Rhetorical Strategies, Group Project

We are planning on appealing to the pathos of our audience with our tag line of "hook up." This plays on the emotions of college students because there are things that college students associate with this phrase. We are not referring to that with our use of the phrase but it is a way of drawing in an audience and creating interest in our issue. The website will have links to all of the organizations that we think would be good places to volunteer, which is an argument of logos. We will be including organizations that we are involved in, establishing ethos.

Humorous Argument

I chose to draw a cartoon for my humorous piece. In the cartoon I use humor by quoting students listening to a lecture given by Ward Churchill on how the moon is made of cheese. One of the students is saying that the information can't be right and her friend says that since he is the professor it must be right. Then to further the mockery of Churchill I have another student on the end saying that the information came from a paper that he wrote in the 4th grade. This is making fun of the plagiarism charges against Churchill. Churchill is also wearing a feather headdress to mock his invalid claims to be of Native American descent. 

Humorous Example

When the issue with Professor Ward Churchill began, a couple of years ago, I saw a cartoon in a local newspaper portratying Churchill dressed in flamboyant Indian attire in front of a class, giving a lecture on plagiarism. This is funny because the fact that Churchill claimed his Native American ancestry when there are only traces of Indian heritage in his geneology. It is also funny because Churchill had recently been investigated for plagiarism, so he would never be allowed to give a lecture on how to avoid plagiarism. The artist of ths cartoon was exaggerating the issues at hand, making them funny. I think that I might go about writing my humor piece in this same way. I do not know what media I will choose, but exaggeration will most likely be the best way to make this situation humorous. There are a lot of possibilities for this, especially because Churchill recently filed a lawsuit against the University of Colorado and won, 1 whole dollar.

Author's Note

This draft of my Op-ed piece is mostly complete in terms of length. I think that I might need a better conclusion to the piece, but for the most part it seems complete. I feel like I jump around a lot in this piece, so help on where I need to focus more specifically would be great. I would also like to know if you think that I took a strong enough stance within my paper. As always, help with grammar, wording, details, etc. would be very helpful. Thanks!
Holly Buechner

Op-Ed Prewriting

1) The general tone of op-ed pieces in the Washington Post is academic and includes appeals largely to ethos and logos. The appeals to pathos are also present but are not as prevalent in the pieces that I read. The audience seems to be conservative American's from across the nation, most likely aging from adulthood to upper middle age. The interesting thing about these pieces is that they take on more of a scholarly tone than I had originally expected for an opinion piece. They give plenty of quotations and statistics (when applicable) to prove their scholarly value and intellect to the readers. There was little sarcasm and issues were addressed in a much more serious manner than I had expected.
2) In my opinion piece I would like to target the issue of academic misconduct and academic integrity within the community of college professors. After reading and hearing about Ward Churchill and the controversy surrounding his time at the University of Colorado at Boulder, it is a difficult task for a college student to look at his or her professors with the same sense of respect. This has nothing to do with that specific professor but more to do with the pedestal that Churchill smashed. After hearing about what he has done, it would be foolish for students and administrators alike not to look into cases of possible academic misconduct in their own community. I find the matter to be of great importance and that is why I chose this aspect as the basis of my own opinion piece.
3) I would like to show my readers how important the issue of academic misconduct truly is in our lives. It affects more than just the students. Plagiarism from a professor not only cheats the students but also cheats society as a whole because the young adults that will soon be running businesses and creating policies are not getting the best education that they possibly could. I would like to show how vital it is to society that we have trustworthy individuals educating the up and coming leaders. I would also like to discuss a possible solution to the current cases of academic misconduct. This would be a "zero-tolerance" sort of policy that would override tenures and other barriers.
4) The most effective appeals for my audience will be appeals to logos and pathos. The type of pathos that I will use will be one that gives the readers a sense of urgency and concern for the future of America and the students at our institutions of higher learning. I will do some research on the specifics of a tenure and the sorts of policies that are currently in place to prevent academic misconduct from teachers and students.
5) Facts and personal experience are most likely going to be helpful to me in writing this article. I also think that including an opinion from an administrator from another university would be helpful, as they are another authority on the matter. The facts that I use will aid readers in understanding the tenure process and the importance of quality education.
6) I will research the tenure policies of the University of Colorado at Boulder as well as the policies of Texas Christian University. I may also research the number of cases of academic misconduct across the United States and look at how those cases were handled.

