I adjunct online for various universities and have taught many a freshman comp class and read many a freshman comp paper. These are the topics I see too often:
- gun control (pro/con)
- health (exercise / diet)
- abortion (pro / con)
- paying student athletes
- legalization of marijuana
Why not shake things up a bit and do some of your own actual research? Here are some paper topics I would actually be interested in reading:
- conspiracy theories (pretty much any conspiracy theory would make an interesting research paper to me)
- poetry (obviously)
- publishing (again, see above)
- political predictions
- anything about stuff going on OUTSIDE THE USA
- cats
so freshmen, let’s go out and surprise your comp teacher this year!
Renee Emerson 
thoughts?