Assignment 2 - President Obama's Speech to Students

Today President Obama addressed the nation's students from Wakefield Highschool in Arlington, Virginia. The speech was approximately 16 minutes in length and was preceded by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Wakefield's 2010 Senior Class President, Timothy Spicer. [I did not read/watch any previous information on the speech and the controversy surrounding it before hand. I watched it live on the White House web site. The following are my comments and observations.]

Overall I think that the President made a very encouraging and engaging speech this morning. He encouraged students to stay in school and highlighted responsibility to themselves as the key to success as a student and the success of this country.

I think that the strongest points were made when he highlighted famous personalities that the students could relate to (J.K. Rowling and Michael Jordan). He used them as examples to tell the students that we can't let our failures define us. We have to let our failures teach us instead. I think this was the strongest and most compelling point made because having failed in the past is a huge reason that many students let themselves be pulled down and discouraged from staying focused and achieving their dreams.

Another strong point was his statement, "Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength because it shows you have the courage to admit when you don't know something, and that then allows you to learn something new." This helps students feel confident admitting that they need help and that it is okay to ask questions.

Throughout the speech the President used different rhetorical strategies to heighten the effect of his persuasive point - to stay motivated and dedicated throughout education. He appealed to pathos by connecting with the students by assuring them that he understood their experiences, especially relating his story of getting up before dawn to study with his mother. Telling that story also helped the students to identify with his experiences, which gave him more credibility with the main audience.

He appealed to ethos by acknowledging that he had made mistakes in the past and using personal stories and stories of other students to establish authority on the subject of education. He shared his personal struggle with education and admitted that he hadn't always applied himself as well as he should have. I think that admitting his shortcomings made people more likely to trust his presentation.

He also used logos, in regards to his statements that if you quite school you can't just expect to get a good job. I think the stories of the three students who overcame trials to succeed can be considered "evidence" for his claim that we can become good at something, but it takes time and dedication.

At the close of his speech, President Obama said, "I expect great things from each of you." A statement like this inspires a confidence that many people don't have. Hearing someone say that they have confidence in you gives you the strength to have confidence in yourself. I think it was a great way to end his speech.

You can read the text of his entire speech here.