Once while your run by speeches that are very powerful and motivational in a sense such as; I have dream speech or in this instance, Michelle Obama’s commencement speech at Bowie State University in 2013. It can be inferred that Obama really cares about pushing and help the next generation to preserve, by pursuing a higher level of education. Not only in her speech does she exudes this excess of exuberance for higher knowledge, but it also seen throughout her valiant efforts throughout one of her programs “Reach Higher Initiative”, which helps revitalize or push young adults and adolescent to continue their education after high school. It is only right throughout Obama’s speech to push education as hard as she did and by doing so she used a …show more content…
lot of rhetorical devices as well. Obama speech was powerful due to rhetorical devices such: colloquialism, ethos, pathos, repetition, Kairos and logos, help made her When giving a speech, you want to be able to get your point across in an eloquent style; however, you want the audience to be able to relate to it. By using very complex words, you can take a risk of your audience not understanding your intentions and concept. At the beginning of Obama’s speech, she was able to gain the immediate respect of the audience by optimizing the rhetorical device known as colloquialism. Obama opens up her speech repeating the phrase “Oh my goodness”, not only does it express the enthusiasm it also relates to the everyday language of the college audience she is talking to. However, according to they say I say Obama states “Oh, My goodness”(pg. 285), which allows the audience to see that, she does not take herself to serious, even though she could of opened her speech with a much more complex opener. This strategy helped made Obama speech successful, by relating common phrases to a powerful message. By making the audience feel comfortable, Obama was able to dive into whatever rhetorical strategy she wanted to. Since Obama was able to state the background of the school, goes to show that she did her research before she gave the speech, which; furthermore, shows how much preparation she spent coming up with this speech. To solidify the hard work the students put in over the four years, Obama starts to talk about the foundation of the school and how it came about Obama stated or according to the say I say, she said “ As you all know, this school first opened its doors in January of 1865… new generation of African American teacher"(pg. 288), by stating the fact of the university, shows that the dedication and determination of students is forever embedded within the history of the university. Going from nothing and evolving into something spectacular is what this university was founded on and by incorporating this important aspect allowed Obama to give leeway into the rest of her speech. Every race of people has been through a struggle or is still is going through a struggle, whether it be, finical hardships, social hardships or racial injustice and Obama touches on this to appeal to the emotional nature of the crowd . In particular the black/African American culture has been through so many racial unjust situation, such as the unmoral and unethical laboring, or as we know it slavery. Generations ago blacks, where not allowed to get education and if you were caught being taught or seeming like as if you knew something knowledgeable, then you would face the repercussion or consequences. Being that Bowie State is a historically black university, Obama harped and pressed on the issue of slavery, so that the audience could receive and get in tuned with this feeling of accomplishment and perseverance. According they I say Obama states “Now, just think about this for a moment: For generations, in many parts of this country… slaves caught reading or writing could be beaten to within an inch of their lives” (pg. 288), the colon within this very powerful, because it makes the audience ponder into their feelings and it allows them to wonder what is Obama going to talk about next. Outside of just trying to requisition the audience through emotion, Obama also realizes that certain thing should be mentioned at a certain time, to receive the audience even more, than before and sometimes you should repeat in a since. Responsibilities and obligations are important to society, because it leaves us, feeling as though we need to go back and help the society in which we grew up or any society in particular and Obama makes that’s prevalent in her speech by using repetition. It is almost, as if you feel fulfill the obligations, that are expected by you, all depend how you live your life after you go on from receiving some type of higher education. Obama reminds us our obligations and according to they say I say, she stated “And that’s what I want to talk about with you today. I want to talk about the obligations that come with a Bowie State education” (pg. 288). The repetition of the say “I want to talk about”, lets the audience know that the message that is about to be delivered is very important and should be taken seriously. By repeating “I want to talk about”, put emphasis on the fact that what we need to do further our society, is mainly focused on the obligation we must fulfill throughout our life. On the other hand, right after Obama states her “demands” in a sense, she goes on to talk about the influential hardships, which help create Bowie State. Obama speech was about perfect timing, because it was just the right time to incorporate the due diligence and hard work of one teacher faced, on top of the numerous hardships that he/she is face.
