Between watching Whitney Port in her reality show The City, to watching Annie as a kid, to listening to Alicia Key’s and Jay-Z’s song Empire State of Mind, you have a clear picture of what New York City is really like. It’s The City of Dreams, The Big Apple, The City That Never Sleeps, The Melting Pot. If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. Plus you went on a family vacation there, so you could navigate the city with your eyes closed. False.
NYC’s a little more than a nickname and set of Gossip Girl. You have to be there to fully experience the diverse culture and lively atmosphere. Marc Wendt was able to spend a summer in the city, interning with Morgan Spurlock (the guy who did Super Size Me and One Direction: This Is Us) at Warrior Poets, so he knows first-hand what New York has to offer.
What’s your major?
I’m a double major in Spanish and Journalism on the reporting track.
What did you do over the summer in New York?
I interned part-time at Warrior Poets, a small documentary-based film and TV production company, and I bussed tables part-time at three restaurants in lower Manhattan.
How did you decide to go out there for the summer?
That’s an interesting story. I actually wasn’t looking for an internship at all but things unfolded in my favor to say the least.
As a student in the J-School, I get emails about speakers coming to campus to talk about the news, media, really anything mildly related to journalism. It so happened that last October, Morgan Spurlock came to speak about a documentary he did on advertising, The Greatest Movie Ever Sold. I attended, and when Morgan said he had some time to take questions and sign autographs after his talk, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to shake hands with the guy, I mean, he’s sort of famous. Just before it was my turn to meet Morgan, I realized I needed to ask a question otherwise I would just look like I was trying to meet a famous person (…but I was.) My question: Does your office hold interns?
Morgan was so enthused by my question. He told me they did, that he’d be happy to bring me out to New York and work with him, and that I should send him my materials on Facebook (?!?!?!).
After a couple months of relentless emails, phone calls and skype interviews, I learned in March that I was offered a position working under the company’s executive head of development, Ethan Goldman. I knew this was an opportunity I couldn’t afford to pass up, so I immediately accepted and began finalizing plans for my 11 weeks in New York.
What area of the city did you live in? Did you live with people you knew?
I lived in Manhattan on the NYU Campus in a quad dorm room with three other guys, all strangers. My dorm was situated right on Washington Square Park and, as I learned during my first couple weeks in the city, I couldn’t have asked to live anywhere better. Ten steps right outside of my dorm in any direction there was always something going on.
Describe an average day at your internship.
My mornings started around 8:30, out the door by 9:30 with a quick stop at Starbucks for an iced coffee to walk to work with. I had a 10 block walk down Broadway to my building in Soho. If none of the other interns were at the front desk, I would set up camp there to answer phones and welcome visitors. Within the first hour of being in the office, the executive head of development would tell me what my work for the day would be. If the task was simple, he’d email directions, but for the more complex projects, he would call me back to his office and we’d discuss different elements of the project. I actually got to work on some pretty big projects with huge brands, although I can’t tell you exactly who. My mornings and afternoons were filled with hours of research, writing and editing presentation decks, and running an occasional delivery to or from Times Square. Lunch was at 2 pm and I left the office at 6, usually catching the tail end of Happy Hour around 6:30.
What was your favorite part?
My favorite part of interning with Warrior Poets was definitely the atmosphere in the office. It’s a small company where everyone knows everyone’s names and I was no exception. People learned my name so much faster than I could learn theirs, but after a couple weeks I knew exactly who’s mail went to who and that Jeremy always ordered a large black coffee, Shannon always ordered a medium iced with a splash of soy milk.
What was the coolest thing you experienced in NYC?
Hands down, the coolest thing I did in New York was a photoshoot in Soho. I met some of the coolest (and craziest) people at my restaurant job and it just so happened that a photographer friend of a friend needed a model to bulk up her personal website. Before I knew it, the day of my shoot had arrived. I’m just a guy from Wisconsin, so I had no idea what to expect… My photographer is almost done retouching everything and she assures me the photos look incredible. I’ll leave it at that.
What was the most challenging part?
The most challenging part of my time in New York was taking the city in. I’m serious, between interning and working, I didn’t have nearly as much time as I wanted to explore the city, its parks, museums, architecture, markets, block parties, bars, festivals. There’s so much culture in New York that it’s definitely overwhelming at first.
Describe the culture of NYC. How is it different or the same as here?
I’m a firm believer that New York City actually is the greatest city on earth. While Manhattan is absolutely incredible, I found that Brooklyn was much more my speed. For example, you can wear literally whatever you want and while walking down the streets of Brooklyn, complete strangers will turn to you with the biggest grin and say, “Yeah! Totally, I get it! Like, I get it!” As far as I’m concerned, Brooklyn is the hippest and most happening place. Wherever you turn, you’re sure to bump into actors, artists, dancers, musicians, filmmakers, both the up-and-comers and real celebrities. Madison is a great place for young people, especially college students, but it’s got nothing on Brooklyn.
What are your plans after graduation? Do you want to go back to NYC?
Ideally, I’m looking for a one-way ticket back to New York after graduation, but realistically, I’ve got some student loans to deal with. Right now Plan A is to get a job for a couple years, pay off my debt and put away enough money to move to Brooklyn and establish myself in a career there. There’s so much opportunity in New York. In my mind, it’s the place to be and I plan to get back there as soon as possible.