"The Hundred to Stay Funded"

For a long time marches, walks, and bus rides have been a powerful way to deliver a rhetorical message. 

Sometimes the message is one of opposition to something the government is doing.  Martin Luther King Junior and the other leaders of the civil rights movement used this method in the March on Washington, when King gave his “I Have a Dream Speech.”  SNCC leaders (the student run civil rights group) organized a bus ride to oppose segregated seating.

Other times, the message is a call to action, such as the Thon 5K to support pediatric cancer, or the Out of the Darkness Walk for suicide prevention and awareness. 

Why do so many people use these methods?  Because they are rhetorically powerful.   Instead of simply using words to advocate desegregation or encourage people to donate to cancer research individuals or groups march to physically demonstrate their commitment to their purpose.  They aren’t just speaking meaningful words to try to call others to action they are acting- and everybody knows actions speak louder than words.  These events expertly utilize pathos.  People sacrificing themselves- their time, their energy, and in the case of movements such as civil rights their safety- that gets a response out of viewers that no words, however passionate, can.

And beginning tonight, the cross country team from Lock Haven will run 100 miles to the rally in Harrisburg being held to oppose the PA state budget cuts to higher education.  Now, the whole team isn’t running all 100 miles- they will be taking shifts.  But none-the-less, when the team runs into the city just as the rally is getting under way, people will notice.  Because these busy college students took it upon themselves not just to attend the rally, but to run to it.

Grant Writing 101

When writing a grant proposal you are selling both your research and yourself.  You have to build up your ethos to prove that you are capable of carrying out the procedures.  You must sound like an expert in the subject you are researching.  Providing a resume and references allows the selection committee to see your educational background and your previous success in the lab.  They aren’t going to give you money for a good idea if they don’t think you can effectively act on the idea. 

But the good idea is also important, which is where logos comes in to play.  When writing the grant you have to give the committee a logical reason to support your project.  The key to this is outlining how the knowledge you are searching for will impact the field.  What gaps are you going to fill in the literature on the subject?  How will filling these gaps benefit future research?  What doors would be opened?  By detailing the benefits to academia you provide a logical reason for the committee to give you the funds. 

The final step involves a little pulling on the heart-strings.  How is your research going to benefit the world?  Will it save lives?  Help the environment?  By outlining the overall purpose toward which your research is directed you are painting the big picture.  This is not just a project to determine the role of a certain protein in the development of stem cells.  It is a project which could drastically impact stem cell research, which in turn would lead to regenerative therapies that can cure many diseases.  

Paint the committee a rhetorical picture.  Sell yourself and your project.  

Emotional Melody

Tragedy.  The earthquake and tsunami in Japan struck a chord around the world.  When Haiti encountered the devastating power of nature, everyone blamed the already dreadful conditions and shoddy construction in which the people were living.  But if a natural disaster can so drastically impact one of the world’s most developed, most successful countries it could happen to anyone.  Concern for the radiation leaking out of damaged nuclear reactors has created the kairos to spark new debates on the safety of nuclear energy.  News stations everywhere are showing videos of the devastation, reporting facts, estimating numbers all in an effort to respond to their audience’s desire for information on the situation. 

And one man posted a moving video on youtube to create an exigence, to call individuals everywhere to action.  He plays a song.  The power of the music pulls on the listener’s heartstrings.  And yet, while the purpose is clear- Japan needs support- the music itself could be interpreted many ways.  Is it a mournful ode to the people of the country?  A hopeful reminder that this too shall pass?  Or just something beautiful, to bring to mind the beauty of the land before the muddy waters brought destruction? However you listen to it, whatever images and feelings it raises in you, the song invokes pathos, bringing forth a well of emotions to persuade the listener to help and to comfort the listener in need.  Music is a universal language.  While different cultures embrace different styles, everyone can hear the beauty, the emotion, in these notes.

Catchy Songs and Cute Dogs

Jingles are powerful rhetorical tools.  This one is particularly effective- my sister and I memorized it when we were little and I haven’t forgotten it to this day.  Coupling the catchy words with the cute puppy draws little kids like a magnet.  And of course when said kids then sing the song everywhere they go (especially when they see a puppy) their parents will never forget it either.

 Not only do they succeed in sticking themselves into your head, the advertiser’s for K-9 Advantix emphasize the value of their product.  While spreading the word about their merchandise everywhere you take your kid is certainly helpful to the company, that doesn’t do much good if you don’t also buy what they are advertising.  So they use the ethos of a puppy.  If the dog in the commercial is so thrilled with the medicine that he is writing home about it, your dog will be happy with the gift too.  And of course since the puppy in the commercial is running around outside (where all the fleas and tics are) and is clearly unaffected by them, K-9 Advantix is effective. 

I don’t think I will ever forget this commercial- a song that ingrained in your brain never really leaves. 

What is your favorite commercial song?