Penny for Your Education?

[Final Draft]
Soo-Yang Jung
University of Texas at El Paso
Professor Cohen
RWS 1302

Penny for Your Education?

On January 20th, 2015, during the State of the Union address, President Obama presented
a proposal to lower the cost of a two-year community college education to zero; it was met with
a partial standing ovation from Congress and a lot of initial enthusiasm from most of the public,
but it also begs the question: what, if any, are the potential ramifications of this plan? At first
glance it falls under two categories: economy and education, but could it also affect other areas?
The following two genres attempt to provide a little more information about the proposal and the
rhetorical situation that surrounds it. First is a video of the segment from the State of the Union
address itself: in it President Obama explains the current situation surrounding community
college education, and outlines some key points of the proposal. On the other hand, Obama's
Proposal for Free Community College: Reconnecting Education with Aspiration from
Huffington Post (John Hope Bryant, Jan 25, 2015) looks into the potential impact this plan could
have as a game-changer in the world of higher education.
Audience and Purpose
The first genre, President Obama: Free community college is an annotated video
recording of the State of the Union address. The purpose of this particular segment is to inform
the viewer and Congress about the current situation regarding accessibility into higher education
and to persuade Congress to consider the plan to make two years of community college free for
anyone willing to work for it. In the second genre, the author informs the reader about the current
statistics relating to higher education and attempts to persuade the reader that the Presidents plan
is a step toward awakening hope in our young people, especially in poor communities where
the youth are used to a concrete ceiling, not a glass one. However, in the second piece there is

also an explicit reference to Operation HOPE, a nonprofit for which the author is CEO, so there
is a large possibility that the author is very biased simply to support his own venture.
The primary intended audience for the first genre is members of Congress, however given
the fact that it was uploaded to YouTube it can be inferred that the members of White House also
want to raise awareness about this topic in the public sphere. The Huffington Post piece is also
readily accessible to the public, but it is important to note that Huffington Post is generally
assumed to be on the more liberal side of public press and as such attracts a more liberal, perhaps
younger audience. Neither genres require any existing knowledge about higher education nor
anything else, however it may be useful to have some basic knowledge about the social effects of
education before reading the second genre; it also quotes the CEO of Gallup and makes
references to Gallup polls which, while widely known, is not yet a household term. The language
features present in the video are that the Presidents body language is very emphatic, and the
right side of the video is dedicated for a slideshow that presents key information related to what
the President is talking about at each moment so its easy for the audience to follow along and
feel a little more informed. The languages features that are present in the article are that it is both
informative and persuasive.
Rhetorical Issues
Both genres make good use of rhetorical appeals, though in different ways.
Ethos
In the first genre, the President establishes his credibility by starting the segment with a
reasonably projected statistic and refers to more statistical information where needed. He also
cites current examples of areas with free community college, namely Tennessee and Chicago, to

further reinforce the viability of his plan. In the second genre, the author is presented as a
bestselling business leadership author and philanthropic entrepreneur which sets him up on a
solid foundation to begin with, and he also uses some statistics to back up his claims. However,
the reference to his own nonprofit at the end may feel like an uninvited plug to some and that
may take away from his credibility.
Pathos
The President makes excellent use of pathos in his speech by making the situation
relatable to a lot of people. He points out that college students are both young and old, some may
be single parents or veterans; to quote, whoever you are, this plan is your chance to graduate
ready for the new economy without a load of debt. By breaking the proverbial fourth wall, he
appeals directly to the audiences emotions. The author for the article also attempts to appeal to
the audiences emotions by connecting education to kindling hopes and dreams, but again the
reference to his own nonprofit makes it feel a little biased and could turn the audience cold to his
assertions.
Logos
The first genre used logos through examples of success. By pointing out the shortcomings
in the current situation and listing two areas that are successfully maintaining free community
colleges, the President was able to present his proposal as a highly plausible scenario. The author
of the second genre does not make any extensive use of logical appeal, except to further
reinforce his emotional appeal in an attempt to persuade the audience to support the Presidents
proposal.
Structure and Delivery

Most of the first genre is shot from the front at a mild downward angle, which makes the
president look a little more approachable. The only exception to this camera angle is for the brief
moments when the entire Congress is shown, with many of the members giving a standing
ovation. This gives the impression of majority support for the proposal.
The fonts used in the video were of the clean sans serif styles, commonly used in
marketing and also in the Presidents own campaign efforts. The colors used were mostly muted
and darker blues and a muted mustard yellow, a near-complementary pairing commonly
associated with the Presidents campaigns. This follows the idea of marketing the proposal to
the nation as well as Congress. In contrast, the font used in the article was Times New Roman, a
serif font commonly associated with informative texts. It helps to lend a sense of gravitas to the
text and the information contained therein. Compared to the video, there is a striking absence of
both color and images, which enhances its authority as informative text but undermines its
reading appeal for the general public.
The way information is organized and presented in both genres are very effective in their
delivery, however the first genre is more effective for a broader audience: though relevant, the
article is simply too long and boring for most of the general public. The President, on the other
hand, is already well known as an effective and passionate speaker, and in a video less than two
minutes long, he is able to easily capture the audiences attention and speak persuasively for his
cause.
Conclusion
Both genres are excellent at discussing the main topic. The first genre is much more
effective than the second, however the second genre is excellent at taking an extra step into the

possible consequences beyond the realm of just economy or education. At any rate, the United
States of the future includes higher wages and a more active economy that is accessible to more
people, and two years of free community college will be an excellent first step into making that a
reality.

References
President Obama: Free community college. (Video File). Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SMvqtpbpF8
John Hope Bryant (Jan 25, 2015). Obama's Proposal for Free Community College: Reconnecting
Education with Aspiration. Huffington Post. Retrieved from
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-hope-bryant/obamas-proposal-for-free-_b_6533436.html