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Show Writers7 strike will leave students bored Managing Jeremy Behrens The Bradley Scout (Bradley U.) 11122007 - Theres a new controPEORIA, Lo-hversy in Hollywood and surprisingly, the names or Spears arent attached to it. The writers for both film and television have done what many thought to be undoable they went on strike this past Monday. (U-WIR- 111. E) an writers strike since 1988. Negotiations between writers and producers have This is the first industry-wid- e been occurring for almost three months now, and both sides have come to a standstill. The writers feel they should get more money from reruns and DVD sales of TV shows. However, producers say this sort of digital entertainment doesnt bring in enough money to matter and is more a promotional advertising tool than pure entertainment, according to a Nov. 1 article in the Wall Street Journal. This industry-wid- e writer strike stretches from the east to the west coasts through the Writers Guild of America West and East. Members of these guilds are required by contract to stop writing and start picketing. As one WGA strike poster said, Pencils down means pencils down. Im willing to put my family on the line for whats right, said Mick Betancourt, a writer on the NBC show Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. This halt on writing is going to mean huge changes in the way entertainment is cast to the vast viewing audience. Beginning Monday, writers for talk shows across the country, including Letterman, Colbert and Leno, walked off the sets and left the hosts hanging high and dry. For now, production companies will air only reruns as the writers arent there to pump out the puns and skits the hosts rely on. The only loophole to this is that in some hosts con- - iThe Forum . awsy i vS i Staff, Fall 2007 Editor: Daniel Iverson StafflVriters: Tiauna Anderson Production Manager: Nick Parker Emily Bennion Jonny Bonner Chelsea DiFrancesco Shanene Foster Business Manager: Joey Hellrung Manda Jacobs Alexandra Jamison TiffenyTam Adviser: Kim Zarkin Wesley Jarman Macey Matthews Kate Reed The Forum is published every other Tuesday. Its circulation is 1,200 newspapers. The first copy is free of charge; additional copies may be purchased for 50 cents. We encourage students, faculty, staff and other readers all letters to Daniel Iverson to provide feedback. at forumwestminstercollege.edu. Only signed letters will be accepted. The Forum reserves the right to edit all submissions. Views expressed are those of the writers and are not to be considered those of The Forum, ASWC, the faculty, staff or administration. ail VOLUME XU: ISSUE 7 tracts, theyre covered to write material for themselves. Some hosts, The New York Times said, could easily wing their shows, listing Jon Stewart as a prime example. But others wouldnt fare so well. The strike shouldnt initially affect the runs of these shows and the production of movie companies as they generally have a stock of scripts that are waiting to be produced. Because most movies take a year or more to be produced, scripts are held for just this reason of striking. However, if the strike lasts longer than previous ones, television viewers could be forced to watch reruns and possible shutdowns of some of their favorite and longest lasting series, including the daytime soap operas churned out brand new each day. And you can forget about new pilots for next spring and fall. As for movies, the big name sequels being written and books being adapted have literally ceased progress. The fuand James Bond flicks are being tures of the new put on hold due to a lack of writers creating the endings. Although this might be going against everything that Im working for in my own college career, I feel the writers are just in what theyre doing. Most of these contracts were drawn up in a time when DVD sales and digital technology were things that werent even being considered moneymakers. The producers and executives played up the fact that the writers were all talk and wouldnt strike. I think the writers strike is the first step towards advancing their own careers. Theyre able to virtually stop Hollywood. What many of the producers dont realize is that writers are, in a sense, the foundation to what Hollywood is based on. Without them, theres nothing for actors to act in, directors to direct or producers to produce. Writers hold the upper hand in this situation and I think all parties finally see this. Because of this lack of writers, theres bound to be a spike in one of televisions newest and most scrutinized genres reality television. In an article on the USA Today website, it hinted that once scripted shows begin to dwindle early next year, viewing audiences will be forced to view unscripted shows such as reality and game shows. Television producer Mark Cronin pointed out the ideal situation reality producers are in due to the writers strike. I was in a network meeting today, and they were referring to the fact the timing is really good for reality producers, Cronin said. But its going from 50 mph to 70 mph. Networks have to protect themselves and fill their airspace. Networks have been stockpiling reality shows just in case writers ever did go on strike, according to The X-M- en New York Times. Networks cant live off of reality shows alone. Viewers dont want to watch 24 hours of people being people and doing stupid stunts in order for personal gain. Very few shows deal with situations that everyday television goers want to see. A Shot at Love With Tila Tequila, for example, is entertainment for the sheer fact that these people arent intelligent. The basis of a show is about Tilas sexuality and her decision of whether to choose a boyfriend or girlfriend. Theres no mental stimulus. Writers have come to realize the empty threats within the companys we have reality television for just this reason proclamations. While the industry might be able to carry on for awhile, it will not be able to flourish without new scripts being put out to advance the entertainment of today. I mean, really, college students can only last so long without their new episodes of Greys Anatomy and Family Guy. Its going to be a bleak new year without our favorite shows. online reputation crucial Brianna Koucos Contributing Writer There are many ways you can help your job search. Using the Career Resource Center on campus to have a rsum reviewed, do a mock interview or utilize any other of the many services are great ways to enhance your career. One important step in your job search might be less obvious, but no less important - managing your online presence. In addition to keeping up your reputation in the classroom and elsewhere, it is vital to represent yourself online in the best way possible. Employers and graduate schools have commonly searched Google, Yahoo! and other search engines to find out more about potential candidates. A new wave of background search is now being done through online communities. Your Facebook or MySpace account is at risk of being evaluated by a potential employer. Although there are questions as to whether this practice is ethical or acceptable, the fact remains that 35 percent of hiring managers use Google to do online background checks on job candidates and 23 percent look people up on social networking Web sites, according to a survey done in March 2007 by the Ponemon Institute, a privacy think tank. About one-thiof those Web searches lead to rejections, according to the same survey. Although there is no need to immediately cancel all of your accounts, there is some action you should take to manage your online presence. The first step is to use your common sense. Yes, this is a free country and yes, these are your private accounts. However, the simple fact is that people have access to your information when you post it on tiie World Wide Web. It is important to be cognizant of the fact that the Internet is not private, nor do you have control over what ends up available for the world to see. Manage your reputation by doing a search of your name. Be aware of what comes up in Google, Yahoo! or any other search engine. Edit your wall or your comments section of your page to make sure what your friends say is not inappropriate. Do not use violent, racist or demeaning comments in blogs, profiles or personal pages. Even if you are not serious, these comments can negatively affect your job search. Also make sure you set your profile to the highest security settings possible. The bottom line is that every day we are trying to manage our reputations. It is important to remember that the image we present in cyberspace often tells more about who we are than our resumes or graduate school applications. Recruiters are under pressure to find quality candidates and they do not want to be responsible for tarnishing their company or schools or their own. reputation The term theyve employers used over and over red is flags, said Trudy Steinfeld, executive director New of York Universitys Center for Career Development. Is there something about their lifestyle that we might find questionable or that we might find goes 7 against the core values of our corporation? Remember two things and you cant go wrong: integrity and good judgment. Both are vital qualities recruiters look for in a candidate for any position. If you are having a hard time figuring out what would be acceptable on your personal page, consider if it is something you would be comfortable sharing with your grandmother. For more information about managing your online profile, please contact the Career Resource Center at (801) 832-259- 0. rd |