Blog 1:Employer, Date, or Roommate?

From: http://englishharmony.com/headphones/

During the first day of college, in Dr. Bell's English 109 Honors course, the class explored specific usage of words. Each person tore a single sheet of lined paper into 3 sheets of approximately equal size and were told to write five descriptors on each sheet. One sheet had five words that the individual student would use to describe him/her to a potential employer, the next sheet had five descriptors of that same individual, but geared toward a date, and the final or third strip also had five words that described him/her to a possible roommate.

The students were then told to orient their desks as to form groups of four students. Each students' three slips are then shuffled into a pile and they had the task of sorting them back into three appropriate piles. In my group, we used the connotations and the choice of words to organize the slips:
If the slip had more serious or business/job oriented words, then it would go into the "employer" pile.
If it had personal, kind, or some type of word that appealed to the senses, both physiologically or psychologically, then the slip goes into the "date" pile.
If it had words that friends would say to each other or that relate to spacial interaction such as neat or quiet, then the slip would be placed into the "roommate" pile.

The activity itself was pretty straightforward. The idea of analyzing rhetorical situation was not new to me. I have done similar activities in my A.P. English course where my class would read influential American speeches and letters annotating for pathos, ethos, and logos.

As an older brother, I often have the obligation of poking my sister in the right direction from time to time. Just recently, I urged her to join more clubs in high school and seek leadership positions in the clubs she feels most passionate about. The audience here is obviously my sister. The context is more informal and advisory. She was just starting high school and was somewhat nervous since her friends went to different high schools. I listed all the pros to her and tried to dispel any of her doubts. I told her that it would help her make new friends, maybe become an addition to a resume, and give her new insights.

My argument was somewhat successful. My sister recently called me and said that she was elected co-treasurer of one of her clubs. Her clubs/activities she joined may not necessarily be noteworthy or prestigious, but at least she is more involved. She also has two more years of high school so she still has time to join more clubs. I wanted to rush her into clubs, but somewhere along the way, realized that I have to start off gentle which worked.

As mentioned before, words have the ability to lift one's spirit as is the case with me and my sister. When used appropriately, words could do almost anything which is why rhetoric is so important, yet some question their use. Like a dagger, they could inflict harm. Are rhetoric and words merely tools that humans need or do they serve a deeper purpose?