Miniproject Description and Schedule

What follows are descriptions of the miniprojects that we'll be working on during the term. For each one, you will write a 1-2 page paper (between 500 and 750 words).

Submit the miniprojects ONLY by posting them to the blog (www.drexelfameclass.blogspot.com). You are all now "invited guests," so posting should be pretty straightforward.

Do not hand in a hard copy to me in class. Postings must appear by Friday at 5 p.m.

For now, we'll just go with these five, but I may add more as we go.

Please post comments on the work submitted by your friends and colleagues.

Here goes:

1. Are we all just itching to appear on a reality show? Conduct short interviews with three or four people in the hopes of coming up with an answer to this question. What do your subjects think about the folks who do appear on these shows?

2. Locate your favorite fame-related memento. Maybe it's an autograph or a guitar pick thrown to you during a concert. Write about how you obtained it and how the meaning of the item has changed for you over time. Then, bring the memento with you to class during Week 2.

3. Keep a log of how often you talked about celebrities and their fame this weekend. Once the log is completed, go back and review what you've written down. Write about the experience of reviewing your own involvement with fame and celebrity. Did anything surprise you?

4. Find someone who you believe should be famous, but isn't. Tell them why you think they should be famous, and write about that person's reactions.

5. What are the factors, in your view, that contribute to so many people desperately wanting to leave a "legacy" once they're no longer with us? What does this say about society? About us?