FiR Overview 1

Overview of Foundations in Rhetoric (English 1001)

Foundations in Rhetoric (FiR) is ECUPL/Marquette’s first-year writing course and is taken primarily
by freshman students who have not received AP credit for Composition or Literature. About 70% of
incoming freshman at ECUPL/Marquette take FiR. Its main goals are to prepare students for
college-level writing, including development of skills like critical reading and note-taking, source
integration, and scholarly research.
Outcomes:
Course outcomes for FiR include:
1. Develop ideas and arguments shaped by a process of inquiry and critical analysis of diverse
sources, including academic and nonacademic texts.
2. Express informed ideas and arguments in multimedia writing and speaking for different
audiences.
3. Represent information, ideas, and points of view fairly, accurately, and accessibly.
4. Critically reflect on your performance and growth as ethical rhetors striving to write and
speak well.
In addition, FiR is part of the first tier of ECUPL/Marquette’s core curriculum and overlaps with
several of the outcomes for the core (see syllabus for details)

Assignments
FiR is built around a sequence of four assignments and units that are shared across the program.
These assignments include:
1. 3 rhetorical analyses of sentences, paragraphs and articles (In-class handouts)
2. Synthesis paper (3-4 pgs double-spaced)
3. Research journal on a topic of your choice (4 entries)
4. Creative project and 2-3 page double-spaced reflection
Instructors share readings and content for Unit 1, which focuses on cultural rhetorical analysis (see
specifics later on in this packet). Then, they choose their own theme and materials for the later
units. In the sample syllabus that follows, the instructor’s theme was focused on literacy and
education, so Units 2 & 3 included readings on that topic and the sample assignments are also
slightly tailored to those specific sources/materials.

This Packet
This packet contains sample assignment overviews and student writing to familiarize you with
course content. It is organized as follows:
- Sample Syllabus (pgs 2-3)
- Unit 1 Overview (pgs 4-7)
o Unit 1 Student Sample (pg 8)
- Unit 2 Overview (pgs 9-12)
o Unit 2 Student Sample (pgs 12-14)
- Unit 3 Overview (pgs 15-18)
o Unit 3 Student Sample (pgs 18-19)
- Unit 4 Overview (pgs 20-22)
o Unit 4 Student Sample (pgs 23-24)
FiR Overview 2

SYLLABUS (After Dr. Lilly Campbell’s Overview of FIR and Sample Syllabus)
ENGLISH 1001 – FOUNDATIONS IN RHETORIC Fall 2024
LOCATION/TIME: W, 18-21:00 pm, D103 Mingfa Building East
INSTRUCTOR:
OFFICE HOURS: W, 8:30-11:00 am
EMAIL:

COURSE DESCRIPTION
Welcome to Foundations in Rhetoric! This course aims to help you develop your ability to communicate
effectively in writing, speaking, and across multimedia for diverse audiences. Grounded in rhetorical
principles, the course focuses on helping you to read and analyze texts critically and put your ideas into
conversation with those of others.

Studying rhetoric helps us understand the language people really use, whether they are writing or speaking
or composing multimedia texts. Rhetoric helps everyone—no matter what they study in school or do in life—
make sense of how people use language to communicate. Our work this semester will encompass being a
good writer and speaker, being a good audience member (i.e., reader, listener), being a good researcher,
and being a good advocate. Overall, I expect you to be prepared to actively participate in class activities
throughout the semester. In return, you will gain strategies and skills that will benefit you far beyond the
realm of this class. Let’s get writing!

COURSE OUTCOMES
All Foundations in Rhetoric courses at ECUPL/Marquette aim to help students:

1. Develop ideas and arguments shaped by a process of inquiry and understanding of sources,
including academic and nonacademic texts that represent both dominant and underrepresented
perspectives
2. Demonstrate rhetorical knowledge through their ability to analyze contexts and audiences and
create tailored multimedia texts that represent information accurately and accessibly
3. Engage in a process of writing including overlapping phases of invention, synthesis of ideas and
information, and revision undertaken in response to others' feedback and self-evaluation
4. Reflect on their performance and growth as ethical rhetors striving for effective written and
spoken communication given the rhetorical situation and standards set by this course.

ECUPL/MARQUETTE CORE CURRICULUM LEARNING OUTCOMES

1.

Responsible & Ethical Communicators

ECUPL/Marquette students will be able to responsibly and ethically use written, spoken and visual
communication to express ideas, create meaning, build relationships, foster understanding, and
advocate for a better tomorrow.
Moral and Ethical Actors
ECUPL/Marquette students will be able to articulate appropriate professional and personal
judgments that are rooted in universally ethical and moral foundations. They will use these
foundations to make decisions that promote stronger communities and a just society.
Citizens with Purpose
FiR Overview 3

ECUPL/Marquette students will develop a sense of purpose professionally, personally, and as global
citizens who demonstrate critically reflective discernment processes that are rooted in their
intellectual and personal commitments.

COURSE TEXTS AND MATERIALS

REQUIRED
- Andrea Lunsford Let’s Talk: A Pocket Rhetoric (2021). PDF-version.
- William Strunk Jr. & E.B. White The Elements of Style (2005). PDF-version.
- Robert A. Harris Writing with Clarity and Style (2018). PDF-version.
- River Lin ed. To Think as a Writer (2018). PDF-version

COURSE ASSIGNMENTS
Our course is structured around four units, each of which has a guiding central writing assignment.

Unit 1: Listening (Weeks 1-4) – Using cultural rhetorical analysis, we will investigate how sources like the
media, universities, and social groups communicate and reinforce ideas about racial difference.
Assignment: 3 rhetorical analyses (1 page each)
Unit 2: Connecting (Weeks 5-8) – Using assigned texts, you’ll write an academic essay synthesizing ideas and
approaches to forming identity through education and language.
Assignment: 4-6 page synthesis essay of multiple perspectives
Unit 3: Searching (Weeks 9-12) – You’ll determine your own research topic, formulate an appropriate
research question, learn to find and evaluate sources, document and present your findings.
Assignment: On-going research journal on a topic of your choice
Unit 4: Acting (Weeks 13-16) – You’ll employ your rhetorical skills to create multimodal project designed to
share your research from Unit 3 to your target audience.
Assignment: Creative project and a 2-3 page précis explaining your rhetorical choices.
Final Reflection (Week 16)
Our course final is a 3-4 page cumulative, reflective essay to help you assess your rhetorical
knowledge and skills. It is submitted electronically by Wednesday, January 17

COURSE EVALUATION
ASSIGNMENTS
Main assignments (80% - 800 pts) Points: Due:
 Mini Analysis 1-3 (50 each) 150 Weds Week 1-4
 Synthesis Essay 200 Weds, Week 5-8
 Research Journal 150 Weds, Week 9-12
 Creative Project and Precis 200 Weds, Week 13-16
 Final Course Reflection 100 Weds, Week 17

Process Writing (10%): This includes discussion board posts, reading responses, participation in peer review,
and other class activities. Process writing is graded for completion unless otherwise noted.

