Dreams are coming true for Iowa State students who have fantasized for years about having their own TV show.

Associate professor in journalism and mass communication Dom Caristi is giving students the opportunity with his Journalism and Mass Communication 354 class.

“Every year I tell the students, ‘The job of a producer is putting it all together,'” Caristi said. “They have to find their own music, graphics and build their own sets.”

The class is divided into four groups of five or more students. Caristi warns the students to choose the right members.

“They should choose members that compliment them. By bringing the right people together, they’ll work better together,” Caristi said.

“What makes the class interesting is that they also get to choose what types of shows they want to do,” he continued. “This allows for different kinds of shows where they can explore their own interests.”

This year’s prospective shows are interesting indeed. Show ideas span from college information, to local entertainment, to an action-packed sports trivia game show.

“The College Show”

Jen Schaffer and Tyler Teske are just two of the six-member production team for “The College Show.” Schaffer, junior in journalism and mass communication and political science, has been interested in mass communication ever since she was a little girl.

“Since I was 10-years-old, I’ve wanted to do this sort of thing. In high school, I helped put shows together on sports teams and different things like that,” Schaffer said.

Upon attending ISU, Schaffer co-anchored “Wake-Up ISU” on STV-9. She now hopes to be a reporter some day.

“I’d like to start off in the small market at first, and then maybe work my way up to a place like Minneapolis,” Schaffer said.

Team member Tyler Teske, senior in journalism and mass communication, became interested in the field after he visited the Nebraska public television station.

“It was really cool stuff. I thought ‘wow’ — I was impressed,” Teske said. Since then, Teske has taken a job with WOI, which keeps his producing skills fresh.

“The College Show” is directed towards the college-aged audience. Producers plan to address many issues that face college students today, including the four-year plan, on and off-campus living options, and relationships.

Studying abroad and getting jobs after graduation are also possible topics, but the group is still in the early planning stages.

The producers also hope to have interviews with administrative officials and students when they address these issues.

“With the off-campus housing segment, we’ll be interviewing students from the Greek system, dorms and apartments to get a wide range of opinions,” Teske said.

“We want to do a show that is both informative and entertaining,” Schaffer said.

There are also plans to have a segment called “Dos and Don’ts.”

“In one of the ‘Dos and Don’ts’ we look at job interviews. One of the don’ts is showing up drunk. We have a guy acting drunk and all out of it, so we can make the show a little crazy too,” Schaffer said.

“Students should definitely watch this show because there will be a lot of important information presented, and not only will it be fun, but they will learn a lot too,” she added.

“Plugged In”

“We want to get people who don’t know much plugged into the social pipeline,” Matt Wilson, junior in journalism, said about the purpose of his show.

“Plugged In” will be an all-around entertainment program showcasing an array of features.

Wilson and team member Matt Baker will focus on the music scene, while Andy Adams reviews movies and Allison Baumbach hosts a segment comparative to MTV News. Ali Zeller will focus on local hotspots around Ames, and Travis Jungling will have his own ISU sports segment.

“I just want to get a good grade in the class,” Baker, senior in journalism, said. “But seriously, we hope to educate Ames on entertainment activities and show anything that has some entertainment value to it.”

The production team is considering a wide range of possibilities as far as guests go.

“We’ll have on anyone that would at least know more than we do,” Wilson said.

The group is currently working on setting up an in-studio jam session with 35″ Mudder. They are also planning an expose on electronic music.

“People will like our show because it’ll be very entertaining. We have a lot of fun with it,” Baker said.

“And they’ll get to see our smiling faces,” Wilson added.

“Shelter”

Another show following a similar format to “Plugged In” is a show devoted to music, “Shelter.”

The set has a likeness to the name in that the production team designed it to look like a run down shack.

“The format is going to have a mix of interviews, in-studio performances and also some taped shows at People’s,” Nate Aronson, senior in journalism and mass communication, said. “Our show will mainly look at a lot of local bands, and bands that come into People’s.”

“We’re also gonna try to get some blues, a variety of R & B and alternative music from the local clubs,” team member Marva Sumlin, senior in journalism, said.

Sumlin has had a lot of experience in producing shows. She is currently the producer and director of “Video Plus,” a show featuring R & B videos, which airs on STV-9 at 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

“I’ve always been intrigued by the power of visual images,” Sumlin said. “I hope to teach African-American history and culture and make documentaries on it some day.”

Featured guests for “Shelter” will include The Nadas, 35″ Mudder, Medulla Oblongatta, House of Large Sizes and Tim Mahoney and the Meanies.

“Hopefully, we’ll give viewers an idea of the local bands out there, with a more in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at them,” Aronson said.

“The best part will be that you can see some talented bands, and you don’t have to go out to the bars,” Sumlin added.

“Sports Trivia Challenge”

The format of “Sports Trivia Challenge” is similar to Jeopardy. Three contestants will vie for prizes from show sponsors including Gumby’s, Boston Market and McDonald’s.

The show will consist of three rounds of questions ranging from the NBA, NFL, Cyclone Trivia and a potpourri category.

Three of the production team members, Jason Schoellen, James Loomis and Justin Ihle, are sports fanatics and decided a sports theme would best suit them.

“I’ve always been interested in sports and broadcasting, and this allows me to have creativity and take me where my mind wants to go,” Schoellen, junior in journalism, said.

“I’ve also always been a big fan of sports and the broadcasting aspect of journalism,” Ihle, junior in journalism, said. “I really want to get into radio. I already broadcast basketball games for KURE, so that gives me some good experience.”

“Most of all, I’d like to take Keith Murphy’s job,” Loomis, junior in journalism, said. “My dad wanted me to be a weather guy, but I don’t like science.”

Students who want to get involved in the show should be on the lookout for flyers promoting it or can e-mail the producers.

As host of the show, Ihle probably has the most interesting job.

“It’s lots of fun. I like to get the crowd into it,” he said. “They’re a big part of the show, so I just kind of let them do what they want. If a contestant gets a question wrong, the audience can really dig into them.”

The production has had some setbacks, however. After taping a show, Loomis later accidentally taped over what they had recorded.

“The little problems we have only make us better,” Schoellen said. “Next time we won’t overlook things like that.

“Probably the best thing about the show is seeing your classmates up there on TV competing,” he added. “It’s a great time.”

The exact dates when the shows will be aired are unknown. The producers are at the mercy of STV-9. Workers at the station have to review the shows, and if they are quality enough to run, they are sent to the airwaves.

Some shows from the past have been chosen for continued syndication such as “One Night Stand,” a dating show, and “Five-Star Review,” a show featuring restaurant reviews.