Rhetoric Chapter 1

Rhetoric is something that if one is not paying attention, they may not notice it at all. However, it is constantly being absorbed subconsciously every day in almost every setting imaginable. Today when I was walking from the dining hall I was handed a flyer for ten dollar haircuts from some guy outside of the student union. This wasn’t necessary for him to give me because I don’t have very much hair to cut; and the hair that I do have I cut myself. However, when he handed me this flyer for a one dollar off coupon on any haircut, he was trying to persuade me to get my haircut at this location. The title of Jade’s Salon gave the haircut shop a more exotic name to possibly make it sound more attractive to people reading the flyers. The low prices for haircuts also showed that they were most likely trying to appeal to college students that did not have a lot of money to spend on something such as a haircut. All of these techniques were used to try to persuade people, myself included, into going to this place to get haircuts.

Another example of rhetoric that I experienced just the other day walking to class was when I received a flyer from FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes). This organization was trying to recruit people to come to their events that they were hosting so they could help share their faith with others. However, the flyers that were being handed out were advertisements about cookouts and dance parties that they were having. This was added into the spiritual aspect of this flyer in an attempt to lure people in with the thoughts of free food and fellowship. These are excellent means of persuading people to come somewhere because there are not many people that will turn down a free meal when it is offered to them.

A third example that I have seen almost every day that I have been on campus has been the use of pins and t shirts by sororities encouraging people to “Go Greek.” Girls have been wearing colorful t-shirts with pins on their backpacks to make Greek life seem as enjoyable and glamorous as possible. This type of rhetoric may not be aiming directly at me, but it is definitely being used around campus to encourage girls to take part in rush week and join sororities and become a part of the Greek community here at Clemson.

All of these examples are things that can be seen on a regular basis almost anywhere you go on campus. These are only a few examples of the hundreds of different flyers used by all different kinds of athletic teams, services clubs, or social clubs to persuade as many people as possible to take part in their activities. Even if one is not thinking about these messages, they seem to be constantly present in college life at any turn.