Participation (10%): This is a holistic grade that includes participating during full class discussions and
participation in small group conversation during our regular class meetings. Note that missing more than 4
classes without making them up reduces this grade by 5% and missing more than 6 classes is a 0.
FiR Overview 4

Unit 1: Listening
In our first Unit we’ll explore what rhetoric is and how you can use it to both analyze and compose texts. But
first we start with listening. Krista Ratcliffe, a scholar of rhetoric advocates for rhetorical listening “opening
your yourself to the thoughts of others and making the effort not only to hear their words but to take the in
and fully understand them. It means paying attention to what others say as a way of establishing good will
and acknowledging the importance of their views1.” To achieve this, we’ll analyze texts through the lens of
cultural rhetoric, which focuses on studying a community’s values and our own positionalities before
analyzing them.
Main Assignments
The major assignment in this unit is to write three (3) mini analysis papers. Each paper will be about 1- 2
pages double-spaced. At the end of the unit, you will participate in peer review, revise your third
analysis paper and reflect on your learning.
Since these are short papers, you should dig quickly into the heart of your analysis. You do not need to
have an extended introduction or conclusion. Instead, give a sentence or two of context on the text and
then move quickly into a discussion of what you were able to see using strategies from class.

Since these are exploratory and you will be discovering ideas while you write them, you should also
include a discussion question at the end of the paper that emerges from your analysis and that you could
share with the class.

Mini-Analysis #1 Words Matter

Due: Wednesday, October 11
Drawing on our in-class discussions about the importance of context and culture to meaning-making,
this first mini analysis asks you to choose an article about one of the words below to reflect on the
role that word plays in marking/making communities. Then, find an example of that word in action –
this could be a tweet, a news article or clip, an advertisement, or even a piece of clothing. Consider
how that example builds upon your article’s argument about your word.

Word Choices:

 Articulate: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/08/opinion/kamala-harris-articulate.html
 Spaz: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/06/14/lizzo-ableist-slur-lyric-apology/
 Savage https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/offensive-term-remove-urban-
planet-1.5305540
 Urban: https://www.gawker.com/5895216/stop-calling-black-people-urban

Your analysis should consider the following questions:

1. What is the rhetorical situation of your article? Consider author, purpose, audience, and
publication venue.
2. What is your words’ meaning and impact? Think about our lens of cultural rhetoric—how
does the word create meaning within specific cultural communities and contexts?

1
Let’s Talk (7).
FiR Overview 5

3. What example did you find of your word in action? Who do you think is the audience of this
example and why?
4. What can you learn about your word’s use from your example? Does it show us something
new about how your word marks or makes communities?

Mini-Analysis #2 Spaces
Due: Wednesday, October 18
This mini analysis asks you to consider how spaces on ECUPL’s campus function to create insiders
and outsiders. Choose a space on campus from the list below to explore and begin by filling out the
“sensory inventory” worksheet. Then, review your notes to figure out what seemed most important
and interesting and therefore, what you want to focus on in your mini analysis.

Consider the following:

• What is the space like? What adjectives would you use to describe it and how do different
elements of the space work to create that impression?
• How does this space compare to similar spaces on this campus or others? What is similar and
what is different or unique?
• Who is the main audience for the space and how do you know? Who is excluded and how do
you know? How might different individuals experience this space differently?
• What could be changed about this space to improve accessibility, inclusivity, or usability?

Spaces to Choose from for Analysis of Non-Written Text

On Campus
 Mingfa Building
 Mingzhu Library
 The Hall, Jiying Building
 ...

OR
 The ECUPL Website…Yes, I know that this is not a “space” in the traditional sense. However,
digital spaces are increasingly a part of our daily lives and many businesses and educational
institutions are moving to digital spaces instead of physical ones. Exploring digital spaces in
this unit may be particularly appealing to you if you want to pursue a career in technology
or computer science or if you are a commuter who may have a hard time finding time on
campus to complete your analysis.
FiR Overview 6

Mini-Analysis #3 Identity
First Draft due for Peer Review &
Final Draft for grading due: Wedn, Oct 25

For your final analysis, we’ll extend our conversations about cultural rhetoric and us all being “walking
texts” by examining our own language practices. Our class discussions should be helpful.

Consider the communities you belong to and the language those groups use to communicate. Select one
group and share examples of that groups’ communication practices. Some examples might be: friend
groups, family groups, sports team or clubs, neighbors, online communities, fan groups, etc.

1. Explain the group and your relationship to it

2. List 3-4 examples of language that group uses. Explain in as much detail as you can how the group
uses these examples.
3. How do those examples of language create meaning? How do those examples create insiders and
outsiders? How do you think outsiders perceive your language use?

Mini Analysis Grading (50 points each):

Criteria Strong (A) Good (B) Acceptable (C)

Evidence Demonstrates thorough Demonstrates Misunderstands the artifact

and thoughtful comprehension of the or demonstrates the writer
engagement with the artifact, but less direct has not read it closely (15
artifact. Discussion of engagement. Analysis pts)
rhetorical strategies is would benefit from more
supported by quotation, evidence to demonstrate
paraphrase, and/or the strategies at work.
summary. (20 pts) (17 pts)
Analysis Effectively unpacks a Unpacks some rhetorical Struggles to identify and
number of specific features in the text but is analyze appropriate
rhetorical features in the less specific or tries to rhetorical features
artifact and analyzes their cover too many. No (15 pts)
role in producing meaning. argument for their role in
(20 pts) meaning-making (17 pts)
Discussion Includes a thoughtful Includes a discussion A very perfunctory
Question discussion question that question but it may be discussion question is
emerges directly from their tangential or unrelated to included. (3 pts)
analysis of the artifact. (5 their analysis. (4 pts)
pts)
Presentation Essay is well-organized and Essay could benefit from Essay is hard to follow,
has been proofread to additional attention to either because of
reduce grammatical errors. paragraphing and disorganization or errors.
(5 pts) proofreading for errors. (3 pts)
(4 pts)
FiR Overview 7

UNIT CALENDAR
This is an outline for the Unit that is subject to change. Check your e-mail and D2L for any changes. Readings should
be complete before the class date listed. Assignments are due at class time on the date listed.
WEEK1
Date IN-CLASS ACTIVITY HOMEWORK
Weds 10/4 Introductions, “Speeches & Interviews”

