Out-Of-Class #2: Some Of The Topics ...

... just in case you were curious:

How can someone avoid winter illnesses?
Do student sleep patterns affect classwork?

How is MSU spending its money?
Is music popularity based on trendiness or quality?
Is MSU prepared for a campus shooting?
Should the blood-alcohol limit for drivers be lowered?
Can public transportation help stem global warming?
How is the U.S.A. lowering harmful emissions?
How is social media affecting students?
How did "No-Shave November" begin and why is it trendy?
Is it a good idea for college students to adopt pets?
 

It's a good range of topics that go to trends and issues, rather than just covering a happening. And note how they seek to answer questions that are interesting/relevant/useful to the community.

Your due date is no later than 9 a.m. Monday, Nov. 4  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. Friday, Oct. 25 to omars@msu.edu. No exceptions.

Good luck, everybody!