Every Thursday on the hit television show “Grey’s
Anatomy,” interns and surgeons perform a myriad of surgeries
on desperate patients. They help people in a way no one else can.
And though they are not as desperate for the doctors’
attention, many UCLA students still turn to the emergency room at
Seattle Grace Hospital for an hour-long break from the demands and
drama of college life.
As a way to increase social interaction and involvement on the
Hill, many residential halls have taken note from residents and
planned TV nights revolving around popular shows such as
“Desperate Housewives,” “America’s Next Top
Model” and “Grey’s Anatomy.”
Most notably, resident assistants and programming directors from
Courtside to Saxon are finding great success with their
“Grey’s Anatomy” nights, for what is one of the
most-watched shows on campus as well as across the country.
“It’s really simple and it doesn’t take a lot
of commitment on the residents’ part. They just come out and
do something that they would normally do, except they do it with
other people,” fourth-year history student and Saxon F
Building Resident Assistant Isidro Mariscal said.
“There’s already a cult around the show so it’s
just finding other people that are attracted to it.”
Although the Hill still offers a wide variety of activities for
on-campus students, ranging from field trips to a taping of
“The Price is Right” to information sessions on
choosing a major, television-based programs are quickly rising in
size and number.
The shows have strong fan bases and the program is simple and
accessible.
“It’s just comfortable,” third-year business
economics student and Courtside resident Traci Wayner said.
“You can just come, bring food and sit down with people. It
only takes an hour; you don’t have to worry about traffic or
getting ready. It’s very low-key but it’s definitely a
great way of bringing people together.”
Shows such as “Grey’s Anatomy” have not only
been successful at creating a fan base of loyal viewers but also at
creating bonds between floormates and classmates.
“It’s a really easy connection to make because you
can just talk about “˜Grey’s Anatomy.’ We’re
all kind of addicted … so it just gives you something to talk
about,” first-year microbiology, immunology and molecular
genetics student and Rieber 7 North resident Mya Sendowski
said.
Sendowski was named co-TV chair of her house government after
initiating the “Grey’s Anatomy” nights on her
floor at the beginning of the year.
“We decided to basically put out little fliers to see what
TV shows people like to watch. We collected them and we’re
going to organize different days for different shows,” she
said.
Besides the bonding between residents themselves, RAs have also
been able to enjoy the benefits of these TV nights.
“I remember last year going around and noticing that
people would really catch on and start congregating around
different shows. Even my friends would set time aside to go watch
“˜Grey’s’ or “˜Desperate
Housewives,'” Mariscal said.
Though “Grey’s Anatomy” is the most popular
this year, other TV shows have also made a mark on the Hill.
“Last year it was “˜Grey’s Anatomy’ but
the year before that, a lot of people came in here and watched
“˜Desperate Housewives.’ And “˜House’ was
pretty popular, and “˜24.’ People just like the shows so
they come in and watch it together,” Wayner said.
RAs such as Mariscal have also been able to take advantage of
these captivated students and parlay participation into
less-crowded on-campus programs and events.
“You can expand it however you like. You can add certain
stuff on the side like advertise the other programs that you have
and do little activities between commercial breaks. It’s a
really pliable media,” he said.
Over in the Courtside TV lounge, with a consistent group of 25
to 30 residents week-to-week, fourth-year psychobiology student
Lexi Guiner and third-year theater student Manaf Mansure ““
both RAs ““ have been able to reach out to these residents who
come from all over Courtside and take advantage of the
program’s large turnout.
Guiner and Mansure took the opportunity to create
“”˜Grey’s Anatomy’ and Your Anatomy,”
a program to educate residents on health and wellness topics during
the commercial breaks that pertain to that week’s episode.
During October, when an episode followed a patient with breast
cancer, that week’s discussion focused on breast cancer and
breast cancer awareness month.
“We’ve put an educational aspect to it as
well,” Mansure said. “Part of it is that there is some
valuable information in health and wellness, and part of it is that
if we’re attracting a large group of residents to a
television show, we might as well make use of that and take
advantage of that.”
And although a smaller group of about six students stop by
Mariscal’s room on Thursday nights every week, many of his
fellow “Grey’s” followers have found themselves
knee-deep in other Hill activities, such as house government.
“The TV show started before house government started so
they came to the show and I got to pitch certain stuff that was
going to happen throughout the quarter. I think it’s
definitely a way to get people more involved,” Mariscal
said.
But no matter which spot on the Hill residents may find
themselves, it seems there is always a place to find their favorite
shows and favorite people for a relaxing night in front of the
tube.
“During the commercial break they’re all talking
about “˜Oh, I can’t believe Burke did that’ or
“˜I can’t believe Meredith did that,'”
Mansure said. “It’s nice to see (students) discussing
things that can kind of give them a break.”