Cultural Rhetoric Introduction Read: Let’s Talk, Chapter 1: Listening,

Chapter 2: Thinking Rhetorically

WEEK 2
Weds Intro to Mini Analysis #1: Words Matter Read: “Rain of Seattle”
10/11 Watch: “We All Fruit” video

Practice analysis with “Melting Read: “Melting Pot Meets Great Wall”; Let’s
Pot Meets Great Wall” Talk, Chapter 9: Analyzing

Practice analysis with word artifacts Read: Article of choice for Mini Analysis #1;
Let’s Talk Chapter 3: Engaging Respectfully
**Bring two possible word artifacts to class

WEEK 3
Weds Intro Mini Analysis #2 Mini Analysis 1
10/17 Discuss Geography Readings Read: “Here Is New York” Part I/III

Discuss Space Readings Read: “Here Is New York” Part II

Practice Space Analysis

Write: Complete Worksheet and submit

WEEK 4
Weds Intro Mini Analysis #3 Mini Analysis 2
10/25 Identity and Language Read: “Finding a Voice” by MH Kingston

Group Language Use Watch: “The Politics of Fiction”

Complete worksheet

In-class Peer Review Write: Draft of Mini Analysis 3 for peer review
FiR Overview 8

STUDENT SAMPLE MINI ANALYSIS #3

One group that I’ve recently been identifying with is weightlifters, which is a community
I’ve been a part of since the beginning of first semester. The main contributor to my motivation
is the fact that I have friends that I lift with, as having friends that I can go with every day is a
large incentive to make time to go. Additionally, as I began to take fitness and lifting more
seriously, the YouTube algorithm started to push gym content to me, and as a result I’ve been
ingratiated more and more into the YouTube fitness community so much so that I’ve absorbed
some of the insider terms into my vocabulary. For example, the term “pump” describes when
your muscles expand and feel larger after an intense set, or series of repetitions. Getting a pump
is the main signal that you’re doing your workout correctly and is widely praised among the gym
community. Another widely used term is “bro-science” which is a term that is mockingly refers
to when someone confidently gives out pseudo-science or questionable nutrition advice. For
example, if your friend walks up to you and says you cannot gain any muscle unless you eat 2
grams of protein per pound of body weight, or that you need two rest days for every gym day to
prevent muscle deterioration, he would be using bro-science. This term is mostly used
endearingly, as most people, including myself, are self-aware that some of their beliefs are
strange, which you can tell when someone leads a sentence with “Ok this might be bro science
but…” and proceeds to make a strange claim. With the gym community on social media being so
large, many influencers take steroids, some of which admit it and many of which don’t. When
someone is 100% clean of steroids, they’re described as “natty” which is a shorthand for a
natural lifter. However, if someone takes steroids while claiming not to, they’re described as
being “fake natty,” or a fake natural. While there’s a lot of contention in the gym community
about acceptable use of steroids, it is widely frowned upon to lie about if you use or not, as doing
so creates unrealistic standards for your average lifter, which is discouraging and turns people
away from the hobby. I could go on for multiple pages listing more gym lingo, but these are just
a few examples of inside terms that have unique meaning for the community.
Many of these terms create meaning by being somewhat intuitive to whoever hears it, but not
always so intuitive that the meaning is fully understood, which creates a form of an in-group to those
that spend time in the community. This creates a form of comradery among gym goers because it is
widely understood that consistently going to the gym and pushing yourself every day is difficult,
and this shared struggle in addition to a shared language allows you to form bonds with people
that you might not have talked to otherwise. With that being said, the gym community carries a
stigma among certain outsiders of being a community full of dumb, shallow meatheads that hold
a superiority complex over those that don’t share the same hobby. This view is likely present
because from the outside looking in, the only people that lift are men whose interests are only
sports and other “jock” interests, which creates a barrier for those not very involved in fitness.
While this stereotype seems accurate on the surface, this does not mean that most gym goers are
mean and gatekeeping, if anything the opposite is true. Your average bodybuilder or powerlifter
that has frequented the gym for 5 years is incredibly welcoming to people of all shapes and sizes
and is ecstatic when new people start going to the gym consistently. This is by far the widespread
sentiment of gym goers, as every new person that starts lifting is another person that they share a
common interest with and can relate to, as well as someone that is willing to improve themself
through difficulty and hardship.

Discussion Question: What should communities who want to be inviting do to mitigate harmful
stereotypes about themselves, if anything?
FiR Overview 9

Unit 2: Connecting
To be an effective rhetorical thinker, you need to be able to understand some of the existing
conversation about an issue or idea as well as its context. You might remember the “parlor metaphor”
from Kenneth Burke, which is a popular one that rhetoricians use to think about writing in conversation
with others:
“Imagine that you enter a parlor. You come late. When you arrive, others have long preceded
you, and they are engaged in a heated discussion, a discussion too heated for them to pause and
tell you exactly what it is about… You listen for a while, until you decide that you have caught
the tenor of the argument, then you put in your oar.”
What I like about Burke’s metaphor, in part, is the emphasis he puts on both knowing and not-knowing.
That is, he is well-aware that you could spend an eternity in the parlor and never feel fully *ready* to
put in your oar. However, at some point you must. The moment is right, you have listened long enough
to be a thoughtful participant, and you enter to bring your voice to the conversation. After our emphasis
on listening in Unit 1, we’ll spend time together thinking about how and when to bring our voices into
the conversation in this unit in ways that honor rhetorical listening but recognize the need to respond.
In this unit, you’ll use rhetorical analysis to explore various perspectives on literacy and education, and
how they influence our identities. Note how the texts we read have varying perspectives and ways of
communicating ideas (ie different mediums). You’ll analyze others’ ideas to help you develop and
determine your own opinions. Our main Unit assignment is a synthesis essay where you’re tasked with
making connections between the texts we explore and forming your own responses.
Unit 2 Texts
All the texts are available in To Think as a Writer:

George Orwell: Why I Write

Stephen King: What Writing Is
Virginia Woolf: On Reading
Robert Louis Stevenson: Early Efforts at Writing
Amy Tan: Mother Tongue
V. S. Naipaul: It Would Be Truly New
Adi Ignatius: Jack Ma
Steve Jobs: Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.
Bertrand Russell: Three Passions
Eilene Zimmerman: Teenagers Are Building Their Own Job Engine
Dale Carnegie: One Secret of Success

Main Assignment
Our second Unit asks you to combine the skills of critical reading and rhetorical analysis to write a paper
which incorporates your own ideas. By reading, analyzing, and making connections between the texts you
selected, you’ll begin forming your own responses. You’ll need to directly cite 4-6 texts from our course
readings. I recommend your final draft to be about 4-6 pages long.
FiR Overview 10

Learning Goals
 Rhetorically analyze your texts identifying their context, audience, and purpose and other
rhetorical features.
 Incorporate, cite, contextualize, and examine multiple passages from course texts, but make the
bulk of the paper your own ideas, which came from reading those passages. Explain for your
readers the way you read the texts and the connections you made between them.
 The paper should directly cite about 4-6 sources in conversation with each other. You can and
should use texts we’ve read and discussed in class.
 See the Rubric below for full grading criteria.

