Summer Vacation on the David Letterman Show

"What I Did This Summer" is an essay that many of us have had to write at one time or another during our academic careers. But if Chris Kroese, senior business administration major from DeWitt, Nebraska, were asked to pen his version of the old standard, he could author an action-packed adventure. Chris landed a summer production intern spot on the CBS Late Show with David Letterman and agreed to share a few details from his New York experience.

When asked for the highlight of the summer, Chris didn't hesitate: "The friendships I made at the show were the best. It sounds trite, but the people on the crew and the other interns were almost like family. It was a stressful environment with many demands every day, but the camaraderie among the staff outweighed that stress. Many staffers have been with Dave since the beginning."

Another plus to the internship for Chris was the guest list of musicians that were featured almost nightly. Chris cites Phish (the group performed outside on marquee and necessitated closing Broadway), the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the Beastie Boys, and Velvet Revolver. Chris's first internship was with BMG, a record label in Nashville. He also has a disk jockey business on the side during the school year (when he is not swamped with AGS fraternity activities).

Other notables on the show during Chris's tenure include former President Bill Clinton (Chris reports that security was tight), filmmaker Michael Moore, and showbiz celebrity Paris Hilton. Chris originally applied for a writing or music spot, but he garnered the Late Show's single (and coveted) production job. Although Chris scoured the internet for internships, he credits UNL's Career Services for helping him secure the Letterman gig.

A production intern’s life is never dull…Chris delivered the CBS Mail Bag and viewer emails, plugged the Top Ten on the CBS website, and combed skits and scripts for inaccuracies. He also made a dozen appearances on “The Tony Mendez Show” on the Late Show website. He was stationed in “the shack” during broadcasts, and Chris says that during production “I would literally sprint to the control room during commercial breaks to get changes to the director and other production staff members.” Chris was present and on call during every rehearsal and assisted producers and writers.

“Not only was the internship amazing, but living in New York City was a blast,” Chris says. “There is so much to do; you can go to Central Park, check out numerous museums, eat at any of thousands of different restaurants, check local music, hit the nightlife, go to Times Square, shop at SoHo, hit the beaches at Long Island, and visit the Statue of Liberty all in one day. You can’t beat that.”

What’s in store for next summer? Chris dreams of a part-time job or internship in LA or Chicago, of writing a movie … of, in his words: “doing something creative that has a positive influence” after his graduation next December. In the past, he’s also worked as a teller for Wells Fargo. Whatever he chooses, Chris Kroese is a CBA student to watch.