RHETORIC I

G-EN110A Fall 2013

PERSONAL CREDO ASSIGNMENT

Assignment Essentials (5 pts) Compose a personal credo that distills your unique approach to life into a short statement of no more than 100-150 words. Upload your credo through Coursework on Bulldog Connect before 8 a.m. Friday, Sept. 20. Bring a printed copy of your credo with you to Fridays class. Before You Write Traditionally creeds are communal texts read and repeated in worship to affirm the common beliefs of the faithful. Religious historians and leaders describe a critical moment in the spiritual development of an entire people as well as the spiritual development of individuals when they put aside the prayers and creeds of their teachers and find their own words for their own context. In many ways, the same is true of college students moving away from family, neighborhood, and hometown and trying to find beliefs and a voice that is truly their own. This assignment offers an opportunity for you to articulate your beliefs in your own words. For this assignmentwhich is but a first step in writing your own This I Believe essayI want you to compose a personal credo that distills your unique approach to life into a short statement of no more that 100-150 words. This short statement isnt all you believe; its simply a way to introduce others to some principles you value. You will flesh out this general sketch with specific applications and anecdotes in your longer essay, but for this assignment I want you simply to define your selected beliefs as precisely as possible. As you look for a focus for your credo, take inspiration from the wide variety of beliefs you encountered in the essays you reviewed when you selected three to bring to class today (Monday, 16 Sept.). Try to focus on something that helps others understand your past, present, and future behaviors and choices. Important: In spite of the name, your credo need not be religious or even public. Essays that focus on beliefs that are strictly matters of faith (e.g., I believe that Jesus death on the cross atoned for the sins of all humankind or There is only one God, Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet) will almost certainly be more abstract and less interesting than your personal commitments to yourself, family, community, service, political action, the arts, and so on. These personal beliefs and commitments will explain what you believe to be a meaningful and successful life and why you behave the way you do.