Formatting:
 Your synthesis should be 4-6 pages double-spaced, Times New Roman font, and include between 4-6
texts from this unit. 4 pages means 4 FULL pages of text.
 You should also include a 3-line, single-spaced header with your name, the class title and section,
and the date.
 Internally cite your sources and provide an MLA formatted Works Cited page. We will review best
practices for MLA citation in class before the due date.

Make sure to include:

1. Context: You must assume that your reader is unfamiliar with *all* of these texts. Your introduction will
likely provide concise but thorough background on key pieces you are responding to. Meanwhile, your
synthesis paragraphs might need to provide sufficient context as they introduce a new text so that your
reader can engage with it.

2. Claim: Your claim should take a stance on the topic of literacy learning. We will discuss possible stances
in class. You should offer rationale for your stance that will be based on evidence from the texts in the unit.

3. Synthesis: My expectation is that every paragraph in your essay will be citing *at least* two readings.
Paragraphs should be organized with clear topic sentences that identify their focus. They should integrate
quotes, paraphrases, and summaries from your texts as evidence and analyze the similarities and
differences between texts.

** Keep in mind: Each text that you integrate should contribute something NEW to your argument
that helps to build on and nuance your claim. If you organize your paper around four different texts
that show the role of family in literacy learning, for example, your synthesis paragraphs should
highlight what each example adds to our understanding of family’s role.

4. Conclusion: Why does your synthesis of these different arguments matter? Why are the perspectives we
take on literacy learning important?

Unit Assignments
FiR Overview 11

 Reading Comparison Chart: A template that you will fill in based on readings that interest you to
help generate connection-making and prepare for class discussion.

 Rough Draft for Peer Review: In Unit 2, the rough draft should include an introduction paragraph
and at least two body paragraphs that incorporate sources (e.g., quotations, paragraphs, general
references) complete with accurate parenthetical citations.

 Final Draft: In Unit 2, the final draft should be a 4-6 page paper (not including works cited).

Criteria Strong (A) Good (B) Acceptable (C)

Intro/Conc Introduction provides Introduction may not Introduction and
relevant but brief context provide enough context or conclusion are under-
on central sources. spend too long on developed (15)
Conclusion establishes the irrelevant background.
stakes of the synthesis for Conclusion summarizes
other contexts (20) findings but not
implications (17)
Argument Makes a specific and clear Makes an argument about Makes an unclear or vague
argument about where where you stand but your argument (15)
you stand and previews evidence for that stance is
evidence for this claim (20) less clear (17)
Evidence Demonstrates thorough Demonstrates Misunderstands one or
and thoughtful comprehension of the more readings or
engagement with the readings, but less direct demonstrates the writer
readings. Synthesis is engagement. Arguments has not read them closely.
supported by quotation, would benefit from more (40)
paraphrase, and/or evidence to support the
summary (60) synthesis (50)
Synthesis Highlights similarities and Identifies some Struggles to identify
differences between the 3- similarities and similarities and differences
6 texts in nuanced ways differences in the texts between the texts OR does
that support the author’s but with less connection not include all of the
overall argument (80) to the overall argument necessary sources (60)
(70)
Presentation Essay is well-organized and Essay could benefit from Essay is hard to follow,
has been proofread to additional attention to either because of
reduce grammatical errors paragraphing and disorganization or errors
(20) proofreading for errors (15)
(17)
Total: /200
FiR Overview 12

Unit 2: Connecting Calendar

WEEK 5
Weds 11/1 Unit 1 Post-Reflection Mini Analysis 3
Intro to Unit 2 Read: V. S. Naipaul: It Would Be Truly New;
Adi Ignatius: Jack Ma
Let’s Talk, Chpt 5: Reading
Discuss Orwell Read: George Orwell: Why I Write
Reading Difficult Texts

WEEK 6
Weds 11/8 Discuss King Read: Stephen King: What Writing Is

Discuss Woolf Read: Virginia Woolf: On Reading;

Integrating Quotations Let’s Talk, Chpt 7: Writing Processes
Discuss Tan Watch: Amy Tan: Mother Tongue

WEEK 7
Weds Discuss Carnegie Read: Dale Carnegie: One Secret of Success;
11/15 Synthesis and Source Integration Let’s Talk Chpt 17 & 18

Discussion Write: Complete reading comparison chart

Write: Synthesis outline
WEEK 8
Weds In-class peer review Write: Synthesis draft
11/22 MLA Review Read: Let’s Talk, Chpt 20: MLA
In-class work time
Unit 2 Reflection & Looking Ahead Synthesis Essay

STUDENT SAMPLE UNIT 2

In the classroom, students are evading learning on certain topics due to their disagreements with
the knowledge. The internal disagreements create an estrangement between the student and the
teacher. As well, the student distances themselves from the topic and, over time, the student may
be harmed by not learning. Some authors, such as Herb Kohl in “I Won’t Learn from You” and
Elizabeth Kolbert in “Why Facts Don’t Change Our Minds,” have analyzed the relationship
between learning and not learning. Kolbert explores the relationship between prior knowledge
and learning further about that topic, whereas Kohl delves into the role of not learning in schools.
Both authors recognize not learning and understand that people retaliate, or backfire, against
ideas that clash with prior knowledge, but Kohl sees not learning as a helpful tool for students
too. Not learning has become a tool that students use in school, but the tool’s future effects may
have a negative effect on the individual, but it is hard to convince them to learn as well. Aronson,
Tavris, Inman, and McRaney, too, have all cultivated the idea of changing someone’s mind and
why, as humans, it is hard to change someone’s opinion. They support and solidify the idea that
people who avoid learning a topic strengthen their opinion against the topic.
FiR Overview 13

Students create mental blocks that keep them from learning and, when someone tries to teach
them, the student strengthens their stance on not learning the topic. Scientists have conducted
experiments where they tell people that a simple test will tell them whether or not they are sick,
and, when people thought they received results that meant they were sick, they would redo the
test or wait longer in hopes that they would get a different outcome (McRaney 2). People,
including students, do not want to learn information that will negatively affect their world view
and, because of this, they search for other outcomes that will nullify the negative idea or ways to
ignore the idea completely. Students use the tool of not learning to block out information or fight
the ideas teachers present to validate their own idea to themselves. The idea of students fighting
information that they do not agree with goes along with people’s longing for solidifying their
own ideas. Kolbert states, “People experience genuine pleasure-a rush of dopamine-when
processing information that supports their beliefs” (Kolbert 6). When students support their own
beliefs and reject foreign ideas, they feel a rush of dopamine, or pleasure. This makes students
continue to support their own ideas further because it makes them happy and feel good. The rush
of dopamine and the mental block formed when students are introduced to a conflicting idea
makes it challenging for teachers to change students minds and get them to learn.

