For film student Jay Mandyam, whose ambition is to write for sit coms in Los Angeles, the decision to enter SOAPnet.com’s student competition for the next generation of writers, producers, directors and soap stars was only made because of a long winter break during which he had some extra time on his hands.Much to his surprise, Mandyam was notified Jan. 14 that he was one of 10 semi-finalists along with other students from schools such as NYU, Columbia and the Academy of Art San Francisco.”It was very weird because I heard that I got a FedEx package and I rushed back home, because I had no idea what it was,” Mandyam said. “I was relieved that it wasn’t a bomb.”Mandyam’s film, entitled “The Rich and the Pretentious,” featuring SMU students Julie Coats, Jordan Bolch and Erin Frisbee, presents the drama of college life in typical hyperbolic soap fashion.”The storyline is something that we made up… to make fun of typical soap operas,” Mandyam said.According SOAPnet representative Jori Petterson, Mandyam’s film stood out among the dozens of entries from schools all across the country.”We liked how he blended soap culture with pop culture and soap conversation directly into his environment,” Petterson said.Online voting on the SOAPnet Web site, which began Jan. 15 and ends Jan. 26, will determine the five finalists. Visitors to the Web site must register in order to have their vote count. Once the five finalists are selected, they will be given a soap-scenario from which they will create a five-minute soap episode or a vignette and a 20-second promo. Finalists will be filmed by SOAPnet crews to document the production of these episodes. The grand prize winner, who will receive a trip to Los Angeles to meet with executives and $20,000 to be used for the production of an original soap that will be presented on SOAPnet.com, is picked by SOAPnet officials and will be announced in April 2007.Judges selected semi-finalists, evaluating submissions based on originality, the relevance of the entry to the soap genre and quality.According to an article in SMU’s 2005 yearbook, Mandyam made the film with Program Council, working with performing and visual arts committee chair Sarah Aghassi, who graduated in 2005. “A few years ago, I was really into ‘All My Children’ just because I was bored and it was on during lunch times,” Aghassi said. “And then my friend suggested I make a satire soap for the SMU student body. And I had a great time doing it, and I think people involved had a great time too.”Aghassi enlisted Mandyam’s help in writing as well as producing.”I am very proud of the work done and the buzz it created on campus,” Aghassi said. “I put it to rest and got my closure on the project when it was finished.”But “When Jay told me he was entering it, I said that was cool. But it was never something I sought out for. I let him do with it as he pleased, because he helped me create it,” she said.Mandyam learned about the competition from one of his friends, who suggested that he enter “The Rich and the Pretentious.””I was hesitant at first, because it had been such a long time since I looked at this thing,” said Mandyam. He edited down the version of “The Rich and Pretentious” he made for Program Council to the 10-minute submission requirement, while he was at home over winter break. According to the contest terms, a film must have been created after January 1, 2006. According to Mandyam his film is qualified since the edited version is a different than the original. Aghassi was not involved in entering the contest in any way, but handed it over to him to do with it what he wished. “The re-edit allows it to be entered,” Aghassi said. “Jay wouldn’t deliberately break the rules.”Mandyam said that he wasn’t expecting much out of the contest because he has entered many contests previously.”It’d be nice to win,” Mandyam said. “I’ve entered so many competitions and haven’t won anything. It would be good for SMU and Program Council and I’m sure the actors would love it.”