Rift Fournier on Television, Education, and Working

“School was beneficial to me because I was curious.  My work has touched on what I studied.” – Rift Fournier

Last Tuesday, my Survey of Professional Media class had a guest speaker.  We knew that our speaker was a local communications professor at Lindenwood but not much else.  But when Rift Fournier began to recite his endless resume, we were blown away.  It seemed to me that with every new story he told it involved another job he had held. 

With a name as unique as Rift though, he was bound to live an interesting life.  His name originated from the rift that was caused between his parents when deciding a name for him.  Thus his “independent” mother went behind his fathers back and named him Rift.

His work history includes everything from working in children’s television, to teaching math and English in high schools, to working on a Norwegian cop show which won many awards in Norway.  Popular shows that Rift has worked on include:  Matlock, Charlie’s Angles, Mike Douglas Show, and Kojak to name a few.

I enjoyed most what Rift had to say about education and the role he believes it plays in your future.  He says that it’s more important if your education in well rounded and diverse than having an important sounding degree.  He said that when he went to school he wanted to be a writer but because he was constantly told that that was a ridiculous field to pursue, he got a degree in philosophy and psychology and a minor in chemistry instead—none of which did he actually hold a career in.  He does believe they played apart in how he went about his television career, though.

To students today (myself included) this is a huge relief.  I’m 21 years old with less than two years left to finish a degree, if I want to graduate on time, and I’m still second guessing my decision.  In fact I really want to study history but up until a week ago I thought this wouldn’t get me anywhere and now it’s too late to completely change my degree for the fifth time.   If only I had heard Rift speak my freshman year, “it’s not what you study but that you went to school at all…The purpose of college is not just to teach you but to teach you to learn.”

Rift also enlightened us on his opinion of current television.  “I think in five to ten years local television stations will be history.  I don’t think that’s bad its just evolution,” he says of stations local stations like FOX, NBC, CBS, and ABC.  Shows that Rift likes and feels are well written include 30 Rock, The Office, NCIS, and especially Madmen on AMC.  He says that Madmen represent where he started out and that it is “fabulously written.”  He said that when he and his colleges started in the television industry they “believed they could change the world.”

 After hearing Rift speak, it’s hard to not to also feel the pride this man has for the live he lived and works he produced.  I only hope to be as satisfied and proud of my career as he is of his.  “Being an artist is a very moral service.  Being of service to my bothers and sisters and allowing them to see more of the world is a real privilege.”

Tiger Woods on the Mike Douglas Show.

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