Furthermore, when students are presented with facts, they still do not change their minds, instead
their position is strengthened even further. People’s brains are wired to protect their worldviews
and when it rejects information that does not coincide with the previously held worldviews, the
brain protects that worldview even more (Inman 31). So, when a student’s idea is challenged,
their brain treats it like an attack and strengthens its idea more. This pushes students to become
invested further in their idea and makes it harder for the student to change their mind and learn in
school. Students then become more likely to not learn topics in school. Kolbert reiterates this by
stating, “As people invented new tools for new ways of living, they simultaneously created new
realms of ignorance” (Kolbert 4). Ignorance, or not learning, allows people to avoid topics that
they find challenging or topics that they do not favor. Students use ignorance as a tool within the
classroom to turn a blind eye to topics that they do not agree with or ideas that they find
challenging. Ignorance is not only a tool, but a way to allude to oppression. Kohl dictates, “For
many students the only sane alternative to not-learning is the acknowledgement and direct
confrontation of oppression-...- both in school and society” (Kohl 32). Not learning allows
students to mentally retaliate against oppression within the school system. The flaws within the
school system have gone unaddressed for generations and because of it many students have
chosen to not learn, and this will continue until the school system realizes that students are not
learning as a result to oppression within the curriculum. Ignorance and not learning are tools
within the classroom that allow students to solidify their viewpoints further and retaliate against
oppression within the school curriculum.

Moreover, students make the introduction of new information feel like an attack and they react
negatively. A little boy, named Barry, demonstrated this when Kohl attempted to get him to read.
Barry would yell, complain, and fight with Kohl because he associated reading with an attack on
his pride (Kohl 8). Students, like Barry, react both emotionally and physically to new ideas.
When the student feels inferior, they further the idea that new information is bad and that it can
harm them, thus they react negatively. Aronson and Tavris build on this by saying, “Dissonance
is most painful when evidence strikes at the hard of how we see ourselves-when it threatens our
belief that we are kind, ethical, competent, or smart” (Aronson and Tavris 2). Students do not
FiR Overview 14

want to feel inferior in the classroom because it makes them feel weak and powerless. Due to
this, students use not learning as a tool to maintain the power and control they can so that they
can reduce the feeling that they are being attacked by new information. Students react both
emotionally and physically to the attack of new information and because of that do not learn in
order to maintain the feeling of power in the classroom.

Students form mental blocks against learning things that they do not agree with in order to
maintain and strengthen their worldview. The tool of not learning information has become a way
for students to maintain control in the classroom and point out flaws within the school
curriculum. Schools should work to recognize that students are not learning in order to conserve
their core beliefs and the students’ minds are hard to change. Therefore, it is important that
schools work to explore the flaws in the curriculum that lead to not learning and work do
eradicate or diminish them so that students do not face negative effects from not learning.

Works Cited

Aronson, Elliot, and Tavris, Carol. “The Role of Cognitive Dissonance in the Pandemic.” The
Atlantic, Jul. 2020, https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/07/role-cognitive-
dissonance-pandemic/614074/ .

Kohl, Herb. “I Won’t Learn From You.” I Won’t Learn From You. 1995, pp. 1-32. Kolbert,
Elizabeth. “Why Facts Don’t Change Our Minds.” Books, July 9, 2020, pp. 1-6,
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/02/27/why-facts-dont-change-our-minds

Matthew, Inman “You’re Not Going To Believe What I’m About To Tell You.” The Oatmeal,
September 28, 2020. https://theoatmeal.com/comics/believe

McRany, David. “You Are Not So Smart”. Youarenotsosamrt.com. January 13, 2017.
https://youarenotsosmart.com/2017/01/13/yanss-093-the-neuroscience-of-changing-your- mind/.
FiR Overview 15

Unit 3: Searching
Research—the genuine search for truth and knowledge—is a cornerstone of liberal education. We need
to be knowledgeable in our disciplines before we can discern actions and enact the changes we need to
transform our world. While you may have written a research paper before, this assignment departs from
that genre because it asks you to question your own researching processes and practices.

First, you will choose a problem related to literacy and/or education that you genuinely want to know
more about. Then you’ll provide a narrative of how you went about trying to understand that problem.
How did you find your sources? How did you evaluate your sources? What did you learn while reading
(and rereading) your sources? How did their different positions affect your own thinking over time?

As you seek to learn more about your chosen research question. Your challenge is to understand new
information while also rhetorically analyzing your sources with particular attention to personal, local and
global contexts. This not a thesis-driven essay. You don’t start by reaffirming your final, considered
opinion. Try starting with rhetorical listening, intellectual curiosity, and an open mind.

**The main assignment for this unit is NOT a fully composed research paper. Instead, it is a
research journal that tracks the development of your thinking and mentions at least 12 new
sources you found on the way.**

Step 1: Your Research Journal

PART I: SOURCE ENTRIES & SYNTHESIS (80 points total/20 points each)

Your research journal will consist of four journal entries based on 3 sources each (totaling 12 sources) and
then a final summative reflection. Entries should be single-spaced and include the following information:

1) SOURCES: Find at least 3 useful sources that emerged from this search. Keep in mind that sources
can be “useful” even if you don’t plan to include them in your project, because they can help you
understand what to do next.
a. Provide an MLA citation and provide at least one hashtag for each category below (ie
#firstperson #scholarlyjournal #qualitativefindings)

 Author: First-person account; Journalist; Scholar (advanced degree) in the field;

Advocacy Organization; Other
 Source: Scholarly journal; General Interest Magazine/Journal; Newspaper or Online News
Site; Non-profit organization (.org); Government organization (.gov); Educational
organization (.edu); For-profit company (.com); Other
 Evidence: Historical Context; Personal Experience; Statistical Evidence; Qualitative
Findings (interviews, focus groups, etc.); Quantitative Findings (experiments, statistical
modelling, etc.); Other
FiR Overview 16

b. Include at least one of each of the following from all three sources:
i. A quote
ii. A fact
iii. A “bonus” thing

Here’s an example of a source entry:

a. Brandt, Deborah. "Sponsors of Literacy." College Composition and Communication 49.2 (1998):
165-185.
#scholar #scholarlyjournal #qualitativefindings
b. “Sponsors, as I have come to think of them, are any agents, local or distant, concrete or abstract,
who enable, support, teach, model, as well as recruit, regulate, suppress, or withhold literacy—
and gain advantage by it” (166)
- Theory based on 100 in-depth interviews with people born between 1900-1980 (167)
- Raymond Branch and Dora Lopez – both pursuing literacy on their own in Madison, WI in the
1980’s. Branch in computer science and Lopez in Spanish.

