I’ve had a handful of questions so far about the website proposals that you’ll be turning in at the end of the month. A number of the queries centered on the open-endedness of the assignment, which I know is a little daunting. As one student wrote to me, “I am somewhat unclear… as to exactly you want us to do.”

One reason for this lack of clarity is that I’m trying to make the “exactly” your decision. In other words, I’ve created the broad framework here: a website that in some comparative way discusses the Great Depression and Great Recession in New York City. Since the site will focus on New York, it will naturally involve an examination of the lives of immigrants and migrants (the “Peopling” part of the seminar title). Other than that, though, I’m trying to leave it to you to decide how to focus the site. Is the best way to pick one area (food, economy, industry, architecture, welfare programs, Martian sightings…) and explore it in great depth over time? Or is the best way to do some kind of edited survey (in other words, to pick a number of areas and explore them in less depth)? Should we tackle a single neighborhood or try to discuss the whole city? Manhattan or the outer boroughs (for logistical reasons, I vote for Manhattan, but you can certainly make a good case for another borough)? What should the site look like? Whom should it target?

So this is a big, broad, scary assignment. There is no “right” answer, but if you do some good research, put a lot of thought into this, and show creativity and insight, you’ll do just fine. In fact, you’ll do exactly what I want you to do!