To: Ms.

Diaz
From: Timothy R. Cutlip
Date: 2/3/2015
Subject: Rhetorical Analysis, MWA 1 Cover Letter

Rhetorical Situation
I chose the title Every Day You Participate in International Exchange because it is something
that means a lot to me and I believe it should mean a lot to everyone who is in some way
involved internationally. Most people dont think about the small things like how most of the
clothes one would buy in a typical clothing store are not made in the United States. If a poll was
taken, asking a randomly selected populous for their opinions on the outsourcing of labor to
China for most of the goods sold in the U.S.A., most people may mention something about how
bad it is; that we are putting money out of our economy. They would neglect to realize how
helpful the money is to those families who may otherwise not see water, food, or shelter without
that job. Of course, the conditions many of the employers provide are not at all humane which
is why I would like to bring attention to that.
I chose examples found throughout the advertisement of gaining an international understanding,
professionalism, and personal development, because they mean a great deal to me as far as what
I look for in my own personal success. The audience impacted my writing style by causing me to
look inward more often. It is a great deal easier to write about something that matters to oneself
when also addressing those whom it matters to. The process of analyzing this advertisement
urged me to reflect on what I was looking for when applying to my universities of choice, which
caused me to go back and research for a university as if I was first applying. I put myself in that
setting and it allowed me to precisely target the issues which were most important to me in this
advertisement from the University of Technology, Sydney.
Areas of Interest
I would like to draw attention to the explanation of the rhetorical strategies used within the ad;
ethos, pathos, and logos. Each was used appropriate and efficiently.
SLO Progression

C. Use multiple approaches for planning, researching, pre-writing, composing,

assessing, revising, editing, proofreading, collaborating, and incorporating feedback
in order to make your compositions stronger in various mediums and using multiple
technologies.
I progressed on this SLO by incorporating the feedback given by my peers and professor.
G. Use writing and research as a means of discovery to examine your personal
beliefs in the context of multiple perspectives and to explore focused research

Comment [SD1]: This is one good example,

but dig deeper into the SLO reflections
because at the end of the semester youll be
reworking as much as possible for the big SLO
reflection.

questions through various mediums and technologies.

I progressed on this SLO by paying particular attention to the personal experiences expressed in
the advertisement, and looking inward at what those perspectives mean to me and why they are
attractive to me as an individual and a student.

Comment [SD2]: What do they mean to

you? What personal experiences? Get super
into these explanations.

Timothy Cutlip
English 120 Tu/Th 8:00-9:15
February 3rd , 2015
Every Day You Participate in International Exchange - A Rhetorical Analysis

Comment [SD3]: For an essay, title doesnt

need to be bolded and should be in center.

There are many education options for todays students. As a student is getting closer to
deciding on a University, or place of study, they begin to be bombarded with advertisements to
hundreds of institutions across the country. What makes one university more appealing than
another? There are consistencies in the advertising strategies that universities use to influence

Comment [SD4]: University doesnt need to

be capitalized unless its the start of a
sentence of a proper noun (Harvard
University)
Comment [SD5]: The rhetorical question is
really effective.

students to attend their institution. Initially, the university's advertisement will try to hook the
viewer's attention, then it builds off the primary catch to create a comprehensive and compelling
appeal to encourage the student to apply. There are many rhetorical strategies put to use in this
method. To examine a few of these strategies, this analysis will focus on one advertisement for
the University of Technology, Sydney and on one degree in particular, International Studies.

Comment [SD6]: Solid intro.

Earning a degree in International Studies requires an individual to be globally minded

and involved in worldly studies. Typically, a focus area of one region and an associated language
is studied. Through this students will be required to immerse themselves in their culture of study,
and it can be an eye opening experience. The amount of opportunities, such as studying abroad,
available to a student studying in this field is crucial, because how can one expect to truly
understand the international relations between countries if one hasnt even traveled to the
countries in question and lived with the people there? The University of Technology, Sydney
knows this and takes advantage of that knowledge immediately in their advertisement.

