Out-Of-Class #2: What We Have Going On ...

... topic-wise, includes:

Living on-campus versus off-campus
Binge-eating
How Ukranians living here are dealing with strife back home
Transitional housing at MSU
Parking on campus
Student business owners
Are MSU and East Lansing safe?
Study abroad benefits analysis
Fashion trends at MSU
What all are students paying for at MSU?

... and more!

Also, I included comments at the end of some of your returned tip sheets. The most common oversight I saw in proposed sourcing was talking to everyday people affected by your topic. What are their questions, concerns, and perspectives? Not only do they provide a valuable angle, they may also make you aware of things they're experiencing that are legitimate lines of inquiry.

Plus, let's not forget neutral experts.

Your deadline for the story will be no later than 9 a.m. Monday, Mar. 24 via email to omars@msu.edu. That gives you almost two weeks to work on it. That's a very generous time allotment, as the syllabus notes you should usually have a one-week turn-around time.

Please don't wait to start on this; lining up sources and finding sources willing to be interviewed can take a lot more time than you'd expect. And with all the classes and activities and work you all have outside of class, you may not have a gazillion time windows in which to do interviews.

If you wait, you may miss opportunities to gain key interviews, and end up turning in a subpar product.

Please note the assignment parameters, as listed in your syllabus:

>>> The topic must be pre-approved by me, via tip sheet. If you have received an approval email from me, then you have been approved.

>>> The story must be at least 700 words long.

>>> You need to note the word count at the end of the story.

>>> The story should include at least three sources who you have personally interviewed. Three is the bare minimum, but I expect to see many more than that.

>>> You should try to incorporate at least one neutral expert.

>>> On a separate page, attach a source sheet where you list by name, title, phone number and email address each interview source you communicated with. I will be randomly spot-checking sources to check your accuracy and make sure you spoke to whom you claim to have spoken.

>>> Also, keep in mind you will have the opportunity to do an optional rewrite of your story, after the graded version is returned to you.   To earn credit for a rewrite, you must do additional reporting and rewriting, as suggested by me. Then, your initial grade and rewrite grade are averaged, and that average becomes your final assignment grade.

I strongly suggest you take advantage of rewrite opportunities; first, because out-of-class stories are such a big part of your final grade (each one is around 12 percent of your final grade), any increase in grade is bound to make a difference. Second, the more you write and report, the better you get.

So, you get an opportunity for a higher grade, and I get the reassurance that you're taking more opportunities to refine your craft. Everyone wins.

Also, please don't forget that rewrites for the first out-of-class story are due no later than 9 a.m. this Friday, to omars@msu.edu.

Good luck to all! And if you have any questions or issues, please don't wait to see me.