Rhetorical Text

This weekend I went back to my hometown for a little visit. My hometown is Williamston, so it is only about thirty minutes from where I stay, here at Clemson University. As I visited an old friend I noticed college applications on her desk in her room. Many read, “We are glad to have you aboard,” “We can’t wait to have you here,” “You will be more than pleased with our music program here,” “If you choose to attend it will be the best four years of your life.”  My old high school was having their annual “Miss Palmetto Pageant” and I had friends competing for the title. As I walked into the school there were photos of each contestant. The lady at the ticket booth handed each one of us a brochure for the pageant, presenting each young lady in their best light. We held up “Go Lauren” posters to encourage our best friend and motivate the crowd to cheer her on. Each determined contestant fought for the judges’ vote as they gave a speech, walked down the runway in their best attire, and performed their talent for everyone. On my way back to Clemson that night I saw billboards and even gas station signs promoting their best prices. Another rhetorical text I noticed was a church sign that read, “God can make all things new-even you.” This sign encourages people think about God in their New Year’s Resolutions. As I arrived back to my apartment a few of my friends were playing the X box. We decided to turn it off and watch something we all liked, so we turned the channel to MTV. In between all the drama and fights there were persuasive commercials. A commercial promoting sobriety involving a teen under the influence showed before us. She was vomiting all her hopes, dreams, friends, and family, into the toilet. This came on a teen channel to show teens that getting “wasted” was wasting away their life and future. Finally, I was beyond tired from my long weekend at home so I made my way to my bedroom in my apartment. I looked at my bulletin board as I climbed into the bed and saw my Clemson calendar showing me all the exciting events going on in the next couple of weeks. My weekend was full of rhetorical texts. I never realized how persuasive our world is today until I watched my daily routine consistently.