2. SYNTHESIS: Write a 250 word paragraph (not a bulleted list) summarizing your experience with the
search and how your three sources contribute to your project. Consider:

 Context: When and where did you conduct the search? What search engine and keywords did
you use? Any difficulties with the search itself?
 Take-aways: What were the most useful things you learned from these sources? What was
interesting? Surprising? Maddening? Awesome? Which one was your favorite?
 Reliability: How reliable are these sources and whose voices are amplified? Do you have
perspectives from people with first-person experience with your topic?
 Next steps: How well are your sources answering your research question? Where might you go
next to continue answering your question?

Part II: Research Map (20 points)

After you have completed your four research entries with 12 sources total, create a research map to
show the connections you see between your sources. You can use internet tools or even hand draw your
map if you’d like. I’m recommending Bubbl, but you are not required to use it. Bubbl will allow you to
create three (3) maps for free. Be sure to register for the free version.

**The purpose of the map is to create a visual depiction of the sources you found. You should include ALL
sources you plan to cite.**

PART III: SUMMARTIVE REFLECTION (50 points)

Finally, you will write a 2-page double-spaced summative reflection of your research experience. The goal
of this reflection is to articulate to yourself and to me how your research process proceeded during this
unit, what you have learned, and where you would like to head next.

Consider the following questions to inform your response:

 What is your research question? How has it changed since you began?
 How did you choose your sources? Would you choose differently in the future?
FiR Overview 17

 How and why do these sources connect with one another? (reference your map as evidence of
these connections)
 What did you learn? What did you find most surprising, interesting or confusing?
 What do you still need to know? In other words, what research might you still need to do?

Keep in mind: Even though they are engaging with academic sources both the journal entries and
summative reflection should be written in a conversational tone. The goal here is to get comfortable
talking about academic topics and discussing sources in a way that feels authentic to you. You are
welcome (and even encouraged) to use personal pronouns, slang, and words or phrases from other
dialects or languages. Of course, I still expect your language to be respectful and appropriate for a
classroom context, but I hope you will use these entries and reflection to make the source material
your own. Next unit, we’ll practice translating these findings for an audience of your choice.

Unit Assignments

 Library Tutorials: Understand the library materials

 Four research journal entries: These will be submitted at four different points in the unit and
each one will have a slightly different focus including: scholarly; public voices; personal
experiences; and grab bag.

 Research Map: Completed on bubl.us or by hand and including all 12 sources at minimum (plus
additional sources from Unit 2 if you choose)

 Summative Reflection: Overviewing what you learned from Unit 3 and where you’ll head next.

Unit 3: Searching
WEEK 9
Weds Developing Research Problems Read: Read: Let’s Talk Chapter 14
11/29
Read: Read: Let’s Talk Chapter 15
Write: Topic Framing on Website
WEEK 10
Weds 12/6 Using an Anchor Article Read: Let’s Talk Chapter 16
Due: Bring a scholarly article to class
Write: Journal Entry #1 Scholarly

WEEK 11
Weds Library Day Write: Journal Entry #2 Public voices
12/13
WEEK 12
Weds Peer reflection and feedback Write: Journal Entry #3 Personal experiences
12/20
Discuss Gladwell Read: “The 10,000-Hour Rule”
Sample research maps Write: Journal Entry #4 Grab bag
Research Map and Summative Reflection due Thurs, 4/6 at 11:59 pm
FiR Overview 18

Grading:
Criteria Strong (A) Good (B) Acceptable (C)
Journal Entries
Search Entries provide effective Entries provide some Entries provide little
background on the search background on search and background on the search
early on and consider how next steps but there may or next steps (7)
searches will change in the be lingering questions (8)
future (10)
Summary Entries describe relevant Entries describe sources Description of sources is
sources and highlight but connections to the limited or incomplete (25)
connections to the overall project are less
research question (35) clear (30)
Evaluation Entries thoroughly Entries provide some Evaluation of sources is
consider strengths and evaluation of sources but limited or incomplete (25)
weaknesses of the sources with less connection to
both individually and in the overall project (30)
connection to the project
(35)
Voice Entries show ownership Entries show some Entries read more like an
over the sources, comfort in discussing abstract and are
demonstrating comfort sources, but at times dominated by the source’s
and confidence in the prose is dominated by the language and tone (15)
discussion (20) source’s language or tone
(17)
Summative Reflection
Research Reflection describes a Reflection traces a Reflection is limited with
Process developing research developing research few specific details about
process and accounts for process, but with less the research process (22)
various ups and downs (30) detail or cohesion. (25)
Lessons Reflection thoughtfully Reflection discusses a Reflection provides limited
Learned considers how the author’s changing view of research, detail about a changing
view of research has but with less detail or view of research (15)
developed and changed cohesion (17)
(20)
Total: /150

STUDENT SAMPLE UNIT 3 (RESEARCH REFLECTION)

After concluding my research, I am very happy and confident in the sources that I found.
I found my sources from my second day of searching to be the most valuable because the topics
they were discussing were very interesting to me but were not about what I was originally
planning on discussing within my essay. Out of those sources, Dartmoth’s article, Fast food
intake leads to weight gain in preschoolers, was the most useful because it examines the direct
relationship between children eating fast-food and gaining weight. This topic helped me change
the direction of the rest of my research and my topic question to what is the relationship between
the consumption of fast-food in the United States and what can be done to alter this relationship
in favor of a more healthy one? Another source that was extremely helpful for me was the
CDC’s website, Childhood Overweight and Obesity, because it provided a lot of easy to
comprehend facts and background information. This source helped me understand the severity of
the obesity rates in America and will help my readers understand it also.
FiR Overview 19

