Pregnancy, relationships, STDs, peer pressure – the stuff TV dramas are made of.

Maybe so, but ISU4 producer Leon Ashby knows these are also concerns ISU students must struggle with. That’s why he calls his new ISU4 program “Just Another Day.”

Ashby, freshman in communication studies, said the show is a “serious sitcom” that focuses on the real-life situations of campus life.

The premiere episode of “Just Another Day” is on the current ISU4 rotation and the second is in the works.

Ashby co-produces the show with Lauren Knox, freshman in pre-journalism and mass communication. They hope to release new episodes on a bi-weekly basis.

The program targets the ISU black community, a claim other shows on the station do not make. It features four main characters and a supporting cast. Both consist almost entirely of black students.

Ashby said one of his main goals with the show is to simply portray campus life in an honest way.

“There’s a lot of real-life things that go on on campus, and I want to bring those things out in the open,” he said.

By exposing serious issues on the program, Ashby said he hopes to reach students who may not realize they’re not alone in any hardships they may be enduring.

“They might see the problems on the TV and see how our characters are relating to the problems,” he said.

Knox said the show gives incoming students a “real perspective” on life at Iowa State, giving an edge over other ISU4 programs.

“The shows that are on ISU4 now are comedy-like and goofy, crazy TV shows,” Knox said.

Faces in front of the camera

The premiere episode of “Just Another Day” introduced its four main characters – Mike, Samantha, Jasmine and Jayden.

Each of the characters possesses a skill that is revealed during the episode. Jasmine is a whiz with a thread and needle. She even owns her own clothing line.

The plot is narrated by Mike, whom Ashby describes as “an average, laid-back freshman. He just watches everyone and their lifestyles.” Jeremiah Cobb, sophomore in pre-business, portrays Mike.

By the end of the 30-minute program, there are some romantic sparks flying between Mike and Jasmine, who is played by Jeremiah Cobb, junior in electrical engineering, as well as between Samantha and Jayden.

Ashby said Natalie Stevens, freshman in psychology, plays Samantha, a typical mousy, nerdy girl. This is certainly an odd mix combined with Jayden, who is a “thug type” with a soft spot for poetry.

Knox said upcoming episodes will focus on Jayden’s family problems and other personal conflicts the characters face.

“We’re going to reveal why Jayden acts the way he does . why Jasmine is so stuck-up,” Knox said.

Ashby and Knox held auditions for two weeks and were able to find their cast, including Jason Poindexter, junior in pre-business, who portrays Jayden.

Those who did not get lead roles are featured in the program as supporting cast members or extras, and Ashby said he’s still on the lookout for actors who can take on smaller bit parts in upcoming episodes.

Minds behind the scenes

It was only three weeks into the semester when Ashby and Knox conceptualized “Just Another Day.” They met with people from ISU4 and pitched their idea for a show that could be both serious and funny, important but light-hearted, and that could include the black community in its target audience.

There were long days of familiarizing themselves with the studio, Ashby said, before shooting could even begin.

“I’m more comfortable now,” Knox said, “but at the beginning, it was very hard because we didn’t know how to work the equipment.”

While “Just Another Day” diversifies the lineup of programs currently aired on ISU4, Ashby said he also wants to diversify the program itself by bringing in a variety of cast and crew members.

“I want to diversify the program too, so it can show how real-life things can happen anywhere,” he said.

“We don’t want it just all blacks or all whites. We want to mix things up.”

Both producers said they want to continue working with the show until they graduate.

“Hopefully we can continue the show for the rest of my three years up here so ISU4 can have something different,” Knox said.