Letter to the Editor

Author's Note: 

This draft is kind of a stab in the dark. I don't really know if I am approaching the assignment correctly. Any feed back will be helpful, especially in terms of where I need additional information or if you think that the draft is too full of fluff. Thanks!

Holly

To the Editor:

In a recent Denver Post article, titled Vincent Carroll: Ward's world of brazen claims, author Vincent Carroll discusses the ways in which Ward Churchill’s trial is unnecessary and ridiculous. This article, published on March 25, 2009, points out how the media is treating the trial as if the public is not already convinced that Churchill is crazy at best. Rather than seeing the case for the laughing matter that it truly is, we are trying to take it seriously. I agree with the author of this article in saying that the trial is a joke and taking it seriously would display poor judgment on the part of local readers.

I am from Boulder, Colorado where the University of Colorado is based and from which Ward Churchill was fired. My grandfather is a former president of the University, my father a former employee and my brother a current student. I have grown up going to Buff games and cheering for the Buffaloes every chance that I get. I have always been impressed by the success of the University and the academic prestige that follows. Despite the common claims that Boulder is inhabited entirely by left wing hippies, there are some who err on the side of conservative thought. As a member of this small and stubborn few, I know that my definitions of ‘liberal’ and ‘radical’ are not as lenient as some. So I must inform you that I am not alone in my opinions and that many of my traditionally liberal friends agree with me on this matter. It is also important to note that some of the most educated opinions come from Boulder, as right or left wing as they may be. I was not alone in my shock when I heard the kinds of things coming from Ward Churchill and was appalled that he was able to receive any sort of support after making a farce of an entire racial group and compromising the academic integrity of an esteemed university through plagiarism, or as he calls it, “ghostwriting.”

For Churchill to think that he could be reestablished as an educator or a trustworthy scholar after proving to be none of the above is ridiculous. As a college student, I serve as a witness to the academic integrity being upheld by my professors. We are taught to trust their work and their ‘professional opinion,’ but with professors like Ward Churchill in play, we must take a step back and question what we are being taught and the source from which it is coming. If there is any good thing to come of this trial, it is this. College students have learned that professors cannot always be trusted with the pedestals on which they are placed. The collegiate community as a whole is not supporting the actions of this man, but rather is supporting the decisions of the University administration to revoke his position on their tenured staff list. His trial should be fruitless from his perspective and should confirm the actions of the University. We, in the world of academia, are standing behind integrity, respect and quality education systems, and our stance will not be compromised.

Signed,

Holly Buechner

holly.buechner@tcu.edu

 

Discussion of Article

The article that I have chosen is a rather direct attack on Ward Churchill, a professor who is currently under fire at the University of Colorado at Boulder. The author uses direct quotes from Ward Churchill and discusses how valid his points may or may not be. The author also wants to show the readers that there are much bigger issues at hand that are not being addressed legally. He is trying to make a point that the general public is smarter than they appear and that they don't need convincing that Churchill is off base and in the wrong. The author of this article is trying to get the media to cover the heart of the issue and what is happening now as opposed to trying to convince the readers to be against him. They are already against him for the most part and would rather be up-to-date and informed on the matter than be persuaded.

Unit 2 Portfolio Author's Note

My final portfolio includes all of the paper assignments that could be printed and the rest is on this blog or in the hands of one of my students (i.e., my comments on their drafts, body paragraphs, brainstorming, etc.). I completed the Rhetorical Analysis Questions and the Toulmin Charts for 2 sources as I added them into my analysis. My final draft of the paper is the first thing you will find in the portfolio. I think that it adds insight to a situation bombarded by media of all kinds because it uncovers some of the stylistic elements and literary devices that are put to use by many authors daily. It is my belief that this portfolio is complete and satisfies the requirements of the unit.

