Ally Durlester - MCHS Class of 2005
Currently attends Franklin & Marshall College

Press release from Franklin & Marshall College previously posted on their Focus web page written by Jackson Duncan

ON THE AIR WITH ALLY DURLESTER

For some students, a summer internship can be little more than caddying coffee and filing endless reams of paper.  But Franklin & Marshall College sophomore Ally Durlester is one of the fortunate few who had the opportunity to combine passion with talent, after she landed a hands-on internship with Los Angeles' KABC7 news team.

Durlester has always been interested in the news industry, and when the chance to work at KABC7 arose she jumped at the opportunity. She was assigned to the morning program, which required its interns to keep a brutal schedule that began promptly at 3 a.m. The internship placed Durlester under the charge of an assignment editor, where she performed a wide variety of tasks.

Her main job consisted of calling local sheriff's departments and deciphering police logs for potential stories. She then broke down this information so it would be ready for the 5, 6, and 11 a.m. news programs.

"This was great because it taught me how to engage the police officers and to ask the right questions to get the responses we needed," said Durlester.  "I loved saying 'Hi, this is Ally from KABC7, What do you know about this particular story?' I felt that my voice was making a difference!"

Durlester's favorite part of the internship was the ability to go out in the field with reporters. She eventually became friends with some of the crew members, and by the end of the summer, the photographers even took her out and allowed her to tape.

"I shot a few practice stand-ups [the basic introductions to a news story]. It was very helpful in that I know what I have to improve before I make my audition tapes during my senior year," she said.

The true test of Durlester's aptitude came during the morning show of August 10. That day, just a half hour before the 5 a.m. news was to be aired, a sudden phone call turned a rather dull morning into a media frenzy. A transatlantic aircraft plot had identified Los Angeles as a terrorist target, a plan that was intended to be carried out by the use of liquid explosives.

"I was thrown into a flurry," she recalled.  "Time was not on our side. I had to write some dialogue, which is when the English classes I had taken at F&M came in handy.  It felt so exciting for our van to pull up beside FOX, and NBC, and all the other major news outlets. It was from that point on that I felt certain I had chosen a career path that I would be happy to get up every morning for."

During senior year of high school, Durlester had been skeptical about Franklin & Marshall was the best place to prepare her for her job plans. Which academic route would put her in the best position to fulfill her ambitious goal of a career in journalism? Choosing F&M over a journalism school was a tough choice for Durlester, but in the end she feels that she made the right decision.

"Franklin & Marshall College gives its students the opportunity to work toward being successful in their careers, but at the same time allows them to pursue their passions," she said.  "If I left Franklin and Marshall for a journalism school, I would not be able to be involved in improvisational acting, modern dance, guiding tours for the admission office, or community service."

Durlester plans to continue her work for KABC7 again next summer, but will spend her time with the Entertainment Department.

"In the true sense of the liberal arts, I now feel prepared for anything!" added Durlester.

Durlester is a 2005 graduate of Milken Community High School. She is the daughter of Alan and Nicki Durlester, Sherman Oaks, Ca. She serves as a tour guide for the admissions office, a member of the F&M dance company, and is currently co-directing "The Vagina Monologues."