Channel Surfing the College Life

Thanks to Alex, we all know that college life has filtered through and found a home on the big screen, but it has also made its way into our living rooms. We are seeing more and more images and scenarios of college life on our television screens.

Take for example ABC's television show Greek. It is about a group of people who are in college and who are either associated with or in a Greek community. ABC claims that it is a "dramedy set at fictitious Cyprus-Rhodes University, which focuses on the social minefield that is the Greek System. Viewers will see this unique cast of characters navigate through this treacherous terrain as they try to find their place at Cyprus-Rhodes University". I myself am not in a Greek community, and can't tell you how accurate this show may be, but it seems to me that there is some exaggerating going on within the show. It is a constant parade of gorgeous people, partying it up, and always creating drama. To me, this show tends to portray college just as a big party, well that is if you are in the Greek system....
http://abcfamily.go.com/abcfamily/path/section_Shows+Greek/page_Detail

Another television show that incorporates college is VH1's Tommy Lee Goes to College. It is a realty show where we find a "notorious rocker" going back to college. The University of Nebraska at Lincoln accepts this reality show to be filmed, and allows this middle aged star to gain his "academic redemption". Now I might be wrong, but i haven't seen any rock stars on campus lately... have you? The point is, that Tommy Lee is definitely going to have a different experience at college than the normal student. He is going to be followed by cameras and 'fans', and surely going to feel the pressure to make his college experience "exciting". http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/tommy_lee_goes_to_college/series.jhtml

Yet another reality show that went to college is BET's College Hill Atlanta. It is about the lives of eight college students studying at various prestigious universities in the Atlanta area. The series explores the stories of these students’ hectic and crazy lives, their academic and career goals, their love and sex lives, their friendships and their personal trials and tribulations. Unlike Tommy Lee's reality series, this one may be more realistic, but yet again since it is a reality series which wants viewers, some of the stories and experiences may and probably are highly exaggerated. http://www.bet.com/OnTV/BETShows/collegehillatlanta/

Ok, I'm not saying that every aspect of television that 'college life' enters is bad, I'm just saying that it is usually exaggerated in some way if it is a "reality" show or series. One way that college enters television in a good way is through sports, College Basketball, Baseball, Softball, Tennis, Football, Soccer, Wrestling, and many others are continuously being aired on TV. This not only brings the School advertisement and notice, but it allows people around the Nation and even around the world to see the talent that some of these young men and women have. College sports that are aired allow a variety of people to watch and to realize the school spirit that is within these college communities. Here is CBS' College Sports website http://www.tvshowsondvd.net/graphics/news3/TommyLeeGoesToCollege.jpg, Now I know CSUN probably isn't highlighted, but I'm sure some of your favorite teams are on there = )

The last point that I am going to touch on is that of college entering television with their own stations! Many of the Colleges and Universities today have their own television station and/or share one and have specific hours that they are aired. I think this is a really good idea, it allows college students to get experience within the media, and also to bring their opinions and issues to a wider audience.

In the end, Television can do a lot to a college community, it can exploit it's ideas, exaggerate the reality of it all, and create a poor image, but on the other hand, it can share students' talents with the world and open the door to it's audiences.

~Mary S. =)