Reinventing the "soap opera" genre.

In a ironic twist of fate soap operas, those daytime dramas that had been popular since the 1950s but more recently brought to near extinction, are coming back from the dead. And like a classic soap opera plot twist, they are coming back with a new look.

Two daytime favorites "All My Children" and "One Life to Live" , both cancelled by ABC in late 2011 and early 2012, will be coming back in daily, 30-minute increments. They are scheduled to air this spring , and will be available on a computer or streaming device.

Prospect Park  is licensing and marketing the series' as anchor programs for The OnLine Network (TOLN). The new episodes will  also be shown online through Hulu, and on devices such as Roku or iPad  through iTunes or a subscription to Hulu Plus.

When cancellations were initially announced the plan was that the shows would move to the Internet. Both ended with cliffhangers, which were to be played out online.

But by the time "One Life to Live" broadcast its last episode, Prospect Park's finances had fallen through, leaving generations of loyal fans devastated.  It's bad enough to lose your favorite show, but no soap fan likes to be left without closure, wondering who-done-it.

Diehard fans could only speculate who got shot in the final scene of "All My Children", and if anyone would discover that Victor Lord Jr. was alive on "One Life to Live".

Time slots of the cancelled shows paved the way for a new brand of daytime programming centered around healthy lifestyles, like  "The Chew". This trend has shifted the network's attention away from daytime dramas.

The January 2012 finale of "One Life to Live" marked the end of an era. It left ABC, CBS, and NBC, all of which used to feature several hour-long blocks of daytime drama, each with just one hour.

Several characters from "One Life to Live" were able to move to ABC's lone surviving soap, "General Hospital". With the news of Prospect Park finally materializing, the fate of those characters is up in the air since Prospect Park owns the rights to the characters.

Both shows are planning to bring back many former cast, but also bring in new faces. According to Prospect Park the idea is to "blend updated themes and fresh faces with the fan-favorite Emmy-winning actors and writers who made these series must-watch viewing for legions of loyal fans".

Although, this move is exciting to fans, one can only wonder how well this idea will be received by the eldest of soap fans, a generation that may not have access to or enjoy watching online webisodes. Will the revival of these classic shows really appeal to a new generation? Will these webisodes really save our soaps? As long as the story continues, this fan can only hope the  idea catches on.

"General Hospital", one of the last network soaps,  is doing its part in reinforcing that the genre still has a place in daytime network television. The series is celebrating its 50th anniversary in April, and has been bringing back many beloved characters from the past, including several characters though to be deceased.

Obviously anyone who has ever said you can't come back had never watched a soap, where anything or anyone can make a comeback.

Story by Melissa Jilk

Spring registration and EvCC students' favorite classes

 Spring quarter is right around the corner. Registration begins on Feb. 25 for currently enrolled students and on March 4 for new and returning students.  You can find your access date, the date and time you can officially register for classes, through the Student Kiosk on the EvCC website.

March 14 is the deadline for Financial Aid paperwork to be considered for maximum funding.

With hundreds and hundreds of classes offered, which do you decide which to register for? Here’s what EvCC students had to say:

“Both of my art classes have been my favorite – Design 110 with Thom Lee and Digital Illustration with Danielle Foushee, and also Intro to Psychology with Diane Brown,” said Lily Anderson.

“Japanese 121 has been my favorite because I love learning languages and Hiroko Goto was really fun and nice,” said Izzy Setina.

Sara Ableman said, “My favorite classes have been History 146 with Scott Barr, English 101 with Deborah Murphey, and Sociology 101.”

“So far my favorite classes have been Sociology 101 with Margaret Riordan and English 98 with Beebe. English 98 with Beebe was my absolute favorite. Beebe's class was informative as well as fun! She was easy going, and when the work got tough, she was able to sit down with each student and give them the help they needed,” said Tyler Johnson.

With classes filling up quickly, students should register for their classes as soon as possible.

Story by Melissa Jilk

Student Senate Liveblog, Feb 1

  Story by Henry Yarsinske Jr.

Seahawks show up for Pro-Bowl

The Pro-Bowl was quite the show for Seahawks fans, as six Seattle players took part in the game.

Russell Wilson, Leon Washington, Earl Thomas, Russell Okung, Marshawn Lynch and Max Unger were all invited to play in the all-star football extravaganza.

Russell Wilson was the star of the show, throwing eight complete passes out of ten attempts, with three touchdown passes. He also showed off his legs, avoiding sacks and making a quick 15-yard run to get out of trouble.

Marshawn Lynch wasn’t a huge factor in the game, but this was mostly due to the game itself being centered much more around passing by both teams. He ran for 21 yards, including one 12-yard run in which he showed off his strength and powered through five tacklers along the way.

The offensive line was hard to judge in this game due to both teams being less physical than usual, but tackle Russell Okung and center Max Unger held their own.

Earl Thomas had an interception and a solid hit on Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas.

Leon Washington proved that he’s one of the best kickoff returner in the league, returning four kickoffs for a total of 167 yards, and four punts for 18 yards. He had one 92-yard kickoff return that almost resulted in a touchdown.

Overall, the Seahawks helped the NFC immensely in a 62-35 victory over the AFC. Go Hawks

Story By AJ Hansen

Scouts rethink policy on gays

The Boy Scouts of America are considering dropping a controversial ban on gay members and leaders.

The Boy Scouts of America has been an organization dedicated to the betterment of today’s youth since 1910. “Scouting helps youth develop academic skills, self-confidence, ethics, leadership skills, and citizenship skills that influence their adult lives,” said the SBA website.

Currently both members and leaders are banned if they are gay. The proposal would allow the Boy Scouts of America groups to start letting each individual religious and civic group select their own policy regarding gay members and leaders.

The proposal comes after years of protests, petitions and loss of funding from some corporations. If these new changes take place, “the Boy Scouts would not, under any circumstances, dictate a position to units, members, or parents." according to BSA spokesman Deron Smith.

“This would mean there would no longer be any national policy regarding sexual orientation, and the chartered organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting would accept membership and select leaders consistent with each organization’s mission, principles, or religious beliefs,” said Smith.

The BSA celebrated their 100th anniversary in 2010 and for that duration excluded both gays and atheists. They are not reconsidering the ban on atheists as “Duty to God” remains one of their basic tenets.

There will continue to be debate in the coming years as each group decides for themselves whether or not to lift the ban.

Story By Jordan Alexander