After concluding my research, I am still left with some questions on my topic such as
would fast-food restaurants be willing to change some products on their menus in order to
combat obesity rates? I know, from prior knowledge, that many fast-food restaurants have
altered a plethora of their menu items so that they are more healthy, but I doubt that they would
make large changes because these changes would impact the profitability margin of the
company. I am also curious if there is more that leads to obesity besides high saturated fat levels
and low nutritional values in food (such as high food intake or consuming food with high glucose
values)? Based on what I learned in health class, the studies that I found only focused on the fat
and nutritional values, but obesity can be caused by more than just those two things.
During my research, I was most surprised by the idea that many sit-down restaurants
actually have higher levels of sodium and other dietary components that lead to obesity than
what is recommended when compared to fast-food restaurants. Deierlein discussed this idea in
her article. I think that this is an important point to bring up within my essay because it will
highlight that the fast-food industry is not the only industry that is contributing to the rising
childhood obesity rates in the United States. I also plan to emphasize that children commonly eat
more fast-food than food from sit-down restaurants which is why fast-food is commonly
attributed to causing obesity in children. I found this article and idea to be very interesting,
shocking, and another key part of the causes of childhood obesity.
For me, the most challenging part of the research was the beginning because I struggled
with finding a topic that I found interesting and had enough information available for me to form
educated conclusions about. I also struggled finding resources in the beginning because I used
unspecific key words in my search. In comparing my first and my sixth researching experiences,
my first search was stressful, relatively unproductive in finding useful sources, and long.
Whereas, by the sixth, I was able to find three reliable and scholarly sources that fit wat I was
studying very quickly. I think that the main reason there was a difference is practice, because
overtime I limited my search and I used information in my background research that helped my
look for relevant titles in the search process.
If I were able to go back and do it again, I would not change much. I would start by
looking for background information so that the rest of my search I can use what I found to
educate the rest of my search. After that, I would definitely use more specific key words so that
the results of the search are relevant to my topic. The most important thing that I learned from
this process is that it is a process. This process helped me change my topic to something that I
am more interested in and that is more pertinent in my life.
FiR Overview 20

Unit 4: Acting
When the first Jesuit schools were founded in 1548, they were experimenting with “the best ways to help
students become better human beings—people of good character2.” Today, Marquette echoes that
exploration, challenging students to “Be the Difference” and “men and women for others.” In Unit 3 you
developed growing expertise on a topic of interest, now we turn to action, exploring how you might use
your content and rhetorical knowledge to help others or inspire change.

Unit 4 asks you to determine your rhetorical situation. You’ll work on translating your research findings
from Unit 3 for an audience, purpose, context and in a genre of your choice. Ultimately, you’ll aim to
acquire what first-century BCE Roman rhetorician Quintilian calls facilitas, the ability to express ideas
effectively in a variety of settings.

Focus on action. How can you inspire others to act to help solve or ameliorate some of the issues you
learned about in Unit 3? Ask yourself how you might use your knowledge, talents, and time to improve
the lives of others and inspire hope?

Creative Project (150 points)

Your final project will be MULTIMODAL, meaning that it incorporates more than just textual elements. It
will also be shared via our class WeChat, so you want to consider what adaptations you might need to
make so that it can be accessed online (for example, if you wanted to make a painting, you would want a
high quality photograph of the painting and a written blurb of context for the website).

Below are the five main modes some examples of elements of each mode:
 Linguistic – word choice; delivery of spoken or written text (tone); organization into
sentences, phrases, paragraphs, etc.; coherence of individual words and ideas.
 Visual – color, layout, style, size, perspective
 Gestural – facial expressions, hand gestures, body language, interactions between people
 Spatial – arrangement, organization, proximity between people and objects.
 Aural – music; sound effects; ambient noise/sounds; silence; tone; emphasis and accent
of voice in spoken language; volume of sound.

First, you will be identifying WHO you want to talk to about your research; what specifically, do you want
your audiences to know, consider, understand, act on, etc. You will make these choices as part of the
larger conversation about who our class website’s audience will be.

Next, you’ll need to think about which GENRE will be most appropriate for persuading this audience. Are
they likely to listen to a podcast? Would they be more interested in taking an interactive quiz with
embedded information? Do your findings need space to be developed into a formal web article or would
you be better off synthesizing them into a mural or piece of artwork that will convey your point?

The design of your final project is open-ended and driven by your rhetorical choices and goals. However, I
expect it to incorporate at least 6 sources from Unit 3, with half (3) being scholarly publications. We can
strategize how to properly cite these sources within your project since citation looks different in different
genres. Regardless, your audience should be able to track down sources if they want.

2
Fr. Arturo Sosa, S.J. Ignatian Pedagogy: An Invitation to Human Excellence. 2019.
FiR Overview 21

We will SHARE multimodal texts as a class during our regular class times on F 4/28 and M 5/1. We will
also use our class website to showcase your work to a larger audience. You will be expected to briefly
introduce and explain your work to the class.

Rhetorical Précis (50 points)

After designing your final project, you will write an about 2-3 page double-spaced rhetorical précis
explaining what you designed, why you made the rhetorical choices that you did, and how you
incorporated your research from Unit 3 into this project.

This should include:

 Context: Provide background on your research topic, findings, and audience.

 Argument: Why was this genre a good fit for your findings and your audience?

 Rhetorical Features: Explain specific rhetorical choices you made in designing your project
and connect those features back to your findings and audience. For example, if you made a
podcast, you might discuss how you chose to start with a personal narrative to draw a
general audience into your topic and help build a personal connection with the material.

 Stakes: Why is this topic important and how will your project help to create change and fulfill
your purpose?

Criteria Strong (A) Good (B) Acceptable (C)

Creative Project (150 pts)
Audience Project is clearly directed to Some elements of content, Appeals to audience are
its target audience and design, and language reflect limited. (22)
content, design, and audience, but others could
language choices all reflect be better tailored for this
that audience. (30) group. (25)
Research Project is clearly research- Project draws on research Incorporation of research is
Integration based, applying research to findings, but in somewhat limited or unclear (55)
key concerns/areas of need less relevant or applicable
and incorporating findings in ways (65)
genre-appropriate ways (75)
Design & Project is well organized and Project is somewhat well Project is disorganized,
Organization professional looking, with organized and professional, confusing, and/or not
consistent use of multimodal but multimodal elements professional. Multimodal
elements to support access could be revised to improve elements are limited. (30)
and audience interaction. access. (38)
(45)

Rhetorical Précis (50 pts)

Context & Reflection provides effective Reflection provides some Reflection provides limited
Argument background on the research background and an context and does not clearly
and makes a clear argument argument about the choice argue for the genre of
about the author’s choice of of genre, but may be less choice. (7)
genre. (10) specific or clear. (8)
FiR Overview 22

