It has been just over eight weeks since the Writers Guild of America strike began and a resolution is nowhere in sight. In just a few weeks your favorite television shows will be airing their last episodes, if they haven’t already. And as the TV season swings into January and February, it looks as though its going to be a long, dark and boring winter at home watching reruns and the myriad of reality TV slated to replace scripted shows. Here are a few suggestions to stave off those long, bleak, boring nights.

1. Read a book. This may be a difficult concept for a college student to grasp, especially after a long semester, but books can be entertaining. Not all books are dry, dull, sleeping agents. They can be funny, suspenseful and engaging. You just need to find the right one. And there are millions to choose from.

2. Read the news. Being busy is not an excuse to be naive about what’s going on in the world. And now that winter break has arrived, being busy isn’t even an excuse you can employ. If you don’t know who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, what “Jena 6” is all about, or why what went on in a Minneapolis airport bathroom got so much attention, then now is the time to do some catch up and start paying attention.

3. Pick a candidate. While most college students don’t pay attention to the primaries, or the general election for that matter, maybe we should. Unlike the general election, where voters must choice from a very small pool of candidates, in the primary there are a plethora of candidates to choose from. In the 2008 primaries, there are whopping 16 nationally recognized candidates to choose form. Out of this pool, a voter is apt to find at least one he or she feels confident supporting. California’s February 5 primary is fast approaching. Do some research and for once don’t vote for a candidate who you disagree with less than the other, but someone you actually believe in.

4. Get off your lazy butt. Winter isn’t that cold in Sacramento. Sure, it’s damp and rainy, but averages range between the mid 50s to the low 40s. Put on a sweater, jacket, hat and scarf, because there are plenty of evening activities in Sacramento to pull you out of hibernation. Midnight bowling, laser tag, and nighttime miniature golf are three fun options. There are also tons of open mic and amateur comedy nights in Sacramento. An ice rink is set up in downtown Sacramento to enjoy through January 21st. Some of these options are pricier than others. Almost all are more expensive than a night at home on the couch flipping channels. But all are also unarguably more fun.

5. If the first three suggestions are too intellectually stimulating for your winter brain break, and the fourth requires too much money or effort, there is always YouTube. This Internet wonder offers more entertainment than any of the upcoming reality shows and all of the channels on your cable or dish super package combined. When filing away pop culture references to whip out in the decades to come, referencing Grey’s Anatomy or Heroes will not serve you as well as knowing what the Dramatic Chipmunk is, who Christ Crocker is and how to count to Shfifty Five. After all, the Internet is what this whole writers strike is really about. Writers want their fair share of the revenue reaped from their material being placed on the Internet. Webisodes are the way of the future. Already an online show “Quarterlife,” from the creators of “My-So-Called-Life,” has been picked up to air on NBC this February. With more people using the Internet as their primary source of entertainment, it is only a matter of time before the Internet becomes the source of television viewing.

There are some bleak and dark days ahead for television as the writers strike continues, but that doesn’t mean your evenings have to be.

Choquette Marrow can be reached at [email protected].