Books for classes? Check.

Food for the predicted snowstorm? Check.

Sitting down with my roommate and obsessing over Julia Roberts's latest dress, Atonement, Joan Rivers's face and Brangelina? No such check.

Sunday evening I was preparing to watch the women's version of a championship football game, the Golden Globes, but unfortunately I found a 25-minute rushed telecast in its place.

Although the writers' strike canceled new episodes of late-night television shows, and threatens to cancel the few non-reality dramas and comedies television still possesses, the fact that the show didn't go on makes a major statement from the Writers Guild of America: They mean business.

As an avid entertainment watcher, I have followed the 10-week strike from day one. Would my beloved season of Grey's Anatomy end prematurely? Would my television-watching days downsize to Tila Tequila and America's Next Top Model reruns.

No definitive check yet. And I certainly hope not to make one.

In today's society, people multitask as necessity and not as skill, and entertainment still forces us to stop in our busy tracks. People may TiVo their favorite television shows or watch them on their cell phones or iPods, but the important thing is they're still taking the time to watch.

This fact alone should cause both sides to resume general negotiations.

Television connects people, whether you are watching Lost with your roommate, talking about the latest Ugly Betty episode with your mom or just watching the entire marathon of Keeping Up with the Kardashians because their life amuses you. (By the way, you are not alone). And ultimately, the writers make up an important part of this equation, creating characters and, sometimes, quotable lines for years to come.

Many people may wonder why the issue remains relevant. Many do not understand why the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers disagree and why production of their favorite shows ceased. However, the bottom line remains the same.

As institutions grow, people reach new levels of success. The writers simply want to be included and rewarded for their success, as it applies to all technology, especially the DVD and Internet mediums.

Until a compromise is reached, the success of the television industry will halt. People will lose jobs; studios will lose money; and, most importantly, viewers will not immerse themselves in a mediocre replacement television show simply running because the best show could not go on. The important connection might not be made.

For now, I will be watching endless reruns, savoring the last episodes of my favorite shows and praying that, for the Oscars, the show will go on as regularly scheduled.

Suzanne Schulner is a senior majoring in advertising and public relations and is an enterprise reporter for The Daily Collegian. Her e-mail address is ses997@psu.edu.