24, 2013

Kurt Miller, ’14, has aspirations of a career in sports broadcasting when he graduates from Albion College next spring. To help achieve that goal, the Ann Arbor native participated in an internship in New York City during spring semester.

A double major in communication studies and economics and management, Miller started building his résumé in his first year on campus calling the play-by-play of Albion baseball games for broadcasts on the Internet. Last fall, he served as co-host of a sports talk show on WLBN, the College’s student radio station.

“It was fun to start up my own radio show,” said Miller, a three-year letterwinner on the Briton men’s soccer team. “[The experience at WLBN] exposed me to the need to go off campus and get more experience.”

Spending a semester in New York came into focus when an Albion graduate who previously participated in the New York Arts Program contacted Miller’s academic advisor during the fall semester, asking if anyone would be interested in an internship in the Big Apple.

Miller accepted the offer and, through the New York Arts Program, worked for an online fitness and adventure publication called The Active Times.

During his time in New York, Miller consistently worked eight-hour days researching and writing for the website, which had a goal of publishing 60 stories per week.

“I had the opportunity to apply all of the things I’ve learned in my communication classes,” Miller said. “The media is changing, [with a greater] need to write short, concise pieces.”

Of course, internships are usually meant to act as a gateway toward the intern’s future career goal. When asked what he would like to do as a career, Miller said “It would be pretty cool to be a play-by-play broadcaster for a baseball team, or possibly an on-air talent for ESPN, or something along those lines.” Based on what Miller saw of the changes in how news and information is delivered, staying behind the microphone is a safer bet.

“I saw [the shrinking media] firsthand when The Ann Arbor News was replaced by AnnArbor.com,” Miller said. “Now there’s a demand for as much content as possible. The quality of the work is diminished when you’re trying to get as much information out as possible.

“I don’t think I’d like a desk job for eight hours,” Miller said. “I’m an active person. I want to broadcast an event on site.”