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Christy Christensen
Mid Term Portfolio
Professor Strickland
07/18/14

RHETORICAL RATIONALE
It was a significant realization to me as to how much of the writing process is an evolution.
Just when I thought my writing was complete, more thoughts would surface. It makes me
understand better how writing can inspire thoughts. It was surprising to me how much reading
goes along with writing. Not only are you reading or viewing what you are writing about, but
you are reading and re-reading your own writing to draft and re-draft and finalize. You read and
re-read others essays to analyze and report.
Thanks to my engagement with the peer review, I can appreciate having other eyes and other
perspectives review your paper. There are things others see that you may never realize. Reading
papers in order to review them for peers has an interesting level of rhetorical sensitivity. When
you are a peer reviewing AND getting reviewed by peers you can apply this rhetorical sensitivity
in your review analysis response. As you read you can appreciate the writing, and yet you see
errors in format, spelling, grammar, and organization. Sometimes is it clear what the purpose is
and other times it is not. Many factors can influence whether or not the writing is comprehended
as intended. I read many of the essays sent to me for review, although I did not submit a review
on them if I had already done so. The process is important and I will turn in my assignments in a
timely manner in the future, being as they dont always get reviewed if procrastinated.
As the above two paragraphs answer the last two questions in the criteria for my rhetorical
rationale concerning my writing and peer review, the rest of this section will answer the first
three questions concerning target audience, purpose and revisions.
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Reflection Essay
Target audience- My reflective essay is written for the audience of my professor and peers.
Additionally, I recently submitted the original essay to a school of yoga with an application for a
scholarship program.
Purpose- To inspire others to follow their intuition and listen to their own voice in a rhetorically
sensitive way. Additionally to inspire readers to connect with all human beings and see them for
who they are rather than their labels.
Changes- I made an organizational change by adding a short paragraph to the end of the
concluding paragraph. This essay I did not make as many changes as the others. Since I had an
emotional connection to this particular story and topic, I had many drafts prior to turning the
assignment in. I guess you could say that I had a lot invested and wanted my purpose to come
across clearly.
Rhetorical Analysis Essay
Target audience- The audience that was targeted in my rhetorical analysis essay was congress,
ambassadors, and Excellencies.
Purpose- The purpose of this essay is to persuade readers to recognize how the holocaust
meanings, as presented by Elie Wiesel, apply to our present and future world reality.
Changes- In multiple places I had a spelling error with Elies last name, and had sometimes
spelled it Wiesel and other times Weisel, so I fixed that. I also overused his last name so I found
other ways to write what I was trying to say without abusing the convenience of using the name.
I changed the thesis to meet the criteria more closely as well. The planning guide we reviewed
for class stated that it should contain the title and make some claim about it.
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Visual Analysis Essay
Target audience- Kids and families are the target audience of the billboards and campaign. From
partnering with neighborhood schools to special kids & family night events in the Restaurants,
they encourage families to come together while enjoying great food.
Purpose- The purpose of this essay is to inform readers as I analyze the Chick-Fil-A cow
campaign billboards. Informing readers of my findings as I look for connections, examine
context, analyze the composition and consider the subject while describing what I see.
Changes- In order to follow MLA format I added a source, works cited and 3 quotes cited in text.
I added a whole paragraph in order to appeal to pathos more as I had originally intended. I did
this also because I wanted the readers to interact with the image more and see it better in their
minds. Organizationally, I simplified by trying to get closer to my original outline. I added
transition statements to have the reading be better understood. Placement of the thesis statement
was put in the proper place, and concluding statement was added. I wanted the readers to have a
clear beginning and end to the essay.
REFLECTION ESSAY *REVISED*
Illuminated Heart
As I contemplated what rhetorical sensitivity meant to me, I realized I only had a very basic
understanding. Prior to further study and deep reflection, rhetorical sensitivity meant to me; that
you are aware of your language and possible persuasion or dissuasion while communicating with
others. I will be sharing a rhetoric situation in which I had the opportunity to utilize rhetorical
sensitivity daily. At the time I did not fully comprehend the impact that rhetorical sensitivity (or
lack of it) can have in relational communicating. Upon reflection, I see an invaluable tool to
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more consciously utilize in the future. For my reflection essay I chose this challenge specifically
to expand my knowledge and comprehension on the topic of rhetoric. Rhetorical sensitivity can
be developed as we bring into our awareness how and why we communicate in different
situations, with different people.
My life was full of relationships, responsibilities, and unfinished projects. How could I add
one more thing to my plate? I did not have a choice it seemed. Without thought or understanding
I tore the serrated strip off from the volunteer poster hanging in the yoga studio where I taught. A
little face with big brown eyes staring down at me from a flyer that said Loving Joaquin. This
three year old face seemed to be calling out to me, tugging on my heartstrings. But where would
I find time to volunteer? They were asking four hours a week, and some weeks even six hours
when team meetings were called. I am a single mom with two boys of my own, I have a full time
job, teach and study yoga, no time for me to reach out more than I already do...my mind justified.