Best Wishes,

Holly Buechner

Development of Rhetorical Case Study

As I have edited and revised the draft of my Rhetorical Case Study I have seen it change quite a bit. Not only did I add more details to the draft with each revision, I also discovered new rhetorical strategies at work within the articles themselves. I was then able to include these new insights in my essay. It was also interesting for me to see how my original thoughts on what I might find in the articles were sometimes spot on and were at other times completely off base. I thought I would find many more articles expressing disappointment in Phelps for smoking marijuana. As it turns out, most of the articles that I found were supportive of him and of his career and urged the public to forgive and forget. I had originally thought that Phelps would be depicted as apologetic as he addressed the claims made against him. This turned out to be a proper assumption, as he did not once try to deny the claims or make himself seem innocent. He owned his actions and apologized directly, which was exactly what I had expected. Over all, the essay has grown and developed a lot over the past few weeks as I have expanded upon many of my original ideas. 

My Case Study and the Community

I think that the topic I have chosen for my Rhetorical Case Study affects the community simply because it involves one of the most popular names in America, Michael Phelps. Because he made such a name for himself with his performance at the 2008 Olympic Games, he cannot be far from the public eye. It is because of this that most everyone has heard about the issue of him smoking marijuana. The community is also affected because Michael Phelps is associated with the YMCA and programs for young athletes all around the nation. Children have now seen something unattractive in their hero and role model and have to sort through this information. Their view of a role model has been shaken and Phelps will have to regain the trust of his fans and admirers.

Author's Note, Rhetorical Case Study Draft

This draft is missing analysis for one more source. It is also missing a conclusion. I have not focused as much on the transitions for the paper yet and have not focused on the introduction with as much intensity as I did the body paragraphs. It is very much a draft and I greatly appreciate your feedback. If something doesn't flow or should be rearranged or anything like that, please let me know. Also let me know if it is sounding biased or repetitive or anything else you notice!

Thanks so much,

Holly

Viewpoint

Throughout the research process my opinion on the matter of Michael Phelps being photographed smoking marijuana has changed in a couple of ways. While not approving of his actions, I have come to a place of greater understanding. I have also come to view this occurrence as a smaller issue than I originally did. 

There are so many sources showing support for Phelps and there are very few that are dramatically opposed to his being viewed as a role model despite these actions. I began to see that there is little reason to be disappointed for a long period of time because of Michael's apology and his lack of misbehavior previously. He was sincere in his apology, as far as we can tell, and there is no way to determine whether or not he was sincere until later. So for now, it is my opinion that we should accept Michael's apology and not let it taint how we perceive him as an athlete and role model while still keeping in mind his youth. Even though he is an olympic athlete, he is still a person who makes mistakes. I might have been more disappointed in Phelps if I had not done this research.

Research Process

Throughout the research process I found ample information for my topic, the media portrayal of Michael Phelps, before and after his drug use incident. I found sources that portrayed Michael with god like qualities right after the 2008 Olympic games. Other sources describe him in a more human light after the incident without tearing him down. There seems to be as much support for Michael as there was before because I believe the media has been doing their best not to taint the image of such a popular, heroic figure in the minds of people all across the United States. I will also be using Michael's official statement as one of my sources. 

Because Phelps is so popular, there has been plenty of media coverage for me to analyze in this paper. Despite the volume of articles and sources, there is little diversity amongst them. Most of the opinions are similar and are showing support for Michael, mostly because of his apology rather than denial of his actions. Continued research should be interesting as I write this paper. 

Workshop Comments

The comments that I received during the workshop of my essay were very helpful. It was suggested by multiple people that certain words be chosen in place of the ones already there, and there was an expressed need for elaboration on some points that I make. I think that it will be easy to incorporate the edits and comments into the final draft, because the structure of the essay will remain the same. I will add more about the closing of my selected location. I will also add more examples from my observations to back up the points that I have made. I am also very thankful for the help in fixing some grammatical errors that I had skipped over before! The process has been very helpful in the writing of my own paper because of the comments of others, but also because of my commenting on other papers. By looking at how they were making arguments I was able to look at my paper with a fresh eye and think about how I could state certain things differently. Thanks everyone!