By talking about the hardships that one teacher faced, showed the students that Bowie State was preserved and has remained due the perseverance and determination of a strong individual. After the influential repetition, it only right for Obama, refocus back on the University and its roots; therefore, the speech sheds more light how important the foundation of this school truly is. According to Obama states “In one Eastern Shore town, a teacher reported to work one morning to find that someone had smashed the windows of her schoolhouse” (pg. 289), by stating Obama shows the audience, that if the teacher could endure these racial unjust hardships and if the student kept on coming, then perseverance and determination is the key essential to getting your education no matter what. Meanwhile, later on in her speech, Obama goes on to state or quote a reporter, who says “These people are coming in beyond our ability to receive them” (pg. 289), despite the lack of space for students, they continue to show up and the school embraced them one by one. Once again Obama utilizes perfect timing known as Kairos and it helps Obama speech successful because it reinforces that students went to unbelievable length to get their education. After incorporating this piece of essential information, it only right for Obama to show how she is able to connect to this story as
well. Being able to relate your struggle to your speech is essential, because it shows the audience that you did not become the person you are overnight; which furthermore, goes to shows that you went through trials and tribulations’ as well. Coming from a family of just average people, makes you feel as though that you want to accomplish the things they did not. For instance Obama states “see my parents go to college, but they were determined to give us that opportunity” (pg.293), by being allowed the opportunity to go and pursue what her parents did not allowed Obama to become the person she is now. This by far was the most logical place for Obama to put her background story, because it is close to the end of her speech which once again emphasizes the point that she is more relatable to her speech as well. Obama’s background also solidifies that she is a creditable and her speech is just as well. In the final analysis, Obama speech was overall a strong speech and shed light on the determination and perseverance that the future generation needs to have, in regards to getting a higher education. This speech was necessary; therefore, people will get back the hunger and courageous nature that we have embedded within us. By using specific rhetorical devices, Obama was able to strength and help her speech in the long run. Grit and grind will lead us to greatness and by far that was the most important aspect and also the overall concept of Obama’s speech.
But I have to wonder, it seems that every-other president and every-other governor refers to himself or herself as the education president or education governor, yet they fail to deliver the necessary funding to maintain a high level of education for all of his or her constituents’ children. Why is it that class and culture is the determining factor for who receives a quality education, this social injustice must be remedied? My Awakening Much like Mike, I have had some amazing academic mentors that were not afraid to get down in the trenches with me and ask what I was trying to say. I had Ms. Lewis my freshman year of high school, she would sit down with me and rip apart my paper and rework it as necessary. During my senior year of high school, I had the privilege of taking a U.W. English class, that was a seminar format where the instructor would frequently conference with us, and he gave me the tools to continue my education.
In the article “America’s Most Overrated Product: The Bachelor’s Degree” by Marty Nemko, the author argues several different views on why higher education may be very overestimated. For starters, the author shares his opinion more than anything else due to him being a career counselor. The purpose of this essay is to explain to the readers that most people start off with the idea of living the American Dream. Which is practically going to college to have a better life and career. But over the time the idea of working very hard for a Bachelor’s degree has become very dimmed. Furthermore, for some people, when they think of the American Dream they think of hope for bettering themselves and also helping their families. Unlike the author, Nemko feels that even the thought of trying to pursue to get a bachelor’s degree is overrated. The audience of this passage would most likely be teenagers going into college and parents. Nemko states that “Colleges are quick to argue that a college education is more
(Owen and Sawhill 208) After all, if our country’s leader is preaching about college being a good thing, it should reflect the views of a majority of people in this country. They then continue to try to make connections with the audience by emphasizing that this is a “we” problem and by recognizing that the decision to go off to college is not an easy one for everybody. These first words in the essay demonstrate a call to the ethos of President Obama and clear cut pathos to bring the authors down to the same level as their audience; However, the rest of the essay is absolutely dominated by
In the speech, “America’s Schoolchildren”, President Barack Obama uses Ethos, Pathos, and Logos in an effective manner to support his claim that every student should have an active role in the responsibility of their education. First and foremost, President Obama begins his speech with an anecdote from his life, “I get it. I know what it’s like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mom who had to work and who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn’t always able to give us the things that other kids had” (Obama 72). In his statement, he give us a personal story from when he lived in Indonesia, that he too went through hardships of having his father leave his family when he was two, not always
By placing himself in this role, he creates the impression that as the father figure he is also in a position to give advice and serve as an educator. Obama then goes on to soothe and insure his nation that questioning and reflecting is natural, stating that “When a tragedy like this strikes, it is part of our nature to demand explanations –to try to impose some order on the chaos, and make sense out of that which seems senseless,” and then goes into the role of an educator by telling the story of each of the victims of the shooting. By telling each victim’s story, Obama further elicits an emotional response from the audience by effectively humanizing each person. This further creates a sense of unity, making it seem as if Obama really knew the victims, and making each person more relatable to the audience so that each member of the audience might feel as though any one of the victims could have been their neighbor or beloved family
In recent years, many have debated whether or not a college education is a necessary requirement to succeed in the field of a persons’ choice and become an outstanding person in society. On one hand, some say college is very important because one must contribute to society. The essay Three Reasons College Still Matters by Andrew Delbanco shows three main reasons that students should receive their bachelor’s degree. On the other hand, many question the point of wasting millions of dollars on four years or maybe more to fight for highly competitive jobs that one might not get. Louis Menand wrote an article based on education titled Re-Imagining Liberal Education. This article challenges the main thought many americans have after receiving a secondary education. Louis Menand better illustrates the reasons why a student should rethink receiving a post secondary education better than Andrew Delbanco’s three reasons to continue a person’s education.