It was too late, those eyes calling on my gifts to exchange with his were burned into my mind.
An e-mail or two later I was driving to this little boys house. After speaking to his mother Maria
about doing Yoga Play Therapy with little Joaquin, a boy with autism, it was clear I would have
to follow the guidelines of the Son-Rise program. Although I had an agenda of my own, I
respected the wishes of the parents and knew I would need to tread lightly. Son-Rise was the
program they had chosen to run, in order to offer their little boy an opportunity to learn to
connect with others. I of course, understood that yoga, would teach him how to connect. But the
principles of the Son-Rise program resonated with me as well. I could see parallels of Son-Rise
to the principles in yoga and looked forward to the challenge to prove my theory. We agreed to
add myself, a yogi, as her 2
nd
team member for Team Joaquin.
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I understood the importance of going into this with non-attachment. But I dreamt of someday
doing yoga with this little guy. The guidelines of the program came easy to me; acceptance, love,
patience, joining, being present, user friendliness, and excitement. Some of the goals later on
however, were challenging to me as I delved into the program principles. But I wanted to
uncover what purpose I had in Joaquins life. Little did I know at the time, I would come to
understand the purpose he had in my life.
Day after day I joined with Joaquin in his play room. We rarely did traditional yoga, although
he occasionally allowed me to show him a few yoga postures. At times he would allow me to
read him a book about kids doing yoga. He loved flower pose, which was sitting on the floor
with soles of the feet together, blooming in the sun. Mostly though, he taught me. I learned that
you can start your day over whenever you choose. If it is not going as planned, in life, just as in
Joaquins pretend world, start over. Its a new day! hed exclaim. Each session we joined in
play as I facilitated Son Rise principles, which was as much therapy for me as it was for him.
I went on a twelve month journey with this Son-Rise family. I learned more about myself
over the course of that time than any sage could ever teach me. This little boys energy mirrored
mine at times, and I mirrored his. He revealed to me times when my attitude was different than
what my conscious mind was willing to admit. He has shown me through his autistic isms the
things my mind ruminates about. He taught me how silly the things are that I worried about as
we turned them into games in his world.
Learning to be flexible and evolve into this experience has taught me that there is so much
more to communication than the spoken or written word. Many children with autism are non-
verbal and lack social skills. Communication and therefore rhetoric now have new meaning to
me. Energy exchanged through movement, even simple gestures or facial expressions can say a
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thousand words. Body language while connecting with another human being can reflect the same
message you are sending with your outward appearance or it can reflect quite the opposite,
therefore creating a disconnect. Attitude and intention are readable with some practice and trust.
Rhetorical sensitivity can be cultivated and create win-win situations. I am grateful to have been
given the chance to be authentic and receive authenticity. You can learn much from a three year
old, if you listen. The journey.Day 1: Difficulty maintaining eye contact. Exclusive play. Day
365: Joaquin cupped my chin in his little hand sweetly exclaiming This is Christy! With tilted
head and big brown eyes that saw my Illuminated heart. And I saw his!
VISUAL ANALYSIS ESSAY *REVISED*
Although Chick-fil-A has had some controversial attention in the media lately, I do not
believe it has had a negative impact on the company or its campaign. Chick-fil-A has steadily
grown to become the second largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain in the United States,
with over 1,700 locations in 39 states and Washington, D.C. (Cow campaign). I think for a
campaign to withstand the negative media in such a way means that they have a strong message
that is not easily going to be put down. This is one of the reasons I was drawn to analyze these
billboards. These billboards intend to appeal to our humorous side and they do as they intend in
my opinion. Most campaigns that begin with subtle humor being the driving point, only stick
around if they are successful. If it were not worth their investment, they would discontinue the
campaign. I also chose to analyze Chick-fil-A billboards because of the simplicity, straight
forwardness and the dynamic impression of cows selling chicken within this campaign.
There is a billboard in Provo that simply states All in favor say Moo. It also has the Chick-
fil-A logo under the statement. This particular Chick-fil-A marketing campaign completely
assumes people will connect the image to their company. The first billboards were slightly more
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specific in directing you to the restaurant; they have become more and more subtle with the
belief that people will simply connect the cow and the unusual font with the establishment. The
billboard I chose to review is indicative of this coming to fruition. The billboard states nothing
about eating chicken yet we all know it is about eating chicken. Therefore, my general
impression of the design and presentation of the Chick-fil-A billboards are that they are simple
and straight forward, but with a twist.
The billboards all carry the same theme and have a three dimensional element with the cows
being lifelike props. Black and white cows, painting messages in a very specific font ads a
comical element. The font appears to be the cows painting the text on the actual billboard. The
cows sometimes are represented as billboard workers and sometimes they look more like
vigilantes. The cows began sending pretty clear messages like Eat more Chicken, as their
billboard displays have continued, the cows messages have become more subtle. With the
exception of the cows, the image is all written text. There are typically two to three cows
represented with the remainder of the billboard being text. The text is the same color as the cows,
with the background being white and the text in black. The Chick-fil-A logo is displayed in red
on each billboard. The simplicity of the marketing design compliments the straight forward
actions of the company.