Comment [SD7]: The location of this is a bit

awkwardtry moving it in front of takes
advantage.

Within the opening scenes there is footage of students who appear culturally diverse
working alongside each other, implying that you may not even need to travel away from the

Comment [SD8]: In
Comment [SD9]: How so? Describe this.

University to have the opportunity to interact with nationals, be they students or professors, from
other countries and backgrounds. Following this there is the first speaker of the video Dr. Jeffrey
Browitt, Head of the International Studies Program. Browitt speaks of how the university focuses

Comment [SD10]: Dr.

on, sensitizing students to what goes on below the surface of nationalism and national

Comment [SD11]: Good framing.

narratives. In other words, they pride themselves on providing the opportunities for students to
immerse themselves in what really goes on, day by day, in these countries of study. He continues
by catching the attention of the viewers with the statement that the degree plan at the university
involves traveling to another country where they receive one full year of study. This is huge for
any student truly interested in this field and this hook occurs at just about 30 seconds into the
video. The advertisement continues to include student testimonies and appraisal with
accompanied photos, to their experiences through the university. Students speak mostly of how
great the study abroad opportunity, or social inquiry placement, was and that they had a lot of
fun while gathering a vast amount of knowledge and understanding through living and
communicating with the people of their location. All of the clips shown in the advertisement
typically show many students in the background, exhibiting how students trust the university and
enjoy the opportunities. All of the students and professors pictured appear professional, happy,
and attentive. The professors in particular exude an aura of pride for what they do.
Taking a look into the rhetorical techniques used throughout the advertisement allows an
accurate examination of where the ad succeeds and where it falls short. In the context of a
universitys advertisement, success would mean that it brings in students by first grabbing their
attention and giving them enough reason to potentially spend a significant part of their lives and

Comment [SD12]: What kind of students?

Your summary is good, but dig deeper and
really describe the scene/characters.

earnings at the university in a chosen program. All of the examples provided by current students
increase the credibility, or ethos, of the university. Building on ethos, the ad includes dialog from
two professors, one of which is the head of the International Studies department, and these

Comment [SD13]: Let ethos have its own

paragraph and this paragraph can work as an
introduction to the rhetorical appeals.
Comment [SD14]: dialogue

exchanges are done with a high amount of professionalism and accuracy; the professors are
dressed professionally and hardly stumble over their words and yet the dialog seems to be
impromptu, or at least they think of more facts to add to their statements during their sections on
the video, showing that they are not just figure heads and are really involved and dedicated to the
university and its students.

Comment [SD15]: This is all one sentence

it needs to be broken up.

Another important rhetorical technique used is the application of pathos, which is the
emotional appeal of the advertisement. The students, in their dialogs, explain why their
experiences mattered to them. One student in particular says that in her study abroad to Japan she
realized there was, almost like a hidden curriculum where you learn about being confident
about yourself and that is something that you cant get at any other university. Other students
explain how they became involved in these big issues, such as the economic growth and
development or political offices, within their countries of study because of how they affect the
citizens that they grew very close to during their time spent there. Above all, the students appear
to enjoy the university and they seem very eager to talk about it.
Lastly, theres the appeal to logic logos. Throughout the advertisement there are
examples of academic success and being prepared for the real world. Near the end of the ad a
student speaks in particular of how she got a degree that taught her exactly what she wanted to
know while giving her the skills needed to work in two internships and pick a job afterwards.
These examples justify to the audience that getting an education through this university will be a
strong academic decision and that it will help with success in a later career.

Comment [SD16]: Good analysis!

Choosing the best route for ones education can be a difficult journey. Before students
even graduate high school they are bombarded with advertisements, and universities begin to use
these rhetorical techniques - logos, pathos, and ethos. The University of Technology, Sydney,
applied these techniques through their advertisement for International Studies quite effectively,
and because of this the ad is very successful in recruiting students.

Comment [SD17]: Overall, strong rhetorical

analysis. Ive left comments throughout so you
have some ideas about your revisions, but also
give your peers the chance to look it over and
give you additional feedback.