This is important because, this gives the readers a since of real life examples so that they themselves are able to relate to the content. If the readers are given graphs, maps, and grids, then they are forced to see Owens and Sawhill 's argument through real life examples and demonstrations. They state that, "Study after study reminds us that higher education is one of the best investments we can make, and President Obama has called it " an economic imperative" (Page. 208 Para. 1). Sawhill and Owens are showing emphasis of the ethical approach by stating that President Obama says that it is extremely crucial to the economy that higher education is the best investment we can make, when they used President Obama it really makes a solid connection to the reader because then they are able to relate to this statement because President Obama is an important leader of the country. They also use research accomplish their purpose of their argument in "Should Everyone go to College?", "Research suggests that additional education improves overall wellbeing by affecting things like job satisfaction, health, marriage, parenting, trust, and social interaction. Additionally there are social benefits to education, such as reduced crime rates and higher political participation" (Page. 210 Para. 3). This really makes the readers think about how much
Studying a university degree is one of the biggest achievements of many individuals around the world. But, according to Mark Edmunson, a diploma in America does not mean necessarily studying and working hard. Getting a diploma in the United States implies managing with external factors that go in the opposite direction with the real purpose of education. The welcome speech that most of us listen to when we started college, is the initial prank used by the author to state the American education system is not converging in a well-shaped society. Relating events in a sarcastic way is the tone that the author uses to explain many of his arguments. Mark Edmunson uses emotional appeals to deliver an essay to the people that have attended College any time in their life or those who have been involved with the American education system.
I was raised in an encouraging household where both of my parents greatly valued education. Although they were high school graduates, neither could afford to attend college; a combination of family and financial woes ultimately halted their path. As a result, my parents frequently reminded me that getting a good education meant better opportunities for my future. To my parents, that seemed to be the overarching goal: a better life for me than the one they had. My parents wanted me to excel and supported me financially and emotionally of which the former was something their parents were not able to provide. Their desire to facilitate a change in my destiny is one of many essential events that contributed to my world view.
Higher education, for low-income high school graduates can become a burden to their families and futures. For many high placed jobs it is ensured that their employees have some kind of postsecondary education; but most students will not go anything beyond a high school diploma. Different reasons range as to why students are not exceeding in their education and one of them is college is simply unaffordable. This is why students should be provided with at least two years of free college education if they show to be progressing in their high school classrooms. President Barack Obama has already created a proposal in his State of The Union Address speech that can make this a reality for all American students.
As the former president of Harvard University, Derek Bok wrote “The most obvious purpose of college education is to help students acquire information and knowledge by acquainting them with facts, theories, generalizations, principles, and the like. This purpose scarcely requires justification.” America needs educated citizens to help maintain the level of intelligence we have in society. Students need to be taught to their specific career and the knowledge needed in that career. Though education students are strengthened for their futures as good citizens. College is a more specialized form of the education they have received throughout their entire schooling and will need for their careers. College prepares students for the future by specializing
In Louis Menand’s “Live and Learn: Why We Have College” he discusses his three theories about the purpose of higher education. The first theory says “college is, essentially, a four-year intelligence test”(57). This meritocratic theory is saying that “society wants to identify intelligent people early on … to get the most of its human resources” and college is the machine that does the sorting (57). The second theory, the democratic one, claims the point of college is not to pick out the elite. Rather, the point is to “expose future citizens to material that enlightens and empowers them” (58). The third theory explains how “advanced economies demand specialized knowledge and skills, and, since high school is aimed at the general learner, college is where people can be taught what they need in order to enter a vocation” (62). All three theories have their
...nd acceptance or encouragement of becoming a productive citizen with an education in the modern world.
In the United States, many lack the skills necessary for college. Unfortunately, the education system fails to prepare some of its students for work or higher learning. Despite these circumstances, teachers and bureaucrats seek improvements to obtain higher success. In spite of the pressure for success, the current situation is not yielding the desired results. Moreover, in the recent State of the Union Address in early 2014, President Barack Obama stated the need for improved education, especially in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM fields. Yet, what should reformers pursue? Researchers have observed recurring problems to direct the improvement of education. The information presented, particularly over the past ten years, has revealed a need to involve the students that lag the most. Education risks excluding k-12 boys and minorities, as well as remedial education collegians, in higher education.
In every school around this country hanging on the walls are posters of great inspiration. They express the significance of what hard work, courage, determination, potential, and rising above and beyond can give a person who has a good education behind them. History books tell of a not so long ago point in time when America had an economy focused on physical labor that produced goods and then turned into a knowledge-centered one geared toward offering services. Looking at American now, one would never be able to guess that for a while education was important. Times changed and it was found that advanced knowledge and creativity was a thing to aspire too. Women fought hard just to be able to have the right to an education. “American politicians and pundits have regularly stressed that education holds the key to the country's future. Everyone seems to agree that good schools are prerequisites for broad economic prosperity, individual social mobility, and a healthy civil society in which informed voters engage in the public issues of the day.” (Mehta)