Author's Note

Author’s Note:

This is my first draft, written during two different sittings, which is pretty noticeable I think. I would really appreciate a balance of things that you think I have done well here and things that I need to improve upon. I am planning on going back through and focusing more on the actual arguments themselves and intertwining them into the paper. Also any grammatical errors or anything that you find and want to point out would be great! Thanks so much!

Meaning and Audience

Eurotazza has different meanings to different customers, but mostly, it is a place to relax and be in a peaceful, quiet environment. It is an escape from the many different worlds that the audience is coming from. Whether they are escaping from work, school or everyday stress, Eurotazza provides the environment. 

To one pair of friends that I interviewed, Eurotazza was their place of focus and friendship. It was the place where they could focus on each other's lives and grow in friendship. 

It could mean a variety of things though, depending on where the audience member is coming from. 

Reflections

Observing Eurotazza was a really great experience. I have always enjoyed being there, but I have not ever analyzed why I enjoy it. I was also able to be there for the last day of business, which provided me with a new outlook on the space. The people that were there were in different spirits than usual and the meaning that Eurotazza has for them became evident. I also noticed many different arguments being made in the decor than before.

Space Proposal

The space that I am proposing to observe and write my essay on is the Eurotazza Coffeehouse on Camp Bowie. I'm choosing this space because it is unique and a stimulating environment.

I plan on observing on Thursday and Friday of this week in the afternoons.

I expect to learn about the people that come there and the different "cultures" represented. I already think that I will probably see representatives from a hippie/new age culture, along with businessmen and women and plenty of college students.

Favorite spaces

There are a couple of places with in my local communities that I would consider to be "my own." They are "mine" for different reasons, but also because they revolve around relationships or meaningful times in my own life. For example, in Boulder there is an outdoor mall called Pearl Street. One of my favorite places to eat on Pearl Street is Illegal Pete's. The food is great but that is not the only reason why I love it. I went there at least once a week throughout high school to eat lunch with friends. The conversations that we had at "our table" and the memories that I have from there are what make Illegal Pete's so special to me. 

There is also a specific trail that I hiked over the summer and although it has been trod by many, I would still call it mine. I like how small and insignificant I feel standing at the base of a mountain and then the free feeling that comes from standing in an open space atop it is one of my favorite feelings in the world. 

When it comes to spaces in Fort Worth that are representative of the local "flavor," one place in particular comes to mind. Eurotazza Coffeehouse is a local coffee shop modeled after a European cafe. The Taz, as we call it, is a perfect place for studying alone or with friends, or relaxing after a day of class or tests. In fact, I am writing this blog from a table in Eurotazza while drinking a chai tea latte. Sadly, the Taz is closing this week due to the economy. I know that I am not the only one of my friends who is saddened by this, and the faces of everyone walking into the store are sad as they read the sign posted about their closing. It is a local space that has become a second home in a way for many of us.

Pathos Ethos and Logos

I chose a component of the ONE Campaign as my example of pathos, ethos and logos in argument. The ONE blog utilizes all three of these to make the most convincing argument possible. 

The most recent post in the blog uses a video, made by Bono, thanking supporters for their efforts thus far and giving a bit of insight to what is to come in the future of the ONE campaign and its cause. Because the video features Bono, the lead singer of the band U2 and co-founder of the ONE campaign, readers are more likely to listen to what he has to say and to support his cause. This appeals to ethos, because readers know or have heard of the character of Bono and are therefore more likely to trust him.

Further down on the page you will see articles with numerous statistics and facts, from credible sources (the UNICEF report). This combines the use of ethos and logos. The statistics are too glaringly raw for people not to be moved to consideration of support for the ONE campaign. 

If you continue to read you will find pictures of children that are being helped by the ONE campaign. This is an example of pathos. Moving pictures of adorable children convince the reader that the cause is worthy. 

This blog does a very good job of promoting its cause, ending poverty, by using arguments appealing to pathos, ethos and logos.