The credibility of the company does play a role in the image. I believe if the company was not
able to resolve the recent controversy in a diplomatic way that it would have tainted the image.
From the little I did hear about the company and their attempt to recover from the situation, they
handled it by thinking outside the box. The creativity in many ways is what has made them and
saved them as well. The straight forward attitude of the company shows through their advertising
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as well. If simplicity and being straight forward are the base of the campaign, then the twist they
put on it is the apex at the top.
One of my favorite twists they apply to the campaign is that most billboards contain at least
one word with a spelling error. This is particularly funny to those of us in a school setting.
Another dynamic twist is that the cows are sometimes wearing costumes (Fireman), uniforms
(sports referee), or clothing (Hawaiian shirt). The best is when the cow is wearing a cow costume
as if he does not even know he is a cow. In 2008 the cows painted on their first water tower,
another twist to keep the campaign fresh and innovative. And in 2011 The cows prove to be
social creatures, accruing over 500,000 Facebook fans (Cow campaign).
The Chick-fil-A campaign has achieved its intended goal by reminding people that we like
chicken sandwiches. With 45 consecutive years of positive sales growth, Chick-fil-A has set itself
apart by pioneering innovations and delicious products (Cow campaign). Not only do their
billboards stay consistent and successful in the messages they send, but there employees are
always happy to serve. Every Chick-fil-A employee is trained to respond to customers with a
simple statement My pleasure! The company is a great example of simple messages having big
impacts. Overall, the simplicity, straight forward attitude, and marketing twist seem to pay off
for company and customers alike.
Works Cited
"The Chick-fil-A Cow Campaign." Cow Campaign. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 July 2014.
RHETORICAL ANALYSIS ESSAY *REVISED*
On April 12, 1999, Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor and Nobel Laureate, gave a passionate
speech in the East Room of the White House. As part of the Millennium Lecture series; the 7th
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Millennium Evening, Wiesel reflects on the past century and future to come. The event was
hosted by President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. That evening, he
delivered his speech to members of Congress, Ambassador Holbrooke, Excellencies, and friends.
Through both ethos and pathos, in his speech The perils of Indifference he successfully
delivered his message to an impressive audience.
At the White House lecture, Wiesel was introduced by Hillary Clinton who stated, "It was
more than a year ago that I asked Elie if he would be willing to participate in these Millennium
Lectures...I never could have imagined that when the time finally came for him to stand in this
spot and to reflect on the past century and the future to come, that we would be seeing children in
Kosovo crowded into trains, separated from families, separated from their homes, robbed of their
childhoods, their memories, their humanity."
As a teenager in Hungary, Elie, along with his father, mother and sisters, were deported by the
Nazis to Auschwitz extermination camp in occupied Poland. Upon arrival there, in the summer
of 1944, Wiesel and his father were selected for slave labor and wound up at a nearby factory.
Daily life included starvation rations of soup and bread, brutal discipline, and a constant struggle
against overwhelming despair.
Wiesel was liberated by American troops in April 1945. After the war, he moved to Paris and
became a journalist then later settled in New York. Since 1976, he has been Andrew Mellon
Professor in the Humanities at Boston University. He has received numerous awards and honors
including the 1986 Nobel Peace Prize and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He was also the
Founding Chair of the United States Holocaust Memorial. Wiesel has written over 40 books
including Night, a harrowing chronicle of his Holocaust experience, first published in 1960.
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Throughout his speech Wiesel repeats the word indifference quite often. To be indifferent to
that suffering is what makes the human inhuman. Indifference, after all, is more dangerous than
anger and hatred. Throughout his speech, he used many pleas; When adults wage war, children
perish. We see their faces, their eyes. Do we hear their pleas? Do we feel their pain, their agony?
Every minute one of them dies of disease, violence, famine. Some of them -- so many of them --
could be saved ("The Perils of Indifference," par. 26).
By speaking with the appropriate pauses and tone, Wiesels audience felt what he was trying
to convey. The display of pathos in his speech grasps the reader with the vast emotions and
personal descriptions of his torment and others demise. You fight it. You denounce it. You
disarm it, is the rebel like feelings the prisoners continuously expressed.
Finally ethos deals with credibility. Wiesel not only lived during the Holocaust, he survived
it. He fought alongside many other Jews for their survival. He gives detail on and about his
friends and family stationed at the camp with him. He goes in depth with the horrid memories he
and many others endured.
The Holocaust was like Hell on earth. During this era millions of Jews died for their beliefs.
Wiesel has relived his experience multiple times, both in his book Night and his speech The
Perils of Indifference. He uses both ethos and pathos to successfully convey his thoughts and
meanings of the Holocaust and how it applies to our present and future reality in this world.
Works Cited
"The Perils of Indifference." The History Place - Great Speeches Collection: White House
Transcript - The Perils of Indifference. N.p., 12 Apr. 1999. Web. 11 July 2014.