hi all, i hear your concerns about the demands of completing the papers and preparing for the final, so i am willing to extend the deadline for the paper; the end of finals week, 5/24, is fine. i do, however, want to proceed with the final exam as scheduled (wed 5/23, 11-1). here is my reasoning: the requirements of this course are appropriate in relation to to my other courses, falling between my regular 200-level courses in political science (2 essay exams, 5-7 page research paper, and often an additional 3-page analytical paper) and my poli sci seminar (2 essay exams, 10-12-page research paper, plus all the participation requirements that you have [postings, discussion leader, etc]). therefore if did not require a final exam for this course i would have required a significantly longer research paper, perhaps double the length you are doing. in that sense the final exam is relieving you of additional work you would otherwise be required to do for your papers.
i think it is a trade-off that works to your advantage. i consciously designed the reading assignments to be light for this half of the semester. there are four broad topics — branding NYC, the warhol economy, vital street-life and neighborhoods, and the impact of subways vs. highways — all of which, i believe, are by now very familiar to you. i will not ask you details of the readings; instead i will ask to to think/write about how you might apply the lessons from our readings/discussions to present-day issues concerning NYC. you will be asked to write two essays, with three options to choose from. i expect that an hour would be enough time to produce a top-notch exam.
i am happy to run a review session on the afternoon of tuesday 5/15 or even tues 5/22 if anyone is interested. please let me know if/when you would attend a review session; if there is enough interest i will arrange for classroom space. otherwise i can be available in my office.
best of luck with your finals! prof reichl