Rhetorical Reflection describes specific Reflection describes some Reflection identifies few
Features rhetorical features in the rhetorical features but may rhetorical features without
project and connects them be less specific or less clear connections to the
to the research findings, connected to the overall project’s goals. (22)
genre, and audience. (30) project’s goals. (25)
Presentation Reflection has been edited Reflection has been edited Little to no editing has been
to remove errors in but could benefit from performed; frequent errors
grammar/ punctuation and additional revisions. Errors impede comprehension. (7)
for consistent tone. (10) do not impede
comprehension. (8)

Unit 4: Rhetoric in Action

WEEK 13
Intro to Unit 4
W 10/27 “Measuring What Makes Life Worthwhile” Watch: “Measuring What Makes Life
Worthwhile”
Genre Brainstorm/ Multimodal Read: “The Long Tail”
Design

WEEK 14

J 1/3 Write: Creative Brief

Read: Let’s Talk Chapters 25 and 26

Discuss the project Due: Decide on your genre and post
3 samples to class discussion
board. (i.e. If you are making a
podcast, listen to/reference 3
podcasts to help you
understand the genre).
WEEK 15
Citing & Incorporating Research Read: Relevant chapters from Let's
J 1/10
Talk Section 7 depending on
Group Analysis of Projects
your genre (Chapter 27 Print,
Chapter 28 Oral, Chapter 29
Digital or Chapter 30 Social)
WEEK 16
Due: Post a partial draft of your
J 1/17 Peer Review (Project)
Multimodal Project to Dropbox
and be prepared to briefly share
your work.
Peer Review (Precis) Due: Post a partial draft of your
Rhetorical Precis to Dropbox
and be prepared to briefly
share your work.
Due: Final Draft of your Project
FiR Overview 23

STUDENT SAMPLE UNIT 4

See website: https://patrickcurran195.wixsite.com/website-1

Sample reflection:
In a recent research project, I expanded on a research question that reviewed how music
alleviates college students' anxiety. When I started the project, I chose a subject area that I was
interested in because of its heavy research qualities which is music. From doing research, I
learned a lot about how music is a guiding force through an abundance of people's lives and how
they use it to escape from the stressful and anxious nature of our world. This got me thinking
about how music alleviates anxiety for lots of people. But because of my audience's broadness, I
wanted to narrow it down to focusing on students, particularly high school and college students.
After completing some research with this audience in mind, I thought that it was once again too
vast of a group. So I decided to expand my research some more and only focus on how music
helps college students' mental health. As a college student, I also thought that I could relate to
my research because of my interest in music and that I am a college student.
After completing my research journals, I began to think of the genre that would best fit
my college students' audience. College students do not have a long attention span, so I wanted to
provide them with my research in different forms. I decided that the easiest way to display my
research in other forms quickly and accessible would be a website. A website allows for the
compilation of research in different forms, so I thought this would be the best genre since it is
likely that my audience would not spend a lot of time on my site. I wanted to give different
options of research types such as resources, posts, and videos available. I wanted them to pick
and choose what to browse on my site, so I also linked an Instagram page because of how
accessible Instagram is to students in college. Having a social media page accompanying my
website is the best way to post updates and news about the site since many college students have
Instagram and could follow the account. I created a video used to introduce the site and my
research, located on the Instagram page and the website.
On the site, I divided up my posts into three sections, anxiety on college campuses, how
music helps alleviate stress, and finally, how music helps college students' mental health. I
thought that this was the easiest way to present my research because it gives my audience an
account of the general information on anxiety and music before applying it to them. I wanted to
provide my audience with a basis for the topic before giving them a personal connection to the
research. I felt that this was the most effective way to inform my audience since it initially did
not directly relate to them. Instead, it gives them the information and then provides them the lens
of looking into it within their own lives. Not only does it provide them with the lens, but it also
gives the audience different accounts from sources that provide them with facts that can be
informative to them as both internet browsers and college students. The audience can read each
section and develop their thinking as they go. In the last section, with music helping college
students' mental health, I included quotes from a friend who uses music as a stress relief. This
research was included so that college students could learn and connect the research to their lives.
I also wanted to provide the users with resources, so I listed a song of the day, playlists,
and a quiz to find your song to make my page more interactive. These choices were all made
because my college students' audience is not likely to read lots of articles, so I shifted my
research around making my site as inclusive as possible. I created my own BuzzFeed Quiz that
asks questions on your favorite movie, picture, meal, and holiday out of the options available.
FiR Overview 24

Then the final question asks which feeling best represents your mood, and then it takes the
answers and generates a song choice. I tried to choose well known "hit" songs from the past ten
years to be popular among my audience. I also chose songs that varied in topic and gave off
different emotions. The songs convey different feelings of confidence, happiness, sadness, and
anxiety. Therefore, the range of emotions gives the listener a more accurate representation of
matching their mood to a song. I also included a song of the day feature that is updated daily.
This component is crucial because it keeps my audience, college students coming back every day
to my site. With an age group of 18-22, they rely heavily on updated features every day. It is
essential to incorporate something new every day because other platforms like BuzzFeed,
Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook are always changing. Even though my goal was not
to make a social media platform, it was critical to change something daily to keep them visiting
the site every day and not just once and never again.
My site's home page has a graphic of different music types, and I decided to make this
picture because I thought it accurately represented what my site is about. There are pictures of a
college campus and students and photographs of different music forms with listening, playing,
and writing music. I thought this was also an excellent way to get my audience's attention
because it is both simple and visually appealing. Sites and platforms nowadays also typically
have logos or brands of some sort. With a young audience, I found that it was crucial to create a
logo or graphic of some kind to associate it with the platform like people do when they see a blue
base with a white F, meaning Facebook. I had intended to divide up my site into sections of the
content, but due to the limitations that the website builder, Wix has, I was unable to because of
the different forms of research. With more time and attention, I would have taken my research
into a separate website template that allowed me to have additional content.
My topic is important because in our world that we are in today, it is critical to
acknowledge that mental health is real, especially on college campuses. I do not think that
colleges vocalize enough about mental health issues on campus. There is a stigma against those
who struggle with mental health on college campuses. Whether that be a subtle jab or remark or
a direct avoidance of the student because they are struggling, these negative attitudes and
discriminatory beliefs add to mental health stigma on a college campus. Throughout my research,
I found that it is vital to recognize that students struggle with mental health and inform them
about campus struggles. This was supported by how 58% of college students are worried about
their mental health on campus, as shown by John Hopkins University's study. Music is also an
excellent resource that many students turn to, and to provide them information on how it is
helpful can make those who are struggling feel more inclined to add it to their routine or feel less
alone. My project will help create change because it will acknowledge that mental health on
campuses is real, and it also provides a way for students to stay informed and give them a
resource. Given that college students have experienced the effects of being on a college campus
in a global pandemic, this website hopefully gives them an escape to find music while also
staying informed and updated on mental health on campuses.