Kyle Parker, 22, attributes his smooth, broadcaster voice to his British roots, as well as his passion for history and Revolutionary War reenactments.
“It’s almost engraved into my brain that I’m an Englishman,” he said with a dimpled smile. Just over 6 feet tall, he’s easy to imagine donning a scarlet red coat and busby hat for his role as private with the 23rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers.
“I’m nothing special, I’m just one of the guys in the ranks,” he said of his role in the reenactments. “We line up, just like the did back then, we do our drills, we shoot at people, and that’s that. We’re not the commanders who get to ride horses or impersonate George Washington.”
Parker’s brother first drew him to the reenactments when they both attended the Battle of White Plains performance. His brother signed up immediately and Parker joined once he turned 16.
Parker’s British roots come from his father, although his mother also has a passion for English culture. Because of this, he refers to seasons of television shows as “series” and often uses the British spellings for words like “realize” (realise) or “color” (colour). He also likes tea, even though he doesn’t typically drink it in the afternoon.
What he refers to as his “iconic” shaggy brown mane is freshly cut to expose his tired dark eyes and five o’clock shadow- a sign that it’s been a long final semester at Purchase. Parker has just finished his journalism senior project and is well on his way to graduating this week.
Having always been complimented on his voice, which is proper with a hint of gruffness, Parker decided after high school, to look into a degree in communications, and found that journalism and broadcasting suited him, and his passion for history.
“News people